During this past month when we were travelling, I was lucky in that both children remained healthy. Right at the end of the trip, both the kids fell sick, one after the other, with V being the first. I am still very paranoid when he falls sick not knowing what to expect. However, this time, his fever was under control - lasted one day and there were no repercussions at all. I would use Tylenol when I felt his fever come back and it would disappear sooner than later and he would be fine. For this I am more than grateful. Also, touch wood, he is inherently healthy and bounced back the next day.
V has been having more than his share of tantrums. I am not sure whether it is because of all the changes and his routine change or because of the fact that he did not like the bananas while travelling and barely ate them - just one seller whose bananas he liked and would eat one a day. The fact is that I think this is an issue and needs to be addressed and I will check to see what the best approach would be. Yelling is obviously not the right way but reasoning during those periods cannot happen because he is in a non-listening mode. Basically, this makes me even more convinced that V needs a really rigid diet and routine and slight deviations can cause problems.
Monday, July 27, 2009
How long?
I have become rather irratic about posting regular blog entries. I think the last summer was sort of to get it off my chest and to log my experience so that it truly would help someone - even if it helped one person I would be relieved. Since then, the updates have been infrequent and I need to get myself more disciplined on that front.
We recently travelled to many places - in and out of the country. Touch wood - nothing seems to have changed in his health other than him having lost some weight which is fine as long as he stays active and healthy.
After being disillusioned with the neurologists, particularly the one we had been seeing, I just take V for his annual checkups to his pediatrician whom I hold in very high regard for several reasons. To say that she has been pleased with his development is an understatement. She has not recommended any changes for him, whether in terms of diet, academics, anything. I frequently get asked the question - how long should V's diet continue? To be honest, just as with everything else that I have experienced with him, it is a day to day situation. Not only do I not have an answer to this question, nobody does.
Some say, seizure free for at least two years with the diet before weaning - I weaned him off medication the month after he was seizure free, I was so frustrated with the side effects. Having to experience what he is going through 24x7 is very different from someone seeing him for a short period of time and trying to evaluate what's going on with him is what I have realised.
Some say, if three years, others have other opinions. In short, no one doctor or person with experience has any one common answer. It all depends upon how the child is reacting to different things. In June, right before V's school closed, he had whipped cream with bananas for breakfast at a parent event. That day, his teacher told me, it was really hard for him to stay focused and he was very fidgety. I know exactly what she meant - that is how he used to be every single day in preschool - something his language therapist had noticed when nobody else had. This basically means, even a slight increase in sugar is not something his body can take. So I am not even going to try going down that path. Do I think he will be able to eat the same meal as any of us? I have great confidence and belief that he can. The only question is when to which I do not have an answer. I also don't think the answer is important and to have him on a full carb diet is required as long as he continues to remain not only seizure free but also is able to control his behaviour pattern and has a good night's sleep.
We recently travelled to many places - in and out of the country. Touch wood - nothing seems to have changed in his health other than him having lost some weight which is fine as long as he stays active and healthy.
After being disillusioned with the neurologists, particularly the one we had been seeing, I just take V for his annual checkups to his pediatrician whom I hold in very high regard for several reasons. To say that she has been pleased with his development is an understatement. She has not recommended any changes for him, whether in terms of diet, academics, anything. I frequently get asked the question - how long should V's diet continue? To be honest, just as with everything else that I have experienced with him, it is a day to day situation. Not only do I not have an answer to this question, nobody does.
Some say, seizure free for at least two years with the diet before weaning - I weaned him off medication the month after he was seizure free, I was so frustrated with the side effects. Having to experience what he is going through 24x7 is very different from someone seeing him for a short period of time and trying to evaluate what's going on with him is what I have realised.
Some say, if three years, others have other opinions. In short, no one doctor or person with experience has any one common answer. It all depends upon how the child is reacting to different things. In June, right before V's school closed, he had whipped cream with bananas for breakfast at a parent event. That day, his teacher told me, it was really hard for him to stay focused and he was very fidgety. I know exactly what she meant - that is how he used to be every single day in preschool - something his language therapist had noticed when nobody else had. This basically means, even a slight increase in sugar is not something his body can take. So I am not even going to try going down that path. Do I think he will be able to eat the same meal as any of us? I have great confidence and belief that he can. The only question is when to which I do not have an answer. I also don't think the answer is important and to have him on a full carb diet is required as long as he continues to remain not only seizure free but also is able to control his behaviour pattern and has a good night's sleep.
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