Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Cranio...what?


Luke was diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis.  The bones in a baby’s skull are separated by sutures – when the sutures fuse too early, it causes craniosynostosis.  One of the sutures in L’s head had already fused too early.  This causes an abnormal shape to the head because the skull cannot expand perpendicular to the fused suture.  In L’s case, if you looked down on his head, it was very oblong because it had stopped expanding from side to side.  He also had a very prominent soft spot.  It is crucial to diagnose this as early as possible because if left untreated, it can cause pressure on the brain.

I was the best researcher imaginable over the Memorial Weekend.  We finally heard from our pediatrician that we had an appointment with Duke in mid-July.  That was 1.5 months away – completely unacceptable.  Everything that I had read indicated six months was a cut-off age for a less intrusive surgery. 

Back to work.  I had found my number one choice for the surgery.  Dr. Lisa David from Brenner Children’s Hospital was one of the few doctors that are considered experts at a less intrusive and seemingly very successful surgery involving springs.  I was fearful that I would have the same problem with dates.  I emailed friends and family my top three doctors to find any networking opportunity or connection.

I remember the phone call from my sister. “Dr David?  Dr. Lisa David is your number one choice?” Me – “Yes, do you know someone that knows her?” My sister, “I go to church with Lisa and her husband.”

God works in mysterious ways!  Dr. David spoke with me the next day, and we had an appointment with her the following week.  She was amazingly thorough. Candidates for her surgery are six months and younger.  Luke was six months on May 29.  Once again, miracles and timing…Luke was six weeks early so he was still a candidate.  We had to schedule the surgery for June.  There was no question…God had led us to Dr. David, and we scheduled the surgery for Wednesday, June 16.

Did I happen to mention that Dr. Lisa David is my 2010 Hero of the Year?!?

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