5 Ways to Thank a Doctor!

March 30^th was National Doctors’ Day. Doctors across our country were recognized for the dedicated and tireless work they do each day. Everyday, we acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of the many great practitioners that support our children and families affected by FPIES.  We'd like to suggest some fun ways to show your gratitude down below, but first a quick word on finding a great doctor.

Because FPIES is an uncommon condition, many healthcare professionals may not be familiar with it, making it difficult to find the right doctor for your little one. That’s why The FPIES Foundation has put together our Provider Directory, a searchable database of healthcare professionals that have been recommended by FPIES families and physicians. Just enter your location in the search box to find suggestions for doctors in your area.

However, if you’ve already found a fabulous physician, here are 5 ways to thank him or her today:

1. Probably the easiest way to thank a doctor is to send them a note to let them know how much you appreciate their hard work. Just jot down a few lines on a card and slip it in the mailbox or take it with you at your next appointment. If you’d like to do something a little more fun, check out this handmade lab coat card tutorial. Or get your child involved by having them color one of these free printable thank you cards.

2. Of course, one of the best ways to thank a care provider is to recommend their services to someone you know. If you haven’t already done so, you can contact us and request that we include your doctor in our Provider Directory. Or you can write them a positive review on a physician rating website. Just do a Google search for your doctor’s name and you’ll probably find that one or more rating websites come up in the results list. Pick one and leave a review to let others know why you love your doctor.

3. You can also use social media to let others know how great your doctor is. Share your FPIES story on Facebook or another social media site and be sure to mention which doctor(s) made all the difference in your child’s life. Use #NationalDoctorsDay and link to your doctor’s social media account if they or their office has one.

4. Everyone loves a treat, so why not take a yummy surprise over to your doctor’s office? This blog suggests donuts and offers a printable gift tag that you can print out to accompany your gift. If your child has a favorite FPIES-friendly snack that you think your doctor might enjoy, you could also share a plate of that along with a thank you note.

5. If you’d prefer a non-food gift, consider sending some flowers over to brighten your doctor’s day, as well as his or her office. You can either send the real thing or help your child make one of these adorable paper plate flowers.

While a visit to the hospital or doctor’s office is often an unpleasant experience, finding a skilled and compassionate doctor to help care for your child is a blessing, especially when that child has been diagnosed with FPIES. Be sure to let your care provider know how much you appreciate them.

This post was written by FPIES Foundation volunteer Aubrey Fredrickson.  Aubrey is a freelance writer and mother of two. Although not personally touched by FPIES, she is grateful for the opportunity to be involved with the families and volunteers of the FPIES Foundation.

A Year of Gratitude

The programs of The FPIES Foundation are centered on the child living with Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome. Our programs and initiatives are maintained on a lean budget, minimizing spending while maximizing returns for families. We operate with generous donations of time and talents, all staff- volunteers, advisors and executive are unpaid volunteers.   We are a non-profit, an organization in the business of spreading FPIES awareness, education, and support to families and the medical community alike.

We would like to take a moment to recognize some of the monetary donations and fundraisers we have received this year:  

• A donation received from a family, in lieu of presents for their son’s birthday, in honor of their son Shawn, who is living with FPIES.

• A Custom Ink Booster sales t-shirt fundraiser organized by a mom of a child with FPIES, Crystal Lentz with her design: “FPIES, Rare but Real”.  The t-shirt was an inspired idea for a FARE walk, to raise awareness to FPIES.   Crystal organized two successful sales of these bright and quality t-shirts (watch for round 3 in the New Year!).

• A Norwex Fundraiser, with the profits from Erica Allen’s commission donated to The FPIES Foundation.  Erica raised funds while spreading awareness in her community and online, of what FPIES looks like and how it affects families today.

• “Chase-ing FPIES” Fundraiser, hosted by Victoria Warren with a percentage of the sales of Ava Anderson products donated to The FPIES Foundation.

