{"id":3033,"date":"2018-03-18T16:03:30","date_gmt":"2018-03-18T21:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=3033"},"modified":"2022-02-09T13:26:11","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T19:26:11","slug":"peoria-family-pediatric-gastroenterologist-forge-lifetime-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/peoria-family-pediatric-gastroenterologist-forge-lifetime-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Peoria family, pediatric gastroenterologist forge lifetime connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michelle Marcinak of Peoria has spent years learning about and managing eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic digestive condition that has affected three of her young sons. Pediatric gastroenterologist Sandeep Gupta, MD, of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic<\/a> at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois<\/a>, has spent decades researching and treating this disorder. Both doctor and parent feel fortunate that their paths have come together.<\/p>\n

Searching for answers<\/h2>\n

\"three Michelle\u2019s crash course in digestive disorders began when her son, 7 years old at the time, began experiencing recurrent nausea and stomachaches. Treatment for possible food allergies and acid reflux didn\u2019t help.<\/p>\n

One day, Michelle happened to pick up a magazine in a doctor\u2019s office with an article on eosinophilic esophagitis<\/a>, a condition in which certain types of white blood cells\u2014eosinophils\u2014normally produced in response to infections or allergies, appear for unknown reasons in the esophagus. Children with the disease often experience nausea, trouble swallowing, abdominal pain and a susceptibility to allergies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I went down the list of symptoms, I realized that my son had every one,\u201d Michelle said. She brought up the condition to the gastroenterologist her son was seeing at the time, who confirmed the diagnosis with a biopsy of his esophageal tissue.<\/p>\n

Michelle decided to seek specialized treatment at Cincinnati Children\u2019s Hospital Medical Center\u2014a five-hour drive away. The doctors at Cincinnati Children\u2019s diagnosed another of Michelle\u2019s sons with eosinophilic esophagitis when he turned seven.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were happy with our sons\u2019 treatment at Cincinnati Children\u2019s, but the time and expense of traveling to Cincinnati a few times a year was tough on the whole family,\u201d she said. \u201cThen, one of the gastroenterologists mentioned that a colleague of his, Dr. Gupta, had just moved to Peoria and was practicing at Children\u2019s Hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n

She made an appointment, and the family liked him immediately.<\/p>\n

Pioneering research and treatment<\/h2>\n

Dr. Gupta had started investigating eosinophilic esophagitis in 1994. \u201cAt the time, doctors thought it was just a type of food allergy,\u201d he said. \u201cThe only treatment was avoiding the types of foods thought to trigger the inflammation.\u201d Dr. Gupta published his first paper on the condition in 1995 and was at the forefront of trying new treatments, including different types of steroids.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, it\u2019s estimated that about one in 2,000 people have eosinophilic esophagitis, so it\u2019s quite common,\u201d he said. \u201cWe believe that it\u2019s a chronic condition, similar to diabetes<\/a> or high blood pressure<\/a>, that requires long-term management.\u201d<\/p>\n

Treatment involves swallowing small doses of steroids through an inhaler or as a paste (the same type of inhaler and medication used to treat asthma). Patients need to undergo endoscopies<\/a> with biopsies to assess disease status, to confirm that the treatment is working and to fine-tune correct medication dosages. They may need to avoid certain trigger foods, as well.<\/p>\n

Dr. Gupta moved to Peoria last year after seeing a need for specialized pediatric gastroenterology care in the region. \u201cI found Peoria to be a lovely community, and Children\u2019s Hospital is a great place to work,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Connecting close to home<\/h2>\n

\u201cDr. Gupta is such a wonderful clinician and so personable,\u201d Michelle said. \u201cHe takes the time to educate me so I\u2019m making the best choice for each of my children, whose symptoms and treatments are different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michelle\u2019s two sons did well under Dr. Gupta\u2019s care, and when a third son started experiencing symptoms of eosinophilic esophagitis earlier this year, Dr. Gupta diagnosed and began treating him, as well.<\/p>\n

Michelle admits that having three children with this condition is challenging, but her sons are thriving.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey have full, active lives, and much of that is due to Dr. Gupta\u2019s excellent care,\u201d she aid. \u201cHe has a big-picture view of this complex disease and is knowledgeable about all the latest research, and he\u2019s also very hands-on in monitoring every aspect of my children\u2019s health.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Gupta said that caring for families like Michelle\u2019s is the reason he chose his field.<\/p>\n

\u201cForming relationships with my patients and feeling that I\u2019m making a difference in their lives by educating and empowering them\u2014that\u2019s the highlight of my days,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd because we work as a team to manage chronic conditions like eosinophilic esophagitis, I\u2019m constantly learning from my patients and their parents, too. Without them, I wouldn\u2019t be where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Michelle Marcinak of Peoria has spent years learning about and managing eosinophilic esophagitis, a chronic digestive condition that has affected three of her young sons. Pediatric gastroenterologist Sandeep Gupta, MD, of the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic at OSF HealthCare Children\u2019s Hospital of Illinois, has spent decades researching and treating this disorder. Both doctor and parent feel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":3039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[116,223],"tags":[1065,691,142],"coauthors":[726],"class_list":["post-3033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pediatrics","category-patient-story","tag-eosinophilic-esophagitis","tag-gastrointestinal-disease","tag-childrens-hospital-of-illinois"],"yoast_head":"\nPeoria family, pediatric gastroenterologist forge lifetime connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With three kids affected, the Marcinaks know a thing or two about managing eosinophilic esophagitis. 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