About
Maysa in her DOC band
I am starting this blog about my daughter Maysa a little late in the game but I have my reasons for it. In this blog, you will find information about her journey through plagiocephaly and other related topics. As is the case for any blog, this is a work in progress and will always be.
My hopes are to educate other parents on the topic and raise awareness throughout the world. Therefore, feel free to send this blog to others or link it to your own blog or website. Comments are always welcome and will keep it alive.
Thanks for reading and checking my Maysa’s Blog!
lucyshouse said
Hi there, My little guy had the doc-band for a while with great success. We are very pleased with the results! Sounds like you are too. Your daughter is gorgeous! Good luck to you!
kk ford said
sorry about the random comment, but I love the lulu bird boutique and she is no longer on etsy. do you have any contact information like phone number/email address for marian?? i really would like for her to make a cape for my son. thank you in advance for your help. KK Ford
mymaysa said
I hadn’t realized that she had closed shop. I do know that she is on Facebook. Look for Mariann Stolte.
kk ford said
Thanks for your quick response. I will try facebook.kk
svetlana said
Hello, I am from Latvia. My son is 6 month old, and he has a problem like Maysa. But in our country there are not any company which imports doc band in Latvia. How to and where it is possible to buy it.
mymaysa said
Hi Svetlana,
You are right. As far as I know, there are no DOC band providers close to your area. The only location I am aware of is in Spain.
There are, however, STARband providers closer to you in Germany and in the Netherlands. Their helmet is comparable to the DOC band although different and depending on the expertise of the orthotist, you might get great results. You might want to check out the Orthomerica website, maker of the STARband to find out more.
Your son is still young, but now is the time to get help. Keep him off his flat spot as much as you possibly can and if he has torticollis, make sure he gets physical therapy.
If you decide to get him a band, it will need to be adjusted every 1 to 2 weeks and he might have to wear it for up to 6 months.
Either way, good luck. I am sorry I cannot be of better help to you. I hope all works out.
Leila
svetlana said
Thank you Leila. My son has this problem only because he likes to sleep on the back. But few weeks ago he began to play and to sleep on sides. I just thought that with DOC BAND his head becames normal faster. I will look the website you write me about.
svetlana said
I just looked this website, you know we had this expertise of the orthotist in hospital and the doctor sad the we have to try to sleep on sides. Do you know maybe it is possible to order doc band helmet in Spain using the internet and some logistic company? Or helmets are made by individual size and only wiht the doctor`s control?
mymaysa said
Svetlana,
If traveling to Spain on weekly to bi-weekly basis for the next few months won’t be a problem for you, then all you need is a prescription for your son’s pediatrician saying that you son needs a helmet to correct his brachycephaly.
The DOC band is a custom made band and your son will have to go for an initial DSi for them to make his band. After that, he’ll have to go every week or every two weeks for adjustments
Leila
svetlana said
Thank you, Leila!
Jodi said
Hi! I live in Columbia, MD and have just found out that my sone has plagio. He is 3 months old so we are going to try a month of PT before deciding onthe helmet. I have had a consult with STAR and am scheduled to have one in VA with CT. Ws wondering if you could give me some info onyour experience with each– I am wondering if it is worth it to drive to VA for the DOC band.
Carlan I. said
Hi Maysa,
We are the Engineer Peers of Memorial Middle School in Conyers, GA. We are a team of 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders. Our team was challenged to research an interesting topic in preparation for our Bioengineering theme in Lego Robotics. We chose the topic of Plagiocephaly. We are amazed at your progress. Your mother’s blog really helped us research and understand Plagiocephy as well as the bio engineers who helped create the DOC band.
We wanted to thank you for such a wonderful website. With your help, we won 3rd place out of 27 teams in robotics.
The Engineer Peers, Team #7056
First League League
mymaysa said
Hi Engineer Peers, Team #7056,
Maysa is not quite three years old yet and wouldn’t understand your message but I’ll let her know one day that her story inspired some young students in GA. I, her mother, on the other hand would love to see the outcome of your research. Did you have to submit a final product? Would you be willing to share? The more people know about plagiocephaly the better.
Take care,
Leila
Brandi Boling Murray said
Hello my name is Brandi Murray and i have a 3.5 month old daughter named Adalynn. I started noticing her head flattening when she was about a month old and asked her pediatrician about it and she just kept telling me it will get better lots of tummy time and it will get better. I knew there was something wrong and everyone friends and family all told me she will be fine when she gets hair it will cover it. So i started just alternating sides and proping her neck she she wouldn’t lay on it. It still kept getting worse. I am so relieved to know im not crazy!! Your blog is very inspirational and informative. I am going to get her into a doctor this week and im gonna get the answer and hopefully get her head back to normal. So Thank You so much..
mymaysa said
Hi Brandi,
You are not crazy. What is crazy is seeing so many new parents going through the same thing every day and so many doctors who are not aware of plagio and its complications. Good luck with the doctor’s appointment and please keep me posted.
Leila
Tara said
Leila,
I came across your site when I was looking up Eastern Cranial Affiliates. My son is 4 months old and has severe plagiocephaly. I noticed the right side of his head was becoming flat around a month and a half, mentioned it to pediatrician at his 2 month visit and have been working on positioning techniques for a long time. At his 4 month appointment I mentioned my concerns again and also noted that his ears were becoming asymmetrical. He agreed with me and sent us to Cranial Technologies. We had our appointment last week and they said it would not resolve on it’s own and that they definitely recommended getting the DOC band. After looking at the pictures they took of him as well as hearing what they had to say, I also agreed. However, when we went to get our insurance to approve it, they said they wouldn’t cover it because it was an out-of-network company. They gave us a list of all the companies that were in-network that fell under “durable medical equipment.” The majority of them were just places that sold wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, crutches…oh, and Hoveround (like my 4 month old needs an electric mobile device!). We had them review the case and they denied it stating that they were out-of-network and that there was a place that did the same thing: Eastern Cranial Affiliates in Arlington, VA. Which brings me to your site…I am just sickened by what I have read on your site and the thought of taking a chance and putting my baby in something like their helmet has me scared and in tears. Would you be able to tell me a little bit more about your experience? I saw the warning letter from the FDA, which concerns me a ton and also saw that it looks like it was resolved in June of this year. Still..scary, nonetheless. I would appreciate any extra info you could tell me! We want to get him in (preferably) a band ASAP! Thanks so much!