Both Rachel and Haley need a shaping helmet due to the back of their heads being so flat. Rachel's is more severe than Haley's. Both the girls laid on their back for so long in the NICU that the back of their heads became flat. We are having problems getting the shaping helmets covered by insurance and don't expect it to be covered no matter how hard we fight it. Those helmets are so expensive ($1600 each, that's with a discount). We are trying to figure out a way to afford to get at least one for Rachel since her's is more severe.
At the girl's last doctor's appointment, Rachel weighed 15 pounds 8oz and Haley weighed 14 pounds 6oz. They are growing!
Rachel now has 2 bottom teeth!
Haley is always trying to get her glasses off her face. Her glasses have a stretchy band on the back so its hard for her to get them completely off. I love this picture of her asleep with her glasses on the side of her face.
Rachel just loves her toy links. She fell asleep in the swing still holding them.
Yikes that is a lot of money!! Maybe some organization or a church fund can help you. I also follow joneslife.net and the story about their quintuplets. I believe their family is from Austin, Texas. They had to get head helmets (doc bands) for two of their babies. I know from their blog and TV show that they were also worried about how they were going to pay for the helmets. Maybe you contact them and ask them if they can give you any information about what organizations in Texas could pay for them. Sometimes the best resource comes from people who have already been through the same situation as you are faced with. It stinks that insurance won't pay for them. I remember when the insurance refused to pay for two hearing aids for my son with CP at $3000.00 each.
ReplyDeleteThe teeth are so cute!! It does not matter how early or late a baby is born or if the milestones come early or late, you can always count on the teeth coming in. That milestone all babies reach! Enjoy!
I live in Houston and my daughter had to have the same thing. She had a Doc band due to having a flat spot. We had to erite an appeal letter, but did get our money back from insurance. If you would like, feel free to send me an email to shelley.black@sbcglobal.net and I would be happy to share some insight. I have been following your story from the beginning and am amazed by your strength and faith. Take care, Shelley Black, Spring, Texaa
ReplyDeleteyou do not know me, but i have been following your blog for a few months. i tried to email you but i could not get it to go through via your blog. i have a friend who has twin boys and had to fight insurance for their helmets. contact me if you would like me to try and find out how they did it....hunnykel@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteTHey are getting so big!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the helmets, I've heard of people having to fight, but I've heard good endings too!
love those little toothies... i'd been hoping you were just busy - i am so glad! a couple of my great great nieces had to have those head thingy's - hope you are successful in obtaining them. wonder why they are so costly?
ReplyDeletethe girls only grow more beautiful and more fun every day...
lovies,
Erma
we needed a shaping helmet for one of our girls, and what a fight!! she didn't have "flathead" so we did appeal and win. however, the company we went with were understanding enough and let us do monthly payments. it was in utah, but it was sheilds prostetics. maybe that's and option.
ReplyDeleteYour babies are SO beautiful! Have been following your blog and SO glad to see them doing so well. My daughter also had a flat spot when she was a baby. Unfortunately it was when the helmet was first being developed and she was too old to use it. We took her to several consultations where they recommended skull surgery to reshape! We decided against that and now she is 15 and her head looks fine. She had some trouble with batting helmets and non-fitted headgear when she was real young but that was about it. You never even noticed the flatness, especially since she was a girl and had long hair. So even if in the end you can't afford it don't let anyone scare you into thinking there will be terrible outcomes. It may take awhile but it does seem to self correct-or it did in our case. Good luck with those babies!
ReplyDeleteYay for the girls! So grown up with all those teeth and Hay totally cracks me up ripping her glasses off! We knew she was a fighter!!! :)
ReplyDeleteI have loved looking at your blog and am so happy for you and your little dolls!! My little boy actually just got his helmet off. It only took him about 2 months (just about two good growth spirts). It seemed to work really well for him. We cleaned his helmet several times during the day and were amazed each time we took it off how fast it was working. Keep up the good work of being mom! Good luck!!!
ReplyDeleteYou don't know me, but I have followed your blog for a long time. My little girl had to have the Doc Band. We had to fight insurance and after having the pediatrician write a letter stating it being medically necessary. After getting a letter from both the pedicatrician and cranial technology, insureance agreed to pay it as out of network. We are so thankful we did it and her head and face look so much better now. Good luck and it is SO worth the money!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that is really pricey for those helmets especially when insurance is unwilling to help. I would talk to your pediatrician and see if there is some organization that could help with the cost.
ReplyDeleteHaley makes me laugh how she has figured out how to get the glasses off her face but not off her head...silly little girl!!
I love the picture of Rachel asleep in her swing..now that girls knows where to get some good rest!!
I am so sorry that the insurance company is being ridiculous. That is insane that they wouldn't pay for something like that. I guess they consider it cosmetic - but how would they like a flat head? How horrible. Shame on the insurance company! I hope that you can appeal and win and get BOTH girls the helmets they need. I agree - contact the Joneses and see what they did. They live in Austin!
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