365gratitude2010: August 10th

A day of trusting instincts and pleasing the senses.

I was instructed last night, that I was to bring Lucy back to the doctors at half nine this morning, as her keytones were high. My first assumption was this was the case because she hadn't eaten anything in three days. High ketones to me indicated firstly that her body was catabolising protein stores for fuel. A quick google search confirmed that vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and high ketones *were* indicators for type 1 diabetes. And yes, a fingerprick blood test would rule it out. But I felt it an unnecessary trauma for a child who melts down at the mere suggestion of a temperature check, let alone a finger prick test.

I had also been told to feed her gastrolyte to keep her salts and hydration levels up. I was obedient up to the point of asking Ben to purchase some on his way home. But when I looked at the packet to find out what I was about to feed my child, I tossed it aside as soon as I saw the ingredient saccharine. Fabulous.

"And they did know this was for a child, right?"

"Yep"

I consulted with her father and suggested canceling the appointment to allow her to convalesce some more. If she was still symptomatic by tomorrow, then we would revisit our options. My instincts were pleasantly rewarded when I noted the time of her explosive poo (9.10am - about the time we would have been on the road to the doctors) and her subsequent two hour slumber which commenced at 9.25am.

I am incredibly grateful for having introduced a rather distasteful superfood into Lucy's regular diet from an early age. I think she was about 18 months old. I called it 'juice'. She loved it. She still does (although now she calls it either her "algae drink" or her "fertilizer" - her words!). It's a probiotic superfood, a complete protein and certified organic. She has it mostly daily and when she was going through her choice of not eating meat, we compromised that she needed to have a green juice instead.

In Liven was the perfect food for her now. Probiotics for her gut. A complete protein. All the salts her body needed in a whole food form. And delivered via water. Perfection. And so for most of last night and all of today, that's what she's been eating, sorry, drinking. And not one chuck up. Yay. Suck on that gastrolyte.

We have spent most of the day on the couch. I've become very good at imagination stories about explorer mermaids living under the sea and frogs with no back legs (called frogpoles) that have best friends in dragons and they all meet on a Tuesday night in a circle in the woods, to craft *grin*. And I've gotten a lot of my cardigan knitted (and learned far too much about TapZoo).

The kittens and cat have left our sides only to eat and toilet, with Jazz being especially snuggly.