Today we are exactly 2 weeks post op. Everyone keeps asking how Santiago is doing and all I can really think to say is "great." He is finally eating, sleeping, pooping (haha) normally : ) I am thrilled he is doing so well! Besides having to "doctor" his incision twice a day, things are mostly normal. Santiago will say "doc" when I ask him if we can doctor his head and put his medicine on. He is learning so many new words lately.
Today we went to Dynamics Orthotics and Prosthetics for our first helmet appointment. Santiago is going to have to wear a helmet again but we aren't real sure of all the details for the helmet this time. When we go back to see Dr. T next week, we will know more. He originally said we will need a helmet more for protection this time rather than molding. We got to see the same consultant as we saw the first time we went to Dynamics for our helmet fittings. His name is Aaron and Santiago really liked him the first time around. Santi did not remember Aaron and if we probably won't be seeing him for our next helmet appointments because we are hoping to begin going to their office in the Woodlands because it is closer and Aaron no longer works there.
Santiago was less than thrilled to have the sock thingy stretched over his head. They have to put this on him to smooth out his hair and to see the shape of the head better. You can see the machine in the back of the following picture that they use to take the scan of the head. It's called the STARscanner and its a lot like making a copy of your baby's head. You simply lay the baby inside and they push a button and a little red laser scans the length of the head in about 2-3 seconds and then you are done. It would be real simple if the baby can lay still for those 2-3 seconds but sometimes we had to be scanned multiple times to get a good scan. Luckily, today it only took 2 tries. Once without Aaron in the room and then the good scan when Aaron came in to help us. Santiago got really upset when Aaron first put the sock do-rag on his head so he left us in the room alone and told us that we could try if we calmed Santi down while he was out. So we did, and we tried but I didn't know where Santiago's head needed to be inside the scanner and when I laid him down and pushed the button - it scanned his mouth down to his tummy. Santiago is a tall boy so he took up the length of the machine now - I didn't know his legs were going to have to hang out so his head could be in the center.
Overall Santiago did a really good job in there. Hector and I asked a lot of questions and got some neat printouts that show how his head has changed from April 2009 after his first surgery, during helmet wear, close to the end of helmet wear in June 2009 and then now after his 2nd surgery. It was cool to see the different views on the computers at Dynamics and I was glad to get a couple printouts for keepsakes.
Look how my boy has grown! Santiago is touching his head saying "ha" for hat in today's picture and the second picture was taken the beginning of April '09 after our first surgery. He was about 2.5 months old!
It's seems just like yesterday he was this tiny....boy time flies! My little man has been through a LOT in his 17 months of life : ) He's so strong!
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