There are moments on a health journey where the path ahead suddenly comes into focus. It isn’t always the quick, easy answer we might hope for, but it is a path—and having a clear plan of action is something to be profoundly grateful for.
After my recent follow-up GI appointment, I walked
away with both a definitive diagnosis and a structured strategy moving forward.
As I’ve sat with the news, digested the timelines, and contemplated what this
all means, I’m reminded that healing is rarely a single, sudden event. More
often, it’s a deliberate process of clearing the ground, building a sturdy
foundation, and preparing the way for whatever comes next. Foundations are
super important, a physical but Biblical truth.
Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of him that crieth in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a
highway for our God.”
The Findings and the 8-Week Plan
During my appointment, my doctor laid out the findings from
my recent testing, specifically surrounding Eosinophilic Esophagitis
(EoE)—an inflammatory condition where an overabundance of white blood cells
builds up within the esophageal tissue.
A condition I didn’t know I had a few weeks ago.
To tackle this issue directly, we are embarking on an
eight-week medical trial starting as soon as insurance approves this medication (hopefully). The regimen involves a
combination of targeted therapies: a twice-daily prescription-strength PPI
to suppress acid production and minimize tissue irritation, basically like
Prilosec, alongside Dupixent, a biologic medication administered as a
weekly self-injection (shot).
At the conclusion of these eight weeks, I will undergo a repeat
endoscopy. The goal of this second procedure is straightforward yet
critical: we need to re-biopsy the tissue to evaluate whether the white
blood cell count has dropped and verify that the severe inflammation has
subsided.
Being a Realist: Looking Beyond the Inflammation
While I am fully committed to executing this eight-week
plan, I want to remain grounded and honest about where things stand.
Looking at the broader clinical picture alongside my day-to-day symptoms, I
don’t view this endeavor through rose-colored glasses, nor am I falling into
pessimism. I am simply approaching the reality of the situation with clear
eyes.
Even when this treatment successfully calms the widespread
inflammation throughout my esophagus—as we pray and expect it will—I anticipate
that the underlying dysfunction with my Upper Esophageal Sphincter (UES) will
ultimately prove to be nerve-related. When normal sensation is absent and the
muscle fails to relax properly, it points toward an interruption in the
neuro-muscular communication pathway between the brain and the digestive tract.
If that proves to be the case, it simply means we will
eventually need to chart a new course to bridge that specific gap. Recognizing
that reality isn't a defeat; it’s merely reading the map accurately so we know
precisely which direction to walk next. Plainly, if calming tissue does not
allow the UES muscle the proper muscular function, the culprit is an absent
adequate nerve path.
Proverbs 3:5–6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean
not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct
thy paths.”
Addressing the Root: Why the Esophagus Must Come First
It is easy to look at a complex, multi-step medical trial
and wonder, "Why do we have to complete this entire phase first if a
nerve or sphincter muscle might be the ultimate culprit?"
The answer lies entirely in foundational preparation.
Whether we ultimately discover that the issue with the UES
stems purely from a nerve pathway breakdown, or whether calming this
environmental irritation is the key that enables the sphincter to resume
functioning on its own, the complete esophageal inflammation must be tackled
either way. Without addressing the raw, compromised tissue first, it remains a
severe, impenetrable roadblock. Even if the UES were to regain perfect
mechanical function tomorrow, severe inflammation in the surrounding tissue
would still leave swallowing exceptionally difficult—if not impossible.
Trying to repair or retrain a delicate nerve-muscle
connection in an environment crowded with inflammatory cells is like trying to
build a permanent structure on shifting sand. By taking these eight weeks to
settle the tissue now, we eliminate an obstacle that would have halted our
progress later down the road. We are clearing away the noise so that when
we address nerve and muscle function, we are operating from a stable, healthy
baseline.
God is in the Details: The Purpose of Preservation
There is a well-known saying that "the devil is in the
details," usually framed as a warning about hidden pitfalls or
perfectionist traps. But looking at things through a deeper lens of purpose, I
cannot help but turn the phrase around: Au contraire, God is in the
details.