• Bon-Ton booklets sold by Amanda LeFew and Jenn Booth in their communities to raise funds for The FPIES Foundation while helping others save money at Bon-Ton Retailers (watch for this again this spring!).

• Thank you to our anonymous donors who have graciously gifted The Foundation. 

• Fundraiser through Cafe Press of FPIES Wordle T-shirts, with designs from FPIES mom Vicki Garding.  Contributions from sales continue to provide donations in this ongoing fundraiser. 

• And, of course, all of you who contribute by taking part in our other ongoing Foundation fundraisers on Café Press, iGive, Flower Power,  GoodSearch,  Label Your Stuff, Planet Green, Text To Donate and various other online fundraisers you have helped by sharing your participation, we thank you.

The FPIES Foundation is an incorporated, 501(c)3 non-profit foundation dedicated to overcoming the challenges of FPIES by offering tools for education, support, and advocacy to empower families and the medical community.   To learn more about our donations, please visit our Donate page.  In addition, be sure to stay posted for bi-annual updates regarding The FPIES Foundation’s spending trends and how your support is directly impacting the face of FPIES awareness, education and research.

This post was written by the Executive Board of The FPIES Foundation 

FPIES: A Diagnosis, not a Definition

FPIES: A Diagnosis, not a Definition

Nichole L. Huff, Ph.D., CFLE

As Thanksgiving Day draws near, Facebook and other social media outlets are abuzz with people sharing blessings in their lives.  For things both big and small, people are talking about thankfulness.  For parents of children with FPIES, however, the anticipation of Thanksgiving may conjure up more fear than gratitude.  The #1 worry?  Protecting your child from an endless array of food prepared with unknown ingredients.  (And subsequent fears, such as being around people who may not understand why they can’t give your child “just one bite” of pumpkin pie or green bean casserole.) 

Whether it’s Thanksgiving Day—or any other day of the year—for parents of children with FPIES, it’s hard to stop worrying.  Which is why it’s all the more important that we, too, stop to regularly reflect on our blessings.

The Importance of Thankfulness

Research shows that being thankful is crucial for one’s mental health.  One study[1] examining how gratitude affects emotional well-being found that those who frequently “counted their blessings” were less likely to suffer from depression and were more likely to exercise, help others, and achieve personal goals.  The participants who regularly wrote down their blessings also exhibited more energy and were more optimistic than those who didn’t specifically reflect on being grateful.

This study is just one of many supporting the positive effects of thankfulness.  Because FPIES, however, defines so much of what we do each day, as an “FPIES parent” it can be difficult to remember that FPIES is a diagnosis, not a definition—for you or your child.  Depending on your child’s age, triggers, and stage of allergy management, it can be easy for you to count your blessings in “allergy speak” (e.g., successful food trials, severity of food fails, etc.).  But like other parents who manage a child’s around-the-clock condition, our constant focus on all-things-FPIES makes us more susceptible to conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Gratitude and FPIES

As an FPIES community, let’s use the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday to remind us to count our blessings.  Our non-FPIES-related blessings.  So I ask you, what are you thankful for today?  Big or small.  I’ll start…

Today I’m thankful for a quiet house and the warm sunlight shining on my face as I write this blog entry.  I’m thankful for the teachers who are caring for my kids while I work.  I’m thankful for my family’s sweet back-and-forth text messages now commenting on a recording of my four-year-old practicing “Jingle Bell Rock” for his upcoming holiday performance.  And I’m thankful for the earworm that’s now stuck in my head!  Because it reminds me of the little boy singing it—a little boy whom I love with every ounce of my being.

---

[1] Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377


Nichole Langley Huff is an assistant professor and Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University. Dr. Huff has a Ph.D. in Family Sciences and a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy. She is a Certified Family Life Educator with the National Council on Family Relations. Her areas of research include child development, parent-child communication, and bio-psycho-social health. Dr. Huff also has a weekly parenting blog at http://soapboxmommy.com/