keto is underway

I thought I'd let everyone know that we have initiated the ketogenic diet and arrived home from the hospital. All is well so far.

As with any hospital stay, we were stressed out of our minds. I read up on the keto diet before going, but there were still many surprising twists and turns. For one, Austin became extremely acidotic immediately. Our clinic does not require a long fasting period, but Austin was an exception since he had to fast for sedation for the MRI and LP. He started getting moderate ketones within 6 hours of starting the diet and large ketones soon after that. The next morning he (and his bedding) were covered with the previous night's dinner...yuck!

But, with meds, we've been able to keep the acidosis under control and everything else is looking good. He seems pretty disappointed with the quantity of meals (he's quite a hefty eater), and the fact that water is his main source of fluid...but other than that, he's adjusting well. A little weak and sluggish, but that was to be expected as well.

A few things I've noticed about myself and dealing with the ketogenic diet...

#1 -I MUST be organized!!! To keep this from consuming me & my entire day, I've found that the more organized, the better.

#2 -I MUST stay positive!! If this is going to be our new way of life for the next few months (or even years), I'm going to have to accept the changes and make the best of it.

#3 -Creativity is important! Some of the ingredients alone are enough to make anyone want to gag, so incorporating them in different, exciting ways is going to be the key to getting that heavy cream and canola oil down the hatch! :)

#4 -I've gotta keep the faith! Probably the most important because with it, all the others will fall into place much more easily. Austin's miracle treatment is out there, and I must treat this like this is it. Otherwise, I may not have the motivation to stay organized, or the energy to stay positive, or the patience to get creative.

I must applaud every parent who has taken on this diet and stuck with it. It's much more involved than I ever imagined...and I expected it to be difficult and tedious.

So...that's our latest.