The kids have been stuck indoors for over a month. Among other medicines, Reese is currently on ACTH. She’s been taking it since we were in the hospital and she has started to taper off of it. It wipes out Reese’s immune system and, especially since we’re in the middle of flu season, Dr C recommend we stay home as much as possible to avoid germs.
But I noticed that we had a little break in our schedule from all of the doctors appointments and we desperately needed a change of scenery. My parents were going up to their cabin in Tahoe, so we decided on a whim to join them for a few days. Reese had been on the keto diet for just over 2 weeks, but we’re always up for a challenge!
To plan for this impromptu trip, being on quarantine helped things out – I knew all meals would be at home. And the cabin was a familiar place so I knew what we’d have when we arrived, where nearby stores were, and what items they carried if we ran out of anything. So I wasn’t overly anxious about being away from home, although this was our first time since starting the keto diet.
I packed Reese’s usual foods, our trusty gram scale, and all of Reese’s medicine (plus a few extra days worth of everything – you just never know!).
It had been snowing a lot in Tahoe and one day we decided just to go for a drive. We headed up and around the lake towards Reno. Without having a specific plan, I packed a lunch for Reese just in case. Pepperoni is simple because it travels well and doesn’t need cutlery. Reese had cheese, bell peppers, and heavy cream to go with it.
I’m glad we packed a lunch, because we ended up finding a quiet diner and asked the hostess to seat us in the corner away from everyone else. We ordered our food while Reese happily ate hers. We had the sweetest waitress who saw the two kids trying their best to behave and brought them a side of french fries. Such a kind gesture, but of course, not on the keto diet. So as not to look unappreciative, my dad happily ate the fries. Our first restaurant experience was completely fine – no complaints about bringing our own food for Reese.
I had planned to leave on Thursday, but it was just so relaxing up in the mountains and our cars were snowed in. So we decided to stay another day. I knew bringing extra meds would be a wise idea. Always be prepared, right?
Driving home was a breeze, and I had my ice chest with all of Reese’s foods, so I wasn’t too worried about getting stuck somewhere without food. There is an In-N-Out on the drive home, and I confess I’ve become quite addicted. I’ve been trying to eat lower carb, especially around Reese, so I’m on a serious Flying Dutchman kick. I ordered a plain hamburger patty for Reese. A burger patty from In-N-Out is the only fast food I trust for Reese for the time being.
Our trip to Tahoe – our first time away from home while on the ketogenic diet – was a success. I was a little anxious about the travelling (if we got stuck somehow for an extended period, normal food options aren’t an option for Reese), our first time eating at a restaurant, and being away from the items and routine we were accustomed to at home.
I know there will be bumps in the road on our journey, but we didn’t hit any this time.
