College Life with an Eosinophil Associated Disease

September marks a season of new beginnings as students adjust to college life; for those living with eosinophil-associated diseases, this transition can be daunting. However, as LSU student Abigail Watson shares, it’s also full of possibility with the right support and accommodations. Check out her story of thriving with eosinophilic esophagitis on campus from APFED’s newsletter archives:

My name is Abigail Watson, and I attend Louisiana State University (LSU). As a student living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), college can be scary. However, it has the potential to be so awesome!

Some preparations are needed for success. I have worked with LSU’s allergy chefs to ensure that an on-campus dining plan works for me. (How awesome is it that they have allergy chefs?!)  This helps ensure that I will not get sick while eating on campus.

LSU has fantastic accommodations for people living with eosinophilic conditions. I have accommodations like frequent breaks during class and consideration for absences that help when I do get a flareup (usually from eating off campus with friends or stress). I also have a private dorm room, which allows me to feel confident and comfortable while taking my weekly Dupixent® shots. Due to these preparations, I have thrived during freshmen year!

Having an eosinophilic condition in Louisiana is very hard. Not many people, including doctors, are familiar with them. I have had to switch to various doctors in the past. It took almost two years to get to the doctors that I have now. I truly believe more people need to be educated on rare diseases like eosinophilic diseases. Some of my past doctors accused me of “doing this to myself” and “using my parents,” which was untrue. There were a few doctors that had the best intentions of helping me, but they just could not figure out what was wrong with me.

However, there was one doctor who has always been by my side: Dr. Gabe. He is a local urgent care doctor with a big heart. He was unable to help me himself with my condition, but he did not stop until I had my disease manageable. Today, along with my doctors in Boston, Massachusetts, I have my disease managed and I am flourishing in college. I am even on LSU’s rowing team!

My biggest piece of advice for any college student living with eosinophilic esophagitis is to work closely with your school. I know many colleges other than LSU that are accommodating. I have explained my situation thoroughly to LSU’s staff, and I am living my best life because of it. I am able to study confidently, and I have been able to make many true friends. It may be scary to make friends when living with a health condition, but there are many people in college that are understanding. I have come across people who have treated me differently because of my disease, but trust me, there are many good people out there wanting to make friends regardless of the obstacles you face.

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Related Resource

Want to hear more about navigating eosinophilic disease in college? Check out APFED Podcast, Episode 39: Navigating EoE in College, where Kate Goncalves shares her experiences preparing for campus life, managing treatment, and finding balance with EoE.

Listen here: https://apfed.org/podcast