These specifics are not trivial facts or minor
logistics—they are the exact details He sees, knows, and actively orchestrates.
Addressing and documenting this health program for my EoE isn't simply about
managing immediate outcomes, tracking diagnostic numbers, or anxiously waiting
to see how every test turns out. It is about preservation—preserving the
full truth of this journey, honoring the time spent in the waiting, and
establishing an authentic record of what it takes to navigate a path like this.
This process of working through every piece and setting the
record straight needs to happen either way. Whether a specific medication
brings the exact result I hope for or leads us down a secondary diagnostic
path, the integrity of the process matters. When you trust the timing and
the broader purpose, getting the details right transforms from an act of
anxiety into an act of spiritual alignment. It ensures that when things
fall into place at the right time, they stand on firm ground.
Preparing the Way for the Table
The ultimate goal of this entire journey has never changed:
preparing the way to eat by mouth again.
Every injection, every daily dose, every detailed record,
and every medical procedure serves as a deliberate stepping stone toward that
destination. While processing all of this information requires significant time
and emotional energy, I take profound comfort in knowing that no step is
wasted. God works through the orderly, step-by-step details of our lives
just as powerfully as He does through sudden, dramatic breakthroughs.
We are taking this one week at a time, trusting the process,
and laying an unshakable foundation for complete restoration.
Jeremiah 29:11“‘For I know the thoughts that I
think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to
give you an expected end.’”
Beyond Swallowing: Hard Work, Sweat, and Whole-Body
Stewardship
At the exact same time I am endeavoring to accomplish these
goals for my swallowing and working through oral coordination exercises, I am
also refining skills for my broader physical needs. A major focus of mine
right now is on my mobility and walking—specifically concentrating on bending
my knee properly to create a movement pattern that is graceful, smooth, and
natural, rather than stiff and rigid.
Rebuilding movement involves many moving parts, but I am
certainly not afraid of hard work, sweat, or physical fatigue. That is
what true recovery demands, and it is something I have stepped up to do
many times over. In fact, there is an immense sense of satisfaction in feeling
strong, feeling that good physical soreness, and knowing that every effort has
a clear, intentional purpose behind it.
Sometimes recovery means facing a physical challenge or a
piece of exercise equipment that initially feels intimidating, scary, or
downright impossible. But I always believe in stepping up to try anyway. The
old saying claims that "practice makes perfect," but for me, practice
is about persistent progress. If I cannot perform a movement perfectly
today, I can build strength to do a little more tomorrow. I’ve even recently
pushed past my own initial hesitation and learned to use gym machines that used
to intimidate me. Every single session lays another brick in the foundation of
my physical independence.
Call it a bit crazy or unusual, but I even went to my very
first massage therapy session recently, focusing heavily on cranial
and lymphatic work. I am learning to be deeply mindful of my whole
body—recognizing how God designed every system to work in harmony, support
itself, and communicate across nerve and tissue pathways. In this arena, I
am committed to dotting every i and crossing every t, doing
everything within my power to honor and care for the body I've been given as it
heals.
Expected Opposition
When you make a firm decision to grow, change, or pursue a
meaningful goal, don't be surprised when resistance immediately shows up at
your door.
The enemy recognizes when you've drawn a line in the sand.
Often, that opposition doesn't come as a giant, obvious threat—it comes
disguised through everyday situations, sudden obstacles, or even people close
to us who have no idea they are being used to derail your progress.
These moments are specifically designed to press on existing
insecurities, amplify doubt, and make quitting feel like the easiest option.
But when you recognize the pattern for what it is, the dynamic changes. Instead
of letting the hurt shut you down, you can choose to reframe it. What was
intended to cause discouragement can become the exact fuel that pushes you
forward. Let every attempt to make you shrink become the reason you step up,
meet your goal, and rise above it.
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