The One

Dear Addie,

It was a year ago Wednesday that the chaos began.

(June 3, 2025)

What started as a day of fasting, minor dental surgery, and the beginning of a kitchen remodel turned into a year filled with emergency room visits, multiple hospital stays, countless doctor appointments, shocking weight loss, another autoimmune diagnosis, still-unexplained symptoms, and even a preferred brand of vomit bags becoming part of our new normal. Test after test, theory after theory - our days have been long...very long.

It's been a year of lying awake at night, whether in our own bed or, the not so popular hospital recliners, asking, "What are we missing?" and wondering over and over again, "What came first: the chicken or the egg?" As frustrating as it’s all been, luckily for us, no one is giving up and your dedicated team is only growing.

We are no stranger to gastrointestinal issues throughout your life, but the dramatic escalation quickly made it clear that something was very wrong. Test after test, appointment after appointment, both holistic and medical, we've clung to every new theory, hoping it would be "the one." Yet here we are, one year later, and we still haven't found that answer.

Your resilience has been truly remarkable. You have endured some incredibly difficult days, yet you continue to push forward and hold onto the routines and schedule you've grown to love, all while managing symptoms along the way.

Addie, this past year is one I wouldn't wish on anyone. But through it all, you've handled every challenge with a grace that leaves me in awe.

The next few weeks will bring appointments with important specialists, as we continue to remain hopeful that we'll finally find "the one" answer or at least the piece of the puzzle that helps everything make sense and leads us to the other side of this journey.

You are so very loved, baby girl. We will figure this out.

Love,

Mom