|
|
|
|
 |
Note: We have received many inquiries, stories, and notes from young women in various stages of anorexia. If you are one of these young women, please write to us. We will help you inform your parents or a significant adult in your life so that they can help you. We can explain your situation, provide the education necessary for them to understand your condition, and help pave the way so that you can begin your recovery without guilt, anxiety, or fear. If you have anorexia, or if you suspect that you do, let us help. Send us a note by clicking here.
If you or someone you love has battled anorexia, send us your story and tell us how the condition was resolved. Be sure to include your initials, city, and state so that we can include it with your story. If you are under 14 years of age, we will require a statement from your parent or guardian authorizing use of your story before we can use it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
On 18 June 2004, we received the following story from H.D. of United Kingdom about the loss of her sister to anorexia. Please contact us immediately with your questions or comments.
|
"My sister and I never saw eye to eye and we were never close but even so she was very special to me and always will be, this is my account of my sisters battle with anorexia - unfortunately she did not live to tell the story so this is my account.
I remember when I was 9 I came home from school it was like any other day except something didn't feel right because you could guarantee 4.00pm on the dot my sister would be there without fail waiting to tease me or jump out on me, however today she wasn't I asked my mum in an inquisitive manner where she was and she relplied "oh ju collapsed at school today so she has been taken to hospital and they want to keep her in over night, as she had been skipping her lunch, at this time my mum didn't seem worried so I thought nothing of it ,everybody thought it was just a fad Julia was going through as girls do. Little did we know that this day was going to change our lives and things would never be the same.
From that day Julia was admitted to the Bristol Childrens Hospital they ran tests and after weeks of observation anorexia was diagnosed - my first thought was what the hell is that?? my mum then tried to explain in a simple explanation what it was, I just remember nodding and not really knowing I mean how is 9 year old supposed to divolge that sort of information.
Time went on and I noticed my once beautiful sister turning into a monster that I didn't know anymore we grew further and further apart, years went on and she was in and out of hospitals having to be homeschooled and do her exams in hospital, When Julia was 16 she was moved to a psychiatric hospital in Taunton all I can remember was it was the pitts she had to live in a domatry shared with about 6 girls all with different illnesses and problems, we had to visit every sunday I remember dreading it all the journey up and crying all the way back cause everytime I went up there she seemed to be detirirating learning new tricks to fool the nurses anything to stop her gaining weight this place was supposed to help her not make her worse. I remember the only friend she had in there was a girl named lisa who was anorexic and also used to self harm herself. Lisa had been anorexic for years and taught Julia a lot of tricks such as, running up and down stairs drinking water before being weighed, hiding food the list was endless!!!
As time went on Julia was moved from Pillar to post as she was too much for people to handle
- but there was a glimmer of hope when she was moved to heath house and she met a nurse she really connected with and began to get better and moved back home a went to college where she took her GCSE'S that she missed out on. Everything seemed to be going so well and then all of a sudden it was like she realised she needed to punish her body again - just when she was maintaing a weight she started skipping meals etc again and grew very thin and was unable to do anything for herself - my mum had to bath her and wash her help her dress, till one day she had her usual bath and after, she said she was very tired and wanted to sleep - this was very unusal as anorexics don't sit down they have to be moving about all the time exercising keeping the body going my mum was really surprised by this and even so let her sleep. Hours went by and she was still sound asleep, it was only by chance my mum just thought she would check, she found her in a coma dribbling and making noises, the ambulance was called immediately she was rushed to hospital.
For days she lay in intensive care on a heart monitor even though she was really ill deep down I knew she would pull through because she was a fighter - sure enough she did and was again pushed from pillar to post of psychiatric hospitals for a few months to a year she managed to maintain a low weight however at about the age of 21 there was no stopping her she wanted to be thin, she used to say to me "Iam so fat I just feel so ugly how can I get rid of this weight" I remember I just used to stare in amazement i just didn't understand how she could think that way!! When I looked at her it wasn't my sister stating back it was a skeleton with skin, her eyes so deep where her cheek bones were sticking out so much, her chin prominent and her ears like monkey's her hair was so limp and thin it was practicaly non existent her hands frail and skin so cracked she looked like she could have been 80 - she looked in constant pain, I had so many emotions that ran through my head - anger frustration fear and most of all pain
Unfortunately her life grew from bad to worse, she became so thin that she was on bedrest with 24hour supervision, many times she tried to take her own life trick the nurses into thinking she had put weight on by scrunching her toes on the scales and sewing weights into her pants, the nurses said she was doing well, but surely how could she be looking so awful, days went on and julia was detriarating she soon became so ill she couldn't get sit up let alone stand.
In the year 2000 Julia was admitted to intensive care where she cardiac arrested and was recucetated twice however the third was unsuccesful, even though it has been two years I still remember the call I received from my dad to say she had gone, I was in disbelief my sister was a fighter she can't have?? I travelled up to London with my mum to say goodbye, she lay there yellow with her favourite flower by her head. I never got to say goodbye or tell her how much I love her thats the thing that hurts the most; however I do find some comfort in knowing that she is no longer in pain and she is at rest."
Editor's Comment: We thank this young woman for sharing her heartfelt story with our readers.
|
|
|
|
Sign up for our periodic newsletter to get the latest tips, tricks, hints, help, recipes, site updates, and much more.
|
|
|
|
