A New Journey Begins

Today begins a big change for Karter.  This morning, Karter will start a medical diet called the Ketogenic Diet.

Wiklipedia defines this diet as:
"The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fuelling brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in the frequency of epileptic seizures.^"

We will spend the next four days at Children's Hospital  getting blood levels drawn, learning how to do the diet and taking Karter through the process of induction onto the diet.

The second and third day of the diet are said to be very hard on Karter, lethargy, vomiting, headache and an overall "sick-feeling" day is what we have been told to expect.  We are praying that Karter is not hit as hard.

The diet for me, will be labour intensive.  Measuring and weighing within .02 of an oz for everything he eats.  Recording and planning for every meal of every day.  There is no wavering.

I woke early this morning and spent some time with the Lord, laying this all before him.  An concern of side effects and risk (there are some significant ones), any thoughts of being overwhelmed and all the other things running circles in my head.  The verse that God gave me was

Psalms 121: 1-7 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.  He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

I have a peace that we can do this and I have a feeling of hope in what this can offer for Karter's seizure control.

I am going to try to journal about the first few weeks here, let's see how this goes...