Last week I baked these Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes. I found the recipe in Kraft's Food and Family magazine and they screamed Autumn to me. I served them with warm ham and green salad. Yum. Donald and I enjoyed them...even if our children did not.
For those of you wondering about Elisabeth's appointment yesterday, here is the update:
We have decided to start her on a medication called Depakote. The only serious side effect is the possibility of liver damage. A bit scary, but a risk we have to take at this point. We will begin the medication now, but wait 4 weeks to begin weaning her off of the ketogenic diet. Her neurologist didn't want her little body to go through too many changes at once...and I agree.
I did ask about the possibility of epilepsy surgery. Unfortunately, he does not think that she is a good candidate. Here is why:
There are two ways of performing this surgery. One is to do what is called a corpus callosotomy. This type of surgery disconnects the two sides (hemispheres) of the brain. The corpus callosum happens to be one of the parts of the brain that Elisabeth is missing, so she very well can't have this procedure done.
The second method is one where the surgeon removes the specific area of brain tissue where the seizures begin. The problem is that Elisabeth's brain is abnormal in its entirety, and the chances of pinpointing one particular spot that is causing the trouble is slim.
So Depakote it is (for now at least). Keep your fingers crossed...maybe this is the one!
