Patient Perspectives – I am 13 and I have EoE

Hi my name is Zachary and I am 13 years old. I was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) at 13 months of age. I have had this disease my entire life.

Besides EoE, I have food allergies. In the beginning I was on formula only (an elemental diet, which is only amino acid-based nutrition) because there weren’t any foods that were safe for me to eat. When I was 9 years old and in the 4th grade, I switched to Neocate Splash. I was happy to switch to Splash because it is premade in a drink box so I could just put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes and voila! There’s my meal! Throughout the years, the number of safe foods that I have has grown. Right now, I have around 40 safe foods. In the last three years alone I have gained 5 foods.

EoE impacts my everyday life since it restricts what foods I can eat. It has forced me to plan ahead by being prepared for every scenario. If I want to go to a restaurant with my friends, I have to make sure that there is something on the menu safe for me to eat, or bring my own food. I also have to bring my epinephrine auto-injector everywhere I go.

I am very excited that this week is National Eosinophil Awareness Week because I have a personal connection with its origin. In 2007, my family helped the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED) to get this special week declared. I was one of the kid ambassadors that went to talk to members of Congress about eosinophilic esophagitis. That was one of the best things that came out of having EoE!

-Zachary

For more information about EoE and National Eosinophil Awareness Week, please check out www.apfed.org.

Comments
Write a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.



 

Join Neocate Footsteps

Whether you are new to food allergies and want to get to know our products, or you need help with a lifestyle change, for new ideas to .

Join Neocate Footsteps

Featured Article
 
Neocate® Splash helps Remy Supplement his Elimination Diet to Manage Nutritional Gaps

Family’s background Meet Remy! He is 15 and diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE), a food allergy-related condition. Remy manages his EoE with an elimination diet and supplements with  Neocate® Splash to help close nutritional gaps. Hear his story as told…

Continue Reading
 
X

The content you are trying to access is intended for healthcare professionals only.

Are you a healthcare professional?

 
X

SELECT A REGION

X

SELECT A REGION