PKU

Every baby born in the USA is tested for PKU.

It was very sad when we were told that our precious little Lydia has this disorder.

Chris and David were devastated at first but with education we have all settled down. Chris had to explain it to Mike and me because though I remember my babies being tested for it. Too many years have past for me to recall what it is.

A person with PKU cannot digest protein which includes meat, milk, bean, legumes, eggs, even wheat has too much protein. I was surprised that she will be able to nurse since milk has protein. I learned through all this that mother's milk is actually low in protein.

Lydia takes a supplemental drink that replaces milk and includes protein, vitamins, minerals, etc., from the plant family.

It took a while for her to start to gain weight, but now after two months they tell us she's filling out and even has chunky little thighs. This is wonderful news because when we left Utah she has actually lost some of her birth weight.

This news was very sad to me because I can't tolerate many foods and live on a very restrictive diet.

Namely, any product containing wheat, milk, corn, soy, chocolate, caffeine, and sugars. People ask me what I eat. Plenty, I tell them. In fact, I eat like a queen. What's left? The plant family!

Vegetables, fruit, seeds, beans, legumes, sprouts, rice, and three other grains I learned I can tolerate, teff, buckwheat, quinea.

Buckwheat is not a wheat at all. Buckwheat, teff and quinea, all come from seeds. The diet is restrictive, but I'm left with the foods I love the most.

However, I will say that I miss the other foods terribly!

This is why I feel so bad for Lydia. It will be difficult at birthday parties when she can't have ice cream and cake. Imagine being a teenager and not being able to have pizza, hamburgers, shakes, and many other normal foods people eat.

I was lucky to be able to eat anything I wanted for the first 35 years of my life.

Bless her heart!