O-Boy(s)!: A Difficult Place To Go

Saturday, February 4, 2012

A Difficult Place To Go

We have purchased our first piece of real art. I never knew how thrilling and emotional such a purchase could be. It is my most favorite item I have ever spent money on in my whole life! I am so lucky this will hang in our new home. Wow.

Last night I went up to the Brian Kershisnik show at the Meyer Gallery in Park City. Koni came with me, and we picked Jodi up on our way. Peter stayed home with all the crazies so I could have a fun evening. I had already purchased the painting, but was seeing it for the first time completed. I first saw this painting at Brian's studio when we were invited to visit last October. Brian gave me a big hug, so happy that we bought it.

It is titled, "A Difficult Place To Go". For me, this is my journey with my 2 youngest boys that I have spent years trying to feed. I have a very emotional connection to this art. In this painting, angels are directing this woman as she follows their suggestion. I cannot count the times Heaven has directed me, and with faith I learned to just follow. Thru this I have learned how much hard work faith in action actually takes.

Seeing this painting is overwhelming for me. Art is so personal. The way for me to go, has been more than difficult - but I have been led, directed and guided the entire way. ...And so I go!

3 comments:

Joy said...: Thank you for sharing that.; February 04, 2012
ellen said...: It's beautiful.; February 08, 2012
Mike Murray said...: What a wonderful thing for our family to have met Brian!; February 09, 2012

Post a Comment

What is FPIES?

I have 2 children that are recently healed from FPIES - Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. Scotty is 5 years old - and fought this disorder for about 3.5 hard years. Colin is a 20 month old baby - and had a quick recovery. He is recently cleared of all of his symptoms, calling him FPIES free!

FPIES is a severe delayed food allergy of the gut, it is understood to be a T-cell mediated response in which food is considered a foreign invader and the body “fights” it until it can violently expel it; although the exact mechanisms are still not well understood.

Symptoms include: profound vomiting (often to bile), diarrhea and/or constipation. These can lead to: lethargy, low body temp or fever, hypotension, and in severe cases, sepsis and shock. Reactions to food are often delayed - a couple hours or even days.

Many children also experience a combination of discomforting symptoms while the body "fights" this reaction and these can include: extreme stomach pains, gas, runny stools with or without mucous or blood, persistent hiccups, acid reflux, rashes, sleep disturbance, and agitation. Other atypical symptoms I see in my own children are persistent runny noses and ear infections. Sypmtoms can last a couple hours or even weeks after the initial ingestion of a trigger food.

FPIES is a clinical diagnosis (based on symptoms), there is currently no test for it.

FPIES common trigger foods as listed in the literature include, but are certainly not limited to: Dairy, Soy, Rice, Oats, Barley, Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Chicken, Turkey, Corn, Eggs.

Safe foods for these children to eat are determined by food challenges either at home or the doctor's office, as directed by the child's physician.

Children diagnosed with FPIES are treated in part with a strict elimination diet - keeping all trigger foods 100% out of their bodies. It is hoped that this will give their gut time to "heal".

Read and learn more in Joy's collection of articles:
FPIES File Cabinet

Also see her great collection of articles at The FPIES Foundation:
Medical Resource Articles

Check out this new great website with tons of FPIES info:
International Association for Food Protein Enterocolitis