Endoscopy Results

Raj and I had a chance to talk with Asher's doctor in Cincinnati. He gave us the results of the biopsies taken during the endoscopy. While the eosinophil count is definitely worse than before, it's not as bad as it could be. In fact, the actual number of eosinophils per area is the same as before (24), but before it was focal, meaning that it was spotty in places. Now it is diffuse, meaning that it's all over his esophagus. So it's definitely worse than before, but not as bad as it could be. OK.

Then we talked about next steps. We have two options: 1) we can increase Asher's dosage of Flovent and go back on that to get rid of the eosinophils or 2) do an elemental diet and see if the eosinophils go away. If they do, then it's diet related and we can incrementally add foods back into his diet one-by-one.

If we choose the Flovent/steroids method, then we're committing Asher to long-term, possibly permanent steroid use without the option of avoiding the stuff to which he's allergic. If we choose the elemental diet, we commit Asher to a 10 week liquid (formula) diet at a time where he's not likely to remember it in years to come. Then we can determine the items that cause the allergic reaction and avoid those -- and possibly keep Asher off steroids. While it may be difficult in the short-term, the elemental diet sounds like a better option in the long term. So that's what we hope to do.

I can't even imagine how hard it's going to be to have Asher drink a formula for all of his meals - for 10 weeks. Of course it comes at the absolute worst times - over his birthday (no birthday cake for him) and Thanksgiving holiday. Ugh.

I need to share something else. During our call, I had asked the doctor if the biopsy slides from the endoscopies performed here in NC had been read by the pathologists in Cincinnati. We had sent the slides there before Asher was first seen in Cinci. Sure enough, they had been read and the very first biopsies revealed eosinophils. They didn't catch it here in NC. If they had, we could have gone to an elemental diet at the age of 9 months, where drinking formula is the norm rather than now when it's difficult. We would have been two years ahead of this game rather than watch Asher suffering like he is.