As Nicole Audrey Spector said
May 22, 2025 is the EOE day of the first world.
It was a completely normal day for me – a working mother of two children who ensured that everything in the house went smoothly – things were pretty hectic. I was at work and my boys (Jeric, 7 and Chase, 5) had a game date at home with a boy named Max.
While the boys eat for lunch, Max ‘mother called to tell me that Jeric put a piece of turkey sandwich in his neck. He had no problems breathing or talking, so I didn’t panic, but I could hear that he felt really uncomfortable.
I hurried over and brought Jeric into the emergency room. There a doctor checked him, confirmed the blockade and gave Jeric an injection of anti -inflammatory medication to help the headache caused by the blockade.
Jeric relaxed and the stubborn piece of Deli meat finally went under. What relief!
But that was not the end of the upheaval. In fact, it was only the beginning of what would be a whole new life for all of us.
The he doctor asked if I had tested Jeric for eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), an illness for chronic immune systems. The symptoms of EOE include problems with swallowing and feeding bolus obstruction (FBO).
I had never heard of EOE, let alone tested Jeric for it – there would never have been a reason for it. Jeric had atopic dermatitis, asthma and allergies that are related to EOE because they were all caused by inflammation of type 2. But we didn’t know that yet, and the incident with the turkey -sandwich that day was the first and only indication that something was wrong with his swallow.
If EOE is untreated, it can be very serious. It can lead to no thrive, malnutrition and weight loss thrive. So I really wanted to have Jeric tested and make an appointment as soon as I could.
The test -Jeric was an upper endoscopy with biopsies of different places along the esophagus and in the stomach. I was afraid. Jeric would have to be placed under general anesthesia for the procedure. But what choice we had? We needed answers. Fortunately, Jeric’s medical team was fantastic and I trusted that Jeric was in the best hands.
Looking at the pictures of Jeric’s endoscopy was both deeply fascinating and terribly annoying. You could see how his esophagus had an abnormal narrowing. It looked like railway rails through swollen tissue. Completely inflamed. We had to bring this inflammation down.
The good news was that Jerics EOE was limited to his esophagus. Some people have EoE in their stomach, which is much more complicated.
The doctor was crystal clear in her explanation of how to treat Jerics EOE, and I was so relieved that Jerics Eoe could almost certainly only be treated with dietary changes.
Now you may think: I thought that first. Then I heard how extensive and intensive these nutritional changes had to be.
Heather and Jeric, September 2024 (Photo/Caitie McBride)
To treat Jerics Eoe and prevent future complications, he would have to remove the eight top allergens from his diet. This means that all dairy products, soy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, seafood and shellfish.
Jeric had peanut anaaphylaxis, so he didn’t eat peanuts, but everything else? Up to this point, Jeric had been a classic American child, which he had eaten. He practically lived from fish sticks, scrambled eggs, fries fries, pizza, cord cheese, ice cream – all of this should go.
When we take all of these foods (literally) from Jeric while we ate our usual meals, not only felt impractical for our purchasing and budget for food and budget for Jeric. My husband and I decided that Jeric would not be the only one in the house who has to stop eating all of these delicious food. If he couldn’t eat these foods, none of us would eat these foods.
Once at home, I went through our fridge and our pantry. Pretty much everything had to go. I remember that I watch a can of black beans and thought: “Well, at least it can stay.”
Although this was only 10 years ago and the Internet was already full of steam, niche recipe creators and food bloggers who focused on restrictive diets were much more difficult to get than today. I received a lot of help from the nutritionist in Jeric’s medical team, but I also commissioned a woman to create recipes for myself and give tutorials on the use of remains.
These early trips to the supermarket were so hard. I felt like an alien in the corridors and passed dozens of objects that used to go directly into the car but were now from borders. The focus was on real meat, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. At the cash register I was always amazed at how expensive it was.
Heather and Jeric at the EOS Connection Conference, 2023
It was a difficult transition and there was so often when I tried to get creative with false cheese or another replacement, and would have a meal that was completely disgusting. We had countless dinner and desserts that were coarse and inedible. We all just had to twitch and laugh. It was crucial to have a sense of humor about it. It helped to keep an eye on things and keep us emotionally together.
And I cannot ignore the good parts of our EOE experience. Our community has really gathered around Jeric. The parents at his school were so courteous and thoughtful. When Jeric was invited to a birthday party, they always made sure that he had what he needed and did not feel excluded. We also all ate so much better. I could feel and see the changes in myself. I had more energy, slept better and my hair, skin and nails were healthier.
Today Jeric is 18 years old and is preparing to take a gap year so that he can travel. The inflammation that I saw in the pictures from endoscopy when it was diagnosed for the first time has completely solved. He still adheres to his eoe-friendly nutrition, but he doesn’t have to be as strict as earlier and if he has a cheat day from time to time, there are no serious consequences.
Life with EOE is not easy, especially not first, but if you put your mind and heart on it, let it work and learn what is most important: to have each other and be safe and happy. If you get well – well, how great is that?
resources
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – patient brochure
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – specialist back
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – toolkit for patient lessons
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – navigateeoscare.org
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – patient conference
American partnership for eosinophilic disorders – online community
This educational resource was created with the support of Sanofi and Regeneron.
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