samtest

Sam's Page

Sam is our amazing 10 year old ! He has been sick with
Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EE) since he was in Kindergarten.
Sam was born a healthy baby and remained that way until he was 5. One day he
began vomiting at school, his kindergarten year.....and that is where our
EOSINOPHILIC JOURNEY began.....
He was originally diagnosed with Reflux, H-pylori, Gastritis, Hiatal Hernia and
Esophagitis. While he did have those diagnosis too....the diagnosis that was
originally MISSED was Eosinophilic Esophagitis.

As can be common with EGID, his biopsies (3 endoscopies in that first year)
were MISREAD during the first year of illness resulting in MISDIAGNOSIS.
It took one year of being sick to recieve the proper diagnosis of EE.

Food trialing continues. His list of triggers continues to change. His EE seems
very much affected by the environment & continues to have an ebb & flow of
symptoms, unpredictable & varying in degree and severity.

Despite Sam's years of dealing with chronic stomach pain and many other
symptoms & his restricted diet, he has maintained an
incredible spirit of happiness and humor. It is not an easy road.
He inspires us all.

Sam loves Playing with his Friends, Loves his Family, his Dog, History, Baseball,
Reading, Video Games, Music, his iPod, Legos, Computer Science & Animation
& Building things. He is a Dodger FAN through and through! He has the BEST
Little Brother in the world, Matty.

In April of 2005 Sam underwent Surgery for a
Feeding Tube to be placed in his stomach.

We had tried Desperately to AVOID
the last known treatment for EE-- Elemental
Hypo-Allergenic Medical Food Formula....
While a drastic measure, It was the correct
treatment at the time, to help get him out of pain
and to help his body try to heal.
As food reintroduction began & continues, it is one
step forward ... two steps back.

April 2005
Waiting for Surgery....
THAT SMILE....
What STRENGTH!

Going under General Anesthesia
for yet ANOTHER Endoscopy...

FIRST Formula Feeding !!!!
Recovering from Surgery was Rough.
Sam was in A LOT of pain.
Yet...still independent and strong.

These last 5 years have been difficult...but as hard as it has
been...Life has been woven with many Blessings too.

Sam has been through quite a journey on his path of battling
Eosinophilic Esophagitis. He has been through the gammit of
treatments, medications, biopsies, surgeries , elimination
diets, elemental diet, tests, food deprivations, symptoms,
reactions, flares, dissappointments, triumphs, setbacks, etc.
There has been an ebb & flow of symptoms and flares~
some days/weeks/months better than others~
Sam handles all of it with such a courageous, wise &
strong spirit.

There are rough times, sad times, angry times...BUT there
are MANY MORE happy, exciting, funny, normal, silly &
joyful times.

This has been as much a Journey through an Illness
as it has been a Journey through FAITH....

We are so HOPEFUL for a CURE...
We BELIEVE that day will come...
Until then... we take it one day at a time
and we make a lot of HAPPY memories along the way!

2005
Philadelphia
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Update
March 2005

Sam and Mom just returned from a week of tests at CHOP in
Philadelphia. Unfortunately, we did not get the results we were
hoping for from the biopsies. It seems that Sam developed
even more new food allergies. We had hoped an EXTENSIVE
Elimination Diet would be the answer...However Sam could not
eat anything without pain. After having tried to avoid the last
known treatment for EE--Elemental Formula became our last
option.

Sam being prepped for his Scopes.
3/14/05
Still Smiling !!!!

Eating Radioactive EGGS !!!! This
test was to check for Gastric
Emptying-- meaning how fast or
slow the stomach empties food out.

Giant camera lenses taking picture
every 10 minutes for 2 Hours.
These pictures showed where the
radioactive material was in his
system.

PATCH TESTING
Test takes 72 hours from
application to reading results.
~Delayed Reaction similiar to
Gastric delayed reaction~

Sam and Mom had LOTS of fun
in Philly despite all of the
testing !

Can you find him ?!?!
Philadelphia Museum of Art

The GIANT HEART in front of the
Other GIANT HEART
Franklin Institute Museum

Be joyful in HOPE
PATIENT in Affliction
FAITHFUL in Prayer
Romans 12:12

Our KNIGHT in shining armour

Sam's road ahead will continue with Food Trialing as we
Pray for better treatment options & a CURE......

More than ever He needs the prayers of all that love him. We
know that God will lead us and sustain Sam through this
journey. He has already brought him so far!
We feel your prayers. God's Love for us truly shines.
We feel it in the compassion of all of the doctors, nurses, family,
friends, teachers and even strangers that cross our path.

Thank you for Caring So Much
May God Bless You

Contact us:
Eosinophilictucson@yahoo.com

APRIL 2005
Gtube Surgery & Formula ONLY

UofA Fan! GO Wildcats!

In Recovery Room
Still giving a THUMBS UP!
Always inspiring with his GOD given attitude
& strength.
2007

9th Birthday Cake
Made out of Frozen Lemon Ice Drink
One of the few foods he could eat at
the time.
Creativity is a MUST when dealing with
this disease.

Fishing......

Lovin the OCEAN!

His doctor left him a
smiley face....

For I know the PLANS I
have for you
declares the Lord.
Plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to
give you HOPE and A
FUTURE.
Jeremiah 29:11-14

HAPPY
TIMES.....