Today was a good day...

It's something. I don't know which yet... I don't CARE which yet. But, something is going on. I'm seeing the spark of my child -- MY child, not the temporary version he's morphed into this last year. We learned a few days ago that with the modified atkins diet for seizure control you have to really push the fats you can't just take away the carb. Your brain is something like 70% fat, no wonder it runs so well on fat, huh? Nice though that the registered dietician we've been working with never mentioned any of this to us. But, I can see now why the ketogenic diet works so well. Fats/proteins/carb are weighed, measured and carefully controlled at every meal. Sometimes, only sometimes, I wish we were doing the keto diet. I think while very strict, there is a certain amount of freedom in that. Freedom, I guess, from having to wonder if we're giving him the right foods or combinations. Freedom from having to worry if we're following the guidelines correctly - because with atkins, our only guideline is, "stay under 10 carbs". Now we're discovering that that's not quite the guideline we need to follow. If you replace the carbs with just protein, you are not going to have much success. In the last 3 days since we've been pushing fat in him - and by fat, I mean heavy whipping cream and the occasional snack of pork rinds - we're seeing the complex partials go back to being very brief moments of activity where as they had begun to generalize again and the simple partials are not happening at all. That is wonderful news.

Then, the now 4 additional supplements we're giving him are already restoring his health. When Nathan was an infant I could always tell when he was about to get sick because the lymph nodes at the base of his skull would get enlarged. But, for about the last 2 years, they've been permanently enlarged. I guess I thought I just didn't know his head or that the shape had changed or something. Well, turns out the lymph nodes had just been perpetually enlarged. NOW we know that it's because his health has been in terrible shape. In just under 2 weeks of being on these supplements which are supposed to be restoring his health, the lymph nodes have almost returned to their normal size.

The best news? He's making strides to potty train. Let me repeat that because it feels so wonderful to say. HE'S MAKING STRIDES TO POTTY TRAIN!!!!!! Maybe it's only once a day, maybe it's as many as 4x a day, but we're getting him saying all on his own that he needs to go potty. No, it's not every time and yes, we still ask him a lot... but I'll take it because he's making strides to potty train. (yes, I needed to say it one more time :-P )

Our epileptologist would say hands down that this is all related to the VNS. I don't regret getting that implanted. We desperately needed to get some type of sz control - and N-O-W. What I regret is not finding this chiropractor a year ago. But, what can you do? Live and learn. Emily, Colby and Avery will benefit immensely as will Garry and me because we will all be healthier because of this journey.

But, do I think it's the VNS? I think it's a combo of everything. The VNS and diet are treating the symptoms and the supplements are treating his body.

And as much as I hate this whole deal, it's not my deal. This is Nathan's journey, his battle, his path, his history. One day he will either have to come to terms with his surgery, what all he's had to endure this last year and what's still to come or he will have peace with his life and the knowledge that everything does happen for a reason. Last year, today, tomorrow is shaping him for the man he will become, hopefully the father he will become. I pray that I am doing right by him.