A lot of you already know but for those of you who don't Jude was born with a Port Wine Stain birthmark. It is on his chin, neck, cheek, and the top of his chest. Port Wine Stains are VERY rare and happen in about 2 of every 1000 births. There is no known cause for Port Wine Stain's and they can sometimes be very dangerous. We are very fortunate because of the location of Jude's PWS and as of now there are known dangers to his birthmark. Although Jude's birthmark is faint and only pinkish/red now if we were not to seek treatment it would become a very dark purple (hence the name Port Wine Stain) and it can also possibly thicken and grow blebs that are something like blood filled warts. A Port Wine Stain is defined as a vascular malformation and is a mass of dilated capillaries.
Treatment consists of using a Pulse Dye Laser that is shot onto the birthmark and breaks up the blood vessels under the skin. The treatment yesterday was for test patches so Dr. Vanderhooft could see how Jude’s birthmark would respond. We will go in again in May for a complete treatment that will cover his entire birthmark. We will continue to have a treatment every 3 months until the Doctor sees the fading she is hoping for. This could mean anywhere from 4 to 20 treatments, probably being done when Jude is close to 3 or 4. We are told that the procedure is not too painful something like a rubber band slapping against your skin and afterward it feels like a bad sunburn.
We started treatment yesterday at the University of Utah Hospital and below are pictures after his surgery. It looks worse (more painful) than it is and Jude is doing great, he acts as if nothing has happened. I will continue to post pictures of his progress and it will only stay dark like this until the bruising ceases (about 1-2 weeks). If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact either me or Trevan, we are both becoming experts on it. For more information about PWS click on the Port Wine Stain Information tab to the right.
Treatment consists of using a Pulse Dye Laser that is shot onto the birthmark and breaks up the blood vessels under the skin. The treatment yesterday was for test patches so Dr. Vanderhooft could see how Jude’s birthmark would respond. We will go in again in May for a complete treatment that will cover his entire birthmark. We will continue to have a treatment every 3 months until the Doctor sees the fading she is hoping for. This could mean anywhere from 4 to 20 treatments, probably being done when Jude is close to 3 or 4. We are told that the procedure is not too painful something like a rubber band slapping against your skin and afterward it feels like a bad sunburn.
We started treatment yesterday at the University of Utah Hospital and below are pictures after his surgery. It looks worse (more painful) than it is and Jude is doing great, he acts as if nothing has happened. I will continue to post pictures of his progress and it will only stay dark like this until the bruising ceases (about 1-2 weeks). If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact either me or Trevan, we are both becoming experts on it. For more information about PWS click on the Port Wine Stain Information tab to the right.
DAY ONE
DAY TWO
1 comment:
Thank you for sharing on your blog. We feel closer to you knowing what is going on in you life. Our thoughts are with you and Jude as he goes through these procedures.
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