The Triple Threat

Gabriel was waiting in line for a ride at the Grape Fair today, and he looked at me and yelled "Mom, God made me special right!?"and I answered "yes Gabriel, he sure did."  And then thought about just how special he is.  I remember trying to decide on a name for my unborn child, and I found the definition for the name Gabriel.  Now I've never been as religious as I wish I was.  I go to church just a few times a year, and I can't quote one line from the Bible, but when I learned that Gabriel means "my strength is in God"  it felt like it fit just right.  I cant count on my fingers all the times in the last 4 years that Gabriel and I have relied on that immortal strength.

We were at the hospital not too long ago, and while taking down his medical history a nurse looked up said "ahh yes, the triple threat."  And so Gabriels health has been dubbed- The Tripple Threat.

Threat 1:  Asthma, Allergies, and Anaphylaxis
I'm sure everyone's had a cold before.  Congestion, watery eyes, sore throat.  Did you know that the bug isn't what makes you feel so yucky?  Your body does a good job of trying to force the bad-for-us-germs out- and creates these reactions.  The same thing happens with allergies.  The difference is that with allergies, your body is a little confused.  An allergic body thinks that harmless foods and inhalants like grass, dust, and pollen are dangerous; and tries to fight them off as well.  Gabriels allergist described the severity of your symptoms as an internal cup.  Small reactions may occur with each allergen as they fill up your allergy cup.  Once your cup is full the overflow will always result in the worst of your symptoms.  Sometimes the worst allergic reactions don't come from a specific allergen, just an overflow of too many.  An anaphylactic reaction is more like a bomb.  Allergic anaphylaxis is a sudden severe reaction that causes facial swelling, breathing difficulties, extreme drops in blood pressure, hives, etc.  I think the common perception is that allergic immune systems are weak and fragile, while in fact the opposite is true.  Allergic immune systems are strong, and over react.

Threat 2:  Eosiniphillic Esophagitis
Eosinophillic Esophagitis belongs to a family of eosinophillic disorders.  Eosinophil is a type of white blood cell that, in Gabriels case, invades his esophagus.  When he eats any one of his trigger foods there is extreme inflammation of the esophagus that causes severe vomiting (because the food cant pass), or impaction (where the food gets stuck until removed medically).  EE creates a ripple effect of other symptoms; digestive issues, malnourishment, malabsorbtion, scar tissue and permanent damage to the esophagus, growth delays, etc. A patient who suffers from EE usually has dozens of trigger foods.  Eosinophillic gastrointestinal disorders and diagnosed with a surgical biopsy. Generally there are more trigger foods than safe foods, or they are unable to determine what the trigger foods are, and this causes even more challenges.  Many EE patients have a GI tube, to feed formula into a tube directly into the stomach, or elemental diets(when only a formula is ingested).  We are very lucky to have Gabriels diet to such a science!  We keep his EE under control by avoiding milk, casein, malt, wheat, gluten, soy, all beans, legumes, egg (whites and yolks), corn, oranges, peach, pear, all melons, papaya, carrot, fish, shellfish, tomatoes, nectarines, nuts, and more!


and the 3rd Threat: Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is a connective tissue disorder.  Gabriel was diagnosed when his knee cap dislocated often for no apparent reason.  Through doctor appointments, and tests I learned that all of his joints are hypermobile (double jointed), and we should expect frequent dislocations.  Ehlers Danlos Syndrome can be painful, but in about a quarter of the cases, it can be dangerous.  The connective tissue in your heart can begin to loosen and dilate, which of course, can cause major cardiac complications.  Skin will scar very easily, and any other connective tissue in your body can be affected (hearing challenges, loss of strength, bladder issues, etc) EDS affects Gabriels daily life very little.  We visit the orthopedic, geneticist, and cardiologist annually for EKG's and Echocardiograms, and avoid any impact sports for the safety of his joints.