8 Weeks Post-Op

On Tuesday Emersyn had her 8 week post-op appointment at Duke. Driving to the hospital, pulling into the parking garage and the walk to the 3rd floor, brought back so many emotions. In one aspect it feels like just yesterday she had surgery, on the other hand I can't believe it's been 8 weeks. Walking into the hospital was a different feeling, a feeling of relief. We are on the other side now, the healing portion of our journey.

The appointment went well. I always have a million questions, but that's my way of educating myself on her progress and what to expect in the next few months. Dr. Grant said her head shape and incision are looking great. At this point, all of the stitches are out and the incision area is pink like any healing scar. Her head shape has changed in the last 8 weeks and will continue to change as she grows and the skull moves. The end outcome will be a round 'typical' baby head. We already see a huge difference. I added a top view and side view of her head so that you can see the difference. We are very pleased with her progress.


The first 2 photos are the side profile.

I took this photo over labor day weekend. The stitches were just starting to fall out. In this photo, the back side of her head is definitely more round and the overall head shape isn't oblong anymore.

This was before surgery. Her skull was more oblong and her forehead was slightly bossing which means it was starting to protrude or stick out more than normal.

This was the topview prior to surgery. While the head has an oblong shape, it also is more narrow in the back due to the suture closing.



I took this photo a few days ago. I wanted the most current picture. A few things are going on in this photo. I'm proud to say her hair is growing!! This is very exciting to me. Her scar is pinkish, this is normal for this type of surgery but also is normal for bigger scars. It's part of the healing process. Eventually it will turn white and you won't be able to see it. Also to refresh your memory, the incision is a wavy line so that when her hair gets wet or parted the scar wont show. Her head shape is opposite of what it was prior to surgery. The back part of her head should be wider than the front. Eventually it will round out even more. When the piece of skull was taken out to create the saggital suture, her brain immediately went where it was supposed to go. Now as she grows and her brain grows, the head will continue to take the shape it was meant to be. Explaining all of this verbally is much easier for me than typing it. So I apologize.

In the last 8 weeks, we have noticed her face has changed as well. She has always been beautiful to us, but she is really filling out now. As her head takes the correct shape, she becomes cuter and cuter. We are very blessed to have beautiful children.


I added this picture so you could see what Emersyn looked like from the front. I was looking for one that would show her forehead and temple area. If you look at her temples, it looks tight or pressed in slightly. This is caused by the closing of the suture. It more or less pulls on that area because the head is growing back (oblong) instead of out to the sides like the 'typical' head. I hate using 'normal' or 'typical' but that's what it is I guess. What is normal anyway? I certainly am not normal! HA! (sorry, I had to add some humor in there)

Again, I was looking for a close up that would showcase the progress of her skull. Apparently I use dark backgrounds because I had a hard time finding one I liked. Her forehead is more round and the temples are not being pulled in. Everyones temples go slightly in from the eyebrow bone, so what you see here is what it should be. Gotta love that expression and those chubby arms!

The next appointment is in January. We are happy to put the surgery behind us and look forward to the future. As I've stated before, Emersyn is my hero and she continues to be everyday. She has been through a lot in 4 months and I admire her strength.

We are so proud of our little ladybug!