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.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Snow Adventures

2010 started with a bang. After waking up at midnight for fireworks (In Alaska they set them off now because you can't see them on July 4th), I spent the rest of the night dreaming about Iraq. This is the first time I have done that since returning from my deployment.

But the real adventure was camping at in the mountains at 3500ft in a snow trench. The night wasn't too bad. It only got down to about -5.

Here are a couple photos of my sleeping arrangements.































As always, the scenary was beautiful!


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7 comments:

Kaelynn said...

Yeah, I have a crazy husband! Don't you all agree!

January 3, 2010 at 5:23 PM
The Lee Clan said...

And why did you have to camp in the Snow? I would never ever camp in the snow, and -5 no less. Yes, Elena you have a crazy husband. But we LOVE you guys anyway!

January 3, 2010 at 6:50 PM
Kaelynn said...

WHAT?! Alyssa, you have Mom's disease even over the computer! My name is KAELYNN! Good thing we love you too anyways!

January 3, 2010 at 6:57 PM
The Lee Clan said...

Ok, so I am getting old, children will do that to ya! Sorry, I did se your face Kaelynn the whole time I was writting.

January 4, 2010 at 4:19 AM
Kaelynn said...

That's what made me laugh so hard!

January 4, 2010 at 8:12 AM
Elena Harrison said...

Alyssa,

Who is the CRAZY one now??!!!!


Michael

January 4, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Kaelynn said...

I still believe Uriah wins handsdown!

January 4, 2010 at 12:11 PM

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