Meet EoE.

Our sweet little Jude has not been growing like he should. He got an EGD (a scope that goes through the stomach and looks at the esophagus, stomach, &duodenum and takes pictures and they get biopsies, or samples of tissue) yesterday and showed all the signs of 

Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE).

This is an inflammatory disease of the esophagus where Eosinophils, or white blood cells, build up in the esophagus as a response to allergens. This can cause many different symptoms, but in Jude has caused vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and poor weight gain. We are waiting to hear back form the doctor on the results of the biospy, which will definitively diagnose the disease. From there, we will go to an allergist and get more in-depth testing to find out his allergies so we can eliminate them. That is how it is treated, just eliminating whatever is causing the eosinophils to flood to the esophagus. We have already had allergy testing done and we eliminate those foods, so there has to be something else we are unaware of. I am thankful that we are getting answers and progressing towards figuring out what is going on so we can fix it and get our little boy growing! I as most worried about not being able to give Jude anything to eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure, wake him up early and no be able to feed him (he usually nurses at 5:30 and when he wakes up), then drive over 30 minutes to the hospital (he does not care for his carseat). I thought he would be hysterical and miserable... but he wasn't. :) He was happy and cheerful and patient and sweet. He had fun in the waiting room and playing with the glove was probably one of the highlights of his life. He absolutely loved it! He was not the happiest little camper after the procedure but soon all was well and he even endured the ride home like a champion!

Dan: "I learned this in Medical School... old pediatric trick." Rachael: "You did?!?!" Dan: "No... Patch Adams..."

The group of GI doctors we are seeing are specialists in this disease and we feel so incredibly thankful that we are here to be able to see them. Maybe this is why we have ended up here in South Carolina at this time. We have received superior and timely treatment. Every doctor and especially those involved in the EGD yesterday could not have been better. Having the CRNA take my baby away was hard but trusting them and having confidence in them made it okay. I have been the health care provider and I have been the patient, but being the mother of the patient is completely different and so much more difficult. I feel incredibly indebted to the our doctor, the anesthesiologist  the two nurse anesthetists, and the nurses who took care of Jude yesterday and will forever be grateful to them for choosing the careers they have and dedicating their lives to helping others and taking pride in what they do.

It is so hard seeing Jude struggle in any way. I know it is harder for us, as his parents, at this point because he has never appeared to be in any pain, he doesn't even know he is missing any foods, he doesn't mind that he is smaller, and he is overall perfectly healthy and happy besides the occasional vomiting. It could be so much worse. I am so thankful we are getting this diagnosed and treated while Jude is so young so we can do everything we can to treat it and increase our chances to get rid of it! 

As I have been researching and starting to let myself get a little worried, this video came to my mind. It brought me so much peace as I watched it. What an absolutely amazing girl. I am thankful to have answers. I am thankful for my perfect child and the health and strength that he does have. I am thankful for all we know about EoE and how far it has come in the past few years and we are being treated how we are. I am thankful that we are moving forward and doing everything in power to help Jude. Most of all, I am thankful for faith in our eternal plan, that no matter how hard life is and how difficult these trials are, and no matter what the outcome is, we are being watched over and protected by our Heavenly Father. Our Savior knows every pain and sadness we have been through and as we turn to him, we will be made whole. 

I am ready to face this and do absolutely anything to take care of my sweet, precious child!