05/01/2026
Jenna's journey with EoE began at birth, with projectile vomiting that led to a diagnosis at age 3. By ages 4–5, she had a G-tube because she reacted to so many foods. With support from an allergy and GI team, Jenna eventually reintroduced foods, ate nearly normally in her early teens, and had her G-tube removed by 16. It felt like progress until annual endoscopies began showing elevated eosinophil levels, pulling her back into the cycle of treatment adjustments she had hoped were behind her. Now 24, Jenna has had more scopes in the past few years than in the rest of her life combined and manages her condition with dupilumab and a proton pump inhibitor, following an initial denial that required her doctor’s advocacy.
The barriers extend beyond her diagnosis. Jenna cannot find a local GI specialist and must travel out of state for care, which is not covered by her Medicaid plan, creating a significant financial burden. In social settings, eating is now complicated in a different way for Jenna than it used to be. Tired of feeling "different," when she's with friends or family, Jenna admits to sometimes eating foods she knows she shouldn't and quietly deals with the consequences after. It's a deeply human response to years of navigating a disease that touches every meal, every gathering, and every relationship with food and serves as a reminder that living with EoE is about far more than eosinophil counts.
Read Jenna's full story: apfed.org/blog/from-g-tube-to-the-table/
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