Small Head Scare

Dear People

I'm sorry I️ missed my usual Wednesday post last week. I’ve had very little time to myself since two Fridays ago, when the baby had a routine pediatrician's appointment.

The check-up went fine, and I️ laughed about my baby's small head measurement, which seems to run in the family. But then as an afterthought the pediatrician said, "her fontanelle seems to be closing early, and because her head is also hardly growing I️ recommend you get her an ultrasound, after which you’ll probably need to see 'a specialist'." The doctor’s tone was bland and diplomatic, but the answers to my questions were frightening. (“no, I hardly ever recommend a head ultrasound,” “the specialist is a pediatric neurosurgeon”). I️ thanked the doctor, scheduled our four-month visit with the guy at the desk, wondered why my smile felt frozen. Walked to my so ’s school to pick him up. Took out my phone on the way. Cue googling, horror, frantically calling various hospitals to see if they had pediatric radiology units, my phone dying, rushing home to charge it so I️ could set up an ultrasound appointment before the weekend, being late to pick my poor son up from school. The next week was spent getting to know various hospital systems and going in for appointments with the baby.