Jesus said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." John 11:4



You Are Not Alone!

We started this blog as a support to those families in Arkansas and around the country who are faced with raising a child with a life-altering eosinophilic disorder. It has been estimated that one out of 3,000 people have been diagnosed with an eosinophilic disorder. Children suffering from eosinophilic disorders have a myriad of problems. Some of which include: vomiting, diarrhea, feeding refusal, malnutrition, difficulty swallowing, and failure to thrive, just to name a few.

Could you imagine a life without food? For these children, that is a very real possibility. Many of them are on a very restrictive diet of special elemental formula. Those fortunate enough to still be eating foods are very limited as to what they can eat, and still have to drink an elemental formula to maintain a nutritionally complete diet. Not only do these kids have a restrictive diet, but many of them have feeding tubes and endure several surgeries and procedures. These children show us parents incredible strength and endurance! It is our hope that other families dealing with this disease realize they are not alone, and that more people will become aware of this disease. Hopefully this blog will be a support to those living with eosinophilic disorders.

NOTE: House Resolution 296 passed in 2007 declaring the third week of May, National Eosinophil Awareness Week.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Joy and Patience

"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." -James 1:2-3

I have known this verse since I was a child, but came across it again in my reading last night. This verse and this verse alone may be the single most important verse for my family and the trails we are facing together. "Count it all joy..." I can honestly say that I see the joy in this disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Yes my daughter and my husband both have this disease, but I see that my God has a bigger plan. A plan bigger than the disease, bigger than not being able to eat, bigger than the strange and confused looks, and much bigger than the tears. I know that this is for HIS glory. I am honored and blessed to be the wife of an incredibly strong man that restricts his foods so that he can be healthier, and so that someday he can tell his baby girl that he made sacrifices that paid off so they can both be well. A man who is willing to face this disease knowing that God is standing there with him through it all. Ross and I are equally as blessed to know that our Heavenly Father entrusted us to provide for such a sweet and beautiful little girl. Although Abigail isn't able to eat the foods we eat, she has brought us joy beyond words. Her name has truly brought meaning to our lives; even more so than we could have ever imagined. Abigail means "My father's joy," and she is just that. Not only has EE brought us joy, but it has also brought us patience. Patience in waiting for doctor's appointments, money to provide the medical care needed, test results, and the unknown. Through this trial we have met amazing people with children that posses unexplainable strength. We have seen doctors with passion like nothing I have ever seen before. We have become a part of a church family that many do not find in their lifetime, and relied on family and friends for the support they have promised to show. So, if asked, yes I have found divine joy and patience during this trial, and thank God that He knew that with Him we could handle it. This trial is a process, but someday I know there will be healing, and we will give Him and Him alone all of the glory!
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Cicninnati Follow-Up

After much anticipation, we have our next trip to Cincinnati planned out. We will be leaving December 14th and returning December 19. Abigail will be scoped on Monday, and the rest of the week will be dedicated to finding out more about the severity of Ross' case of EE. He will have his consultaion with the GI on Tuesday, allergy tested on Wednesday, and scoped on Thursday. We sent Ross' initial pathology reports and slides to Cincinnati, and the results were more shocking than we had expected. His highest eosinophil count was 169 eos/hpf. Needless to say, we are anxious to hear what Cincy has to say about his treatment options!
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Friday, October 3, 2008

Second Meeting

Thank you Cassidy and Laura for another successful meeting. It was great to express our concerns, pain, sadness, and frustrations with other mothers who understand life with an EGID. Don't forget to find your recipes. We are pulling our resources and recipes together to hopefully help one another out. Who knows, one day we may have a cookbook!

Also, a special thanks to Cassidy for letting us borrow her cotton candy machine. I can't wait to Abigail's face when she takes that first bite!
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