The Ornelas' Odyssey: Santiago's Cranio Checkup

Dr Teichgraeber and Santiago

Today we took Santiago out of school around noon so that we could head to the medical center for our annual cranio checkup. This appointment always causes a little nervousness for Hector and I but today we got good news and are very happy with what Dr. Tiechgraeber had to say. He talked with Santiago first and asked him questions about first grade. Santiago did a great job sharing information with Dr T and wasn't shy at all. Dr T then rubbed Santi's head feeling his suture lines and forehead and brow bones. He pretty much said that after two surgeries, this was pretty much the best he could do. With a rating out of 10, Dr T gave Santiago a 9. He did acknowledge that Santiago still has a little flatness or a dip in his right forehead area and that his brow bone is a little flatter on the right side as well. He said if Santiago ever felt like that was something he wanted fixed or improved on, we could order a CT and then do another simple surgery. They could replicate the left brow bone and forehead by making a Synthetic piece and slide it under his scar line to place in the appropriate spots. This would fill in those dips and make him more symmetrical. Right now, we don't feel that it is a problem and that Santiago looks pretty good. I can see the flatness but most people do not even recognize that he has had a surgery before on his skull and are shocked to hear the story. Dr T said he will see us one more time next year and then we will be released. We love seeing Dr T but this is fantastic news. It will be nice to close this door and move on! Hopefully we won't have to open that door again but we will allow Santiago to dictate that for himself in the future.

Dr T was also gracious enough to look at Liliana's head for us and she too was given the green light and she is fine too! Thank the Lord she is cranio free! Given our family history, it's hard not to worry about each baby having craniosynostosis. Liliana has a beautiful round forehead and symmetrical brow bones. He coronal sutures are overlapping a bit and have a small ridge there but Dr T confirmed what the pediatrician believed was true. The overlapping suture lines are caused from the open sutures moving during the birthing process. They will go away as her head grows. We are blessed that cranio is a fixable condition and that there are surgeons like Dr T who can fix the skull to allow proper brain growth. We could have handled another cranio baby but we are thankful we are 1 out of 4 and we don't have to deal with that again! God is good!