Scar Management? And General Updates

We’ve gone nearly 3 weeks without an update on Mason and if you know me that means things are going along just fine.  Today he had his checkup at the plastic surgeon’s office from his back surgery last month.  As you can see he is healing well with no infection to slow things down.  It seems like we can’t come home from an appointment these days without adding something more to our day’s routine though.  Sigh.  The plastic surgeon has given us two new things to do for scar management. 

At least once each day, preferably more often, we are to do scar tissue massage.  Mason didn’t seem thrilled with the process at the office, so we’ll begin with once per day and see what happens. 

The second addition to our routine is applying Mepiform silicone tape to the scar each night before bed and removing it each morning for the next two months.  This silicone application combined with the scar massage will help make the scar more flat, smooth, and flexible, which will, in theory, make the scar less painful and noticeable. 

In other areas I am constantly amazed and delighted to watch my son grow and develop.  Remember where we came from.  Before he was born doctors warned us that they could not predict the amount of brain damage Mason would suffer from hydrocephalus, though they expected him to have at least some.  Before he was born doctors painted a picture of a sad, miserable child who might not be able to walk or enjoy life. 

Seventeen months old we are only at the beginning of Mason’s journey.  Every time he learns something new is cause for celebration.  In the last month of mental and emotional development he has:

• Begun signing to get his wants across.  All done at meals.  Bird when he sees one. 
• Shown a growing receptive language vocabulary.  He responds to words.  Breakfast, snack, lunch, milk, outside, cat, bird, squirrel, the names of special people, prayer, and more.  It may even be a sibling talking about one of these to another sibling but when Mason hears the word he lets you know his opinion.  He’ll head to the back door if outside or cat are mentioned (where we play with the cat).  He’ll try to climb the footstool by the window if you talk about a bird or squirrel. He folds his hands when prayer is mentioned.
• Identified favorite action songs and attempted to do the actions.  (Current favorite – Bringin’ Home a Baby Bumblebee)
• He’s started talking.  First words include cat, dad, up, that (while pointing to items).

Physically he is getting stronger.  He works so hard to do things because he wants to do them.  His newest example – he has increased upper body strength enough that he can do pushups on the stairs and lift his body from head to knees off the floor.  He can’t climb stairs yet, they’re not wide enough, but if the area he’s trying to climb onto is flat on top (like the landing) he can muscle his way up.

I think those are the major updates for now!