The Results Are In...

We finally got the phone call today that we had been waiting for. Kaleb's biopsy results are positive for Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE). While the diagnosis itself sucks, we are glad to have a diagnosis so we can pursue a treatment plan. EoE is basically a disease caused by food allergies. Kaleb's body sees food proteins as parasites and builds up white blood cells to "fight the infection". The white blood cells gather in his esophagus and cause it to swell. Symptoms include chest pain, reflux, choking, failure to thrive, difficulty sleeping and vomiting. Dr. Aljabi was fairly confident of the diagnosis on Friday, so we went ahead and started pulmicort, a steroid that is usually inhaled but we mix it with honey and he swallows it. This way it heals the esophagus. We were also prescribed Prevacid solutabs for reflux but our insurance refused to pay for it, so we have now been prescribed Nexium.

In addition to the EoE diagnosis, we also found out the results of the allergy tests. Kaleb is highly allergic to wheat and barley, in addition to the milk and eggs we were aware of. She said several other things showed positive, but those 4 things were the highest. 

Dr Aljabi really suggested going on the formula diet for a while for Kaleb's body to heal. However, at this point, I don't feel like its realistic for us. Kaleb LOVES food. He actually will hardly take a bottle at all. And because of the side effects of the steroid, the child can't get full. He had 2 full dinners tonight!! So taking away all food would be an incredibly difficult choice at this point. After talking it over, she was ok with us completely eliminating the top allergens to see if that makes a difference. We go back on Oct 28, so please pray with us that just eliminating the allergens from his diet is enough to help him! We do still have to supplement with formula, so we'll be picking that up tomorrow. I have no doubt those 2 pounds Kaleb lost will be going back on quickly!!

Lastly, Kaleb has an appointment at the special EoE clinic on Nov 5. This is the special clinic Dr. Aljabi runs. On that day, they told us to be prepared to be overwhelmed. We'll meet with Dr. Aljabi, Dr. McLaughlin (allergist) and a dietitian. He'll have a lot more allergy skin testing done to get more accurate results than the blood tests. I'm excited to get info and meet with someone to discuss food options! In the meantime, I picked up some books at the library this evening to read on vacation. 

Thanks again for praying for my sweet boy. We feel them every single day. The medicine has really started helping Kaleb sleep better, which makes for a happy mommy and daddy!! Praying it continues. :)