Emersyn's Surgery

This is a difficult post for me. We have debated on whether or not to post about Emersyn's upcoming surgery on here or on Facebook. So many friends and family already know and want to be kept in the loop, so we decided this would be one central location that everyone can go to. I will do my best to keep everyone updated. For those of you who are just finding out, this is Emersyn's story.....

I had a very difficult delivery with Emersyn. Just like her brother, she was a vacuum assist. Her delivery was just as long but much more challenging and painful for both Mommy & Emersyn. She was stuck in the birth canal for a long time and then refused to come out with the assistance of the vacuum. With Dylan I gave three hard pushes and he was out. Emersyn was a bit stubborn so after 1/2 hour of the suction cup continuously slipping off her head, we had to decide if we wanted a C-section. I opted to give one more push and if that didn't work I'd go. Thankfully she entered the world with that giant push. Her head was very bruised from the vacuum. It was very painful for her and brought tears to my eyes. After the swelling had disappeared I noticed her head wasn't the typical round shape that most babies have. We waited a few weeks to see if it would change, but it didn't. Zack is Mr. Positive, so he assumed that everything was fine and that eventually it would take the correct shape. Me on the other hand, I had a gut feeling something was wrong. Her head was more of an oblong shape. We did some research and followed up with a visit to our pediatrician. After x-rays and a visit to Duke Hospital, Emersyn was diagnosed with Craniosynostosis.

What is Craniosynostosis? In an infant, the skull is not a solid piece of bone, but several boney plates separated by fibrous sutures. These sutures allow for growth as an infant develops, and will eventually fuse to form a solid skull. Craniosynostosis is a condition in which one or more of these sutures fuse prematurely, causing restricted skull and brain growth. The result is an abnormally shaped head and/or increased pressure on the brain. Complications may vary depending on the case. Emersyn has only one suture closed and when we met with the neurosurgeon he stated her case was mild. The cause is unknown at this point. It could be something in our genetics or it could be because she was face down so long in the womb and then stuck for an extended period of time in the birth canal. The most common treatment is surgery. The surgery will open up the fused sutures to allow room for normal skull and brain growth. It will allow the head to take 'normal' shape as it should have been. At Duke Hospital they preform two different surgeries. The first type is endoscopic and would require Emersyn to wear a reshaping helmet for up to 18 months. That type of surgery hasn't been around very long and there can be other complications with this type. The textbook surgery that we are going with is slightly more invasive and she will have a larger scar on her head. She will not need to wear the reshaping helmet. This surgery has been around for a very long time and has great outcomes. We felt this was best for her and for us, as we only want to do this once. Her head should take 'normal' shape within a few weeks. It will be the scar that will take awhile to heal. Lucky for her she is a girl, and once her hair starts growing it won't show. These decisions were very hard to make. We want to do what's best for our little ladybug.

This entire process has been heartbreaking for us. I ask myself everyday, why us? why Emersyn? I'm not sure why this is all happening to us, but we are strong people and if this is in the plan of life, so be it. Aside from this condition, Emerysn is a very healthy girl. Once we get through this, she will continue to live a normal life without complications or delays. We have done a lot of research to prepare ourselves.

She will be having surgery next Wednesday, August 3rd. She will be in the hospital for 4-5 days.

I will do my best to update everyone as we go through this. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them.

Please keep Emersyn in your thoughts and prayers.