About a month ago we started discussing putting James on the ketogenic diet for his spasms/seizures. Over the course of the past month, we have met with doctors and a nutritionist to hash out all of the details about the diet. Today marks day 1 of this diet. We have tried so many treatments with James (ACTH, Vigabatrin, combos of seizure meds) to try to get his infantile spasms and seizures under control, and so far nothing has worked. Wouldn’t it be amazing if something as simple as a diet would be the cure that we have been looking for?
To be honest, I would be surprised if this diet actually works. I mean, after both of the so-called best treatments for infantile spasms have failed, why should a diet work? After all, aren’t diets for weight loss? How exactly can a diet cure someone of infantile spasms or seizures? I am a bit skeptical, but I’m trying to be optimistic. At this point, we’re willing to try anything to cure James of these spasms.
We have done a bit of research about the diet as a treatment for seizures, and there have been numerous studies and reports on how the diet has been used to effectively treat seizure disorders. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to check out the Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies.
I won’t go into all of the details of the diet that James will be on, because I think the diet is somewhat individualized. There is also the possibility that the neurologist and nutritionist may make changes to the diet depending on how James reacts to it. If changes are made to the diet, then any information here would become obsolete.
Fingers crossed that this diet is the cure that we’ve been searching so long for!