Fishbowl Interview 1 – Eosinophilic Esophagitis

What is a Fishbowl Interview?

Fishbowl Interviews are done with guests I think you would be interested in hearing from.  The topics open for discussion will predominately be health-related, but as I mentioned before, a non-medical topic may be thrown in from time-to-time to serve as a well-needed & healthy distraction.

This is how the interviews work:  We have a fishbowl filled with 50 questions.  Five questions will be pulled out of the bowl and answered by our guest.  To preserve the interviewee’s anonymity (if the guest chooses), our guest will provide a “pen” name of his or her choice;  this naming protocol is done because health-related questions may be asked.

“Today (January 18, 2019) we welcome Jane to the Fishbowl Interview.  Jane, thank you for joining us. Please have a seat and get comfortable so we can begin the interview!” 

“Jane” is my teenage daughter who was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis in early 2017.  Even though she has had to adapt to some changes, she still has a normal teenage life.  She is very busy with school, hangs out with friends and even recently started a YouTube channel.

Please pull 5 questions from the fishbowl.  Here goes!

Here are the 5 questions she pulled out of the fishbowl.  Let’s begin!

FIRST QUESTION PULLED:

Question #49 – Can you tell us about your disease?

Answer – Eosinophilic Esophagitis also known as EOE, is a chronic, allergic inflammatory disease of the esophagus.  It occurs when a type of white blood cell, the eosinophil, accumulates in the esophagus.

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SECOND QUESTION PULLED:

Question #17 – What is the most difficult challenge when dealing with your disease?

Answer – For me, the most challenging part is the elimination diet.  I have had to eliminate wheat, dairy, nuts, tree nuts, and eggs.  Slowly, I was able to add back foods to my diet.  Throughout the process, I’ve had many upper endoscopy (EGD) procedures to add back the foods.   Luckily, everything else is like living a normal life.

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THIRD QUESTION PULLED:

Question #10 – How is this disease diagnosed?

Answer – First of all, EOE affects 1 out of every 2,000 people.  This makes the diagnostic process a little harder.  I went to many doctors that never found a problem.  However, one doctor decided to do an EGD.  This procedure showed a high number of eosinophils in my esophagus and stomach which verified that I have EOE. I had about 100 eosinophils maybe even more, but the average person has 14 or less.  Blood work is another way to find out your number of eosinophils.  My doctor did both.

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FOURTH QUESTION PULLED:

Question #21 – How is your disease treated?

Answer – There are two main treatments recommended which are diet management and medication.  I did both.  The medication I used was Flovent^® and Prilosec.  Over the course of a year, I did an elimination diet.  In severe cases, some people may even require a feeding tube.  I also had an allergy test to help determine any allergies.  However, the elimination diet is useful because EOE allergies usually do not show up on tests.  Currently, I see an Allergist and a Gastroenterologist.

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FIFTH QUESTION PULLED:

Question #36 – Can EOE be cured or do you have this disease for the rest of your life?

Answer – EOE is a non-curable disease.  However, with medication and diet, most people can live a normal life.

“Jane Goldfish, thank you for sharing your story with us!”  If anyone would like more information on EOE, please click on the link below.

American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders

What do you think of the Fishbowl Interview?