5 year scoop

Hello! It's been some time since my last update. Here are some pictures of me when I was about 5 years old. My hemangioma has faded in color so very much. It has also flattened although the size has stayed about the same.

The dermatologist advised us that we could remove the residual fibrous fatty tissue when I am ready. My hemangioma is not causing me any pain unless someone hits it. Which happens occasionally now that I have two younger brothers. 

My parents are reluctant to have me undergo a surgery if my hemangioma isn't bothering me. So I'll let them know if anything changes.  

Piper's Hemangioma: New Scoop

Hi Everybody, things have been kinda busy around here so my post is really late. Daddy is now over in Saudi Arabia for work and he says we should be going there too in the summer. I have been assured that they have ice cream so I think I will go when the time comes. Ice cream is very important to me right now, it's my favorite treat! My legs are getting stronger and I am getting bolder with taking steps. A few here and a few there. I'll be chasing big brother, Patrick, in no time. We went to the dermatologist in mid December for a checkup. The doctor said that my strawberry is healing very well from the ulceration. She did say that the scar in the middle will stay. If there is extra skin after the hemangioma has fully involuted, the skin can be removed surgically and the scar may be taken too. The doctor told us that the hemangioma is out of the growth stage and will not ulcerate again. Whew! It really hurt when it was ulcerated. I am happy that will not happen again! The doctor told us the strawberry will continue to lighten in color, flatten out, and eventually be cooler to the touch. It still is pretty warm when you touch it. As the blood vessels continue to die off, the strawberry will feel cooler since not as much blood will be passing through that spot on my back. The doctor also told us that we don't have to see her again until we are ready to proceed with surgery to remove any extra skin. She thinks the hemangioma will be involuted enough by the time I am two or three to consult with the plastic surgeon. My first birthday is in a couple of weeks. Yay! I get ice cream!! My mommy will take more pictures then of my strawberry to show the progress.

Piper's Hemangioma: Clear scoop

Hi everyone! I just wanted to show you all how my scab has cleared up. The middle part where the scab was feels like scar tissue and is puckered making my strawberry look indented still. The doctor did tell us that when a hemangioma ulcerates, it is possible to have scarring. My mommy hopes that it will just continue to improve and this middle part will bounce back up eventually. Since the scabbing started around the middle of September, that makes it close to 80 days total from start to end. I'm a little ahead of the curve since the average was 86 days for the ulceration period. My mommy and daddy both think I am doing very well and my mood is spectaular now! I have started to try to stand up on my own in the past few days. I love to crawl on over to mommy and use her to stand up with and then let go for a second or two. That is a lot of fun! My mommy thinks I may be starting to walk by Christmas. We will just have to see but I think I can do it! Oh, I have a check up with the dermatologist on the 14th. My mommy will let you know if we have any more news on what to expect will happen next with my strawberry.
Tootles!

Piper's Hemangioma: Happy Scoop

Hi again! Just wanted to show you how much smaller the scab is on my strawberry. My mommy and daddy are very excited and hope it will be healed up by the end of the month! I don't really notice it anymore and it doesn't hurt much when it gets touched or brushed either. I've stopped trying to reach behind my neck to touch my birthmark too. I'm just happy crawling around the house and getting into everything I see! There's so much to explore in this big old house! Since my strawberry doesn't bother me very much, I don't need to hold on to my mommy all the time. I'm more open to investigating other people and things. I'm even chasing my brother and stealing his toys! I'm happy and I know it so my face really does show it :) By the way, these pictures were taken on Saturday 11/21/09

Piper's Hemangioma: Home Scoop

Hi again! Last night my mommy and daddy were thinking how it's been two months since the scab started forming on my strawberry. They read that the average ulceration period is 86 days so I'm in the home stretch! By early December I should be all cleared up. My daddy thought we should take a poll for anyone reading the blog that also has a hemangioma. Did your birthmark ever scab and ulcerate? How long did it last? I hope we get some comments!

Piper's Hemangioma: Fresh Scoop

Hi everyone! Here are those pictures I promised. As you can see, my hemangioma is now shaped kinda funny. It is no longer plump and perfectly round. I'm sure you can see that it has decreased in fullness and it is flattening out. The part that hurts me is the middle part where you can see the raw skin and such. I am feeling better every day though and my mommy is very happy to have her bouncing baby girl back. I forgot to mention that when my strawberry had the scab and was oozy, it had a bad odor. Thankfully as the ulcerated part improves, the odor has gone away. Now I'm fresh as a daisy! I'll update you with new pictures next week to show my progress. See you then!

Piper's Hemangioma: Third Scoop

Hi there! This is me just a few days ago. I'm almost eight months now and I love to stand whenever I get the chance! Although October was a difficult month for me as bactracin worked to break down the scab, it really did go fast. It's now November and my hemangioma looks a whole lot better. The scab is now gone and underneath it the area is sunken in and ulcerated. It hurts to clean the area but by gently removing the top layer of yellow slough each day to reveal the raw skin underneath, it makes the area continues to shrink. The ulcerated area is now probably the size of a quarter and the hemangioma is now much more flat. I'll have to pose for a picture tomorrow so I can show you all! My birthmark still hurts when it gets touched or brushed but I am able to sleep through the night and only wake to eat. I went for an MRI at the end of October because my dermatologist was concerned because of the location that it might be attached to my spine. Thankfully the results are back and it is not attached to anything. Our next step is to meet with the plastic surgeon to see if and when he would recommend surgery. My mommy and daddy are still undecided but they want to see what he has to say. I'm getting my beauty rest now so I'll update you with a picture tomorrow! Goodnight :)