About Us

This blog is changing, just as our family is changing. It was originally started to keep in touch with family and friends far away, but when you face a life altering disease EVERY aspect of your life is changed and in some way effected by it. Now I need a place to vent, to share, to help people understand the struggles that we face as a family with 2 children that are struggling with the Disease Eosinophilic Esophogitis, and with all of us having multiple food allergies. So this blog is becoming my journal so to say, an outlet for me to express my frustrations, share my joys, and put all information into one place for those that want to know. Why share something so personal, and often too hard to bare? Well...so much of this disease is silent. We work so hard to help our kids lead a normal life and no one sees the struggles faced daily, and I think it is important to let people know and understand.

What is Eosinophilc Esophigitis?

What is Eosinophilic Esophogitis? Also known as EE, or Eos, or EoE.

First let's start off by saying, there is NO CURE! There is NO FDA approved treatment. And often the only form of successful treatment are large doses of steroids and/or elimination of "trigger" foods, which sometimes as in the case of our 2 boys is an elimination of ALL foods. Forcing them to be on an Elemental Formula ONLY diet and water.

Second let's start with the layman's definition as I know how to explain it, and then I will add links with better medically explained and more in depth definitions. Eosinophils are a form of white blood cell, and in persons with this disorder these eosinophils attack food as if they are a parasite, causing damage to nearby tissue in any part of the digestive tract (in our case the Esophogus). This causes reflux that often does not respond well to reflux meds, vomiting, pain, aversions to food, rashes, diahrea, constipation, and many more symptoms like leg and joint pain, headaches. All of which these symptoms lead to more and more problems from which many you will learn about by reading my posts.

One of the bests places for accurate up to date info go to: Apfed, http://apfed.org/drupal/drupal/index.php

And of course this blog reads most current posts first, so I'll do my best to label important posts to help you catch/keep up.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Advice I Need to Say Out Loud, Even if No One Cares to Listen.

You know when you were a kid and you CONSTANTLY teased or picked on your sibling? You'd make fun of them, and often say mean things. But the moment someone else picked on them, you were the first to say that's not ok?

Well, word of advice to anyone willing to listen. It's the same issue with a chronic disease or illness. I try to see the positive side, and make jokes, just to get through the day. It's ok when I start the jokes. But when someone else comes up and starts making jokes. It's hurtful and feels as if they're dismissing all the trials we have to face. So word to the wise, don't try to make light of it with jokes like, "Well at least it makes grocery shopping easy!" or "Ahh man, I wish I didn't ever have to cook!" Unless you've lived it don't comment. Because you'll probably just end up hurting feelings, and because I would switch places with you in a heartbeat. So don't make me feel worse with the reminder that I can't.

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