As told to Nicole Audrey Spector
May 22, 2025, is the first World EoE Day.
It was a totally normal day, which for me — a working mom of two who made sure everything in the house ran smoothly — meant things were pretty hectic. I was at work and my boys (Jeric, 7, and Chase, 5) were having a playdate at our home with a boy named Max.
While the boys were having lunch, Max’s mom called to tell me that Jeric had a piece of turkey sandwich stuck in his throat. He didn’t have trouble breathing or talking, so I didn't panic, but I could hear that he was really uncomfortable.
I rushed over and took Jeric to the ER. There, a doctor checked him out, confirmed the blockage and gave Jeric an injection of anti-inflammatory medication to help with a headache caused by the blockage.
Jeric relaxed in the process, and the stubborn piece of deli meat finally went down. What a relief!
But that wasn’t the end of the upheaval. In fact, it was just the beginning of what would end up being a whole new life for all of us.
The ER doctor asked if I’d had Jeric tested for eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic immune system disease. Symptoms of EoE include trouble swallowing and food bolus obstruction (FBO), which is what it’s called when food gets stuck in your esophagus.
I’d never heard of EoE, let alone had Jeric tested for it — there’d never been any reason to. Jeric had atopic dermatitis, asthma and allergies, which are related to EoE because they’re all caused by type 2 inflammation. But we didn’t know that yet, and that day’s turkey sandwich incident was the first and only indication that anything was wrong with his swallowing.
When untreated, EoE can be really serious. It can cause failure to thrive, malnutrition and weight loss. So I absolutely wanted to have Jeric tested and made an appointment as soon as I could.
The test Jeric needed was an upper endoscopy with biopsies of various spots along the esophagus and down into his stomach. I was afraid. Jeric would have to be put under general anesthesia for the procedure. But what choice did we have? We needed answers. Fortunately, Jeric’s medical team was fantastic, and I trusted that Jeric was in the best hands.
Looking at the images from Jeric’s endoscopy was both deeply fascinating and horribly upsetting. You could see how his esophagus had abnormal narrowing. It looked like railroad tracks going through puffy tissue. Completely inflamed. We needed to get that inflammation down.
The good news was that Jeric’s EoE was limited to his esophagus. Some people have EoE all the way down into their stomach, which is far more complicated.
The doctor was crystal clear in her explanation of how to treat Jeric’s EoE, and I was so relieved to hear that Jeric’s EoE could almost certainly be treated with dietary changes alone.
Now, you may be thinking, “Dietary changes? Easy peasy!” That’s what I thought at first. Then I heard just how extensive and intense these dietary changes needed to be.
Heather and Jeric, September 2024 (Photo/Caitie McBride)
To treat Jeric’s EoE and prevent future complications, he would need to remove the top eight allergens from his diet. That means all dairy, soy, wheat, gluten, eggs, nuts, seafood and shellfish.
Jeric had peanut anaphylaxis, so he already didn’t eat peanuts, but everything else? Up to that point, Jeric had been a classic American kid in terms of how he ate. He practically lived off fish sticks, scrambled eggs, french fries, pizza, string cheese, ice cream — all of that would have to go.
Taking all these foods off the table (literally) for Jeric while we ate our usual meals felt not only impractical for our grocery shopping and budget but also cruel to Jeric. So my husband and I decided that Jeric would not be the only one in the house to have to stop eating all these yummy foods. If he couldn’t eat those foods, then none of us would eat those foods.
Once home, I went through our fridge and pantry. Pretty much everything had to go. I remember looking at a can of black beans and thinking, “Well, at least this can stay.”
Though this was only 10 years ago, and the internet was already going full steam, niche recipe creators and food bloggers who focused on restrictive diets were much harder to come by than they are today. I got a lot of help from the dietitian on Jeric’s medical team, but I also hired a woman to create recipes for me and give tutorials on how to use leftovers.
Those early trips to the supermarket were so hard. I felt like an alien in the aisles, passing dozens of items that used to go straight in the cart but were now off limits. The focus was on real meats, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. At checkout, I was again and again astonished by how expensive it all was.
Heather and Jeric at EOS Connection Conference, 2023
It was a tough transition and there were so many times I tried to get creative with fake cheese or some other substitute and would end up with a meal that was totally disgusting. We endured countless dinners and desserts that were gross and inedible. We all had to just shrug and laugh. Having a sense of humor about it all was crucial. It helped keep things in perspective and helped keep us together, emotionally.
And I can’t ignore the good parts of our EoE experience. Our community really rallied around Jeric. Parents at his school were so accommodating and thoughtful. When Jeric was invited to a birthday party, they always made sure he would have what he needed and not feel excluded. Additionally, all of us were eating 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 and getting ready to take a gap year so he can travel. The inflammation that I saw in the images from the endoscopy when he was first diagnosed with EoE has completely resolved. He still sticks to his EoE-friendly diet, but he doesn’t have to be quite as strict as he used to be — and if he has a cheat day now and again, there’s no serious consequences.
Living with EoE isn’t easy, especially not at first, but when you put your mind and heart to it, you make it work and you learn to appreciate what matters most: having each other and being safe and happy. If you get to be healthy too — well, how amazing is that?
Resources
American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders – Patient Brochure
American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders – Specialist Finder
American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders – Patient Education Toolkit
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 support from Sanofi and Regeneron.
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