Jackson's Physical Therapy

We went to Jackson's Physical Therapy this morning (and then the fair, so I was away all day). It went pretty good, she showed us different ways to help stretch out his neck and strengthen it because of the Torticollis. She did a "measurement" and he only has a 10% tilt, which she said wasn't bad, but we still need to correct it. So we need to do the stretches and really get him to turn his head up and to the side to help neutralize it.

She also checked out his head shape and said it's misshapen (duh) we've been trying to work on it, but she said we should really think about getting him a helmet She said to talk more about it with our Pedi at our next appt and also to our Neurosurgeon at CHOC when we go back for his follow up on the 25th of this month. I know it will help his head, but I don't know why it makes me so sad if he will have to wear one! Just the combo of the Torticollis, and him having a massive head has all tied together causing the bad shape to his head.

If he gets the helmet, he has to wear it for 23hours a day, taking it off to bathe and clean it, and we have to go in every week or 2 to get it refitted to keep shaping his head back to normal I don't even know how long he would have to wear it for. We've been trying so hard to keep him on the left side of his head to even it out (and DH and I think there has been improvement) so we will see what our Pedi says when we see her for Jack's 6 months appt in a couple weeks.

The other thing that worries me is the cost of the helmet... the helmet and all the fittings are upward of $1,000+ and most insurance won't cover them, no idea why, I guess it's considered cosmetic?? IDK We don't have that kind of money just laying around right now so I'd have to ask my parents for help, which they would do in a heartbeat, but I just hate having to ask.

I don't know why I'm so sad for him if he has to wear the helmet. I don't want people making fun of him or anything, and I've even looked them up and babies actually look really cute in them and I know it's for the better..IDK I'm totally rambling, sorry for all of this, I just needed to get it out.