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| Can't even tell he just got zapped, huh? He went back to sleep almost as soon as he was back in his stroller. |
He recommended laser therapy and offered to do the first treatment then and there. I hope this option is able to completely remove it since it seemed to cause Baby Z less pain than his last round of immunizations.
I am so grateful to live in the city where VBI is run. Dr. Waner is famous for helping kids with birthmarks, though many are much more severe than Baby Z's. You can see several before and after pictures on the VBI website. He was kind, patient and explained thoroughly, all with a great South African accent!
One of the patients I waited with in the lobby was having a major lip deformation treated, though I could not tell because it had been removed so cleanly. For years doctors said his birthmark could not be treated without severe scarring, and it wasn't until he was in college that his family found Dr. Waner, who was willing and able to treat it. His story, and those of the other patients I waited with who had come from all over the United States for treatment, is my motivation for posting about our visit. If you know someone who has a vascular birthmark they need or want to get rid of, let them know about Dr. Waner and VBI.
What a great thing, both for Baby Z and for anyone with a similar issue who stumbles on your blog. My mom gets teary when she tells the story of learning from the pediatrician right after I was born that I had hip dysplasia and would need to wear an ugly brace for a year (and a special shoe on my curved-in foot). The doctor snapped at her as she cried and told her she should feel lucky because if she used the brace and shoe I would be perfectly healthy in a year, but his daughter had been born with a large port wine stain across her face and would always have to live with it. Maybe that's no longer true, if you find the right doctor? At any rate, hooray for wonderful doctors, and I hope the treatment is minimal for your cute little guy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful thing to be able to have a wonderful doctor within reach to work with you... and that the treatment doesn't seem to be too bad for the little guy. Love the picture.... what a little heartbreaker he's going to be.
ReplyDeleteOh, he is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteBeing a mom has made me so very grateful for modern medical technology.
Those before and after pictures are amazing. Looks like your little guy is indeed lucky to be in such good hands.
One of Roy's coworkers has a baby girl with the same sort of birthmark in almost the same spot (but on the outer corner of the eye). I'll have to let him know about the treatment.
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