Anorexic woman on Maury P. show.

CraftyLPN · Jun 18, 2003

was it the one girl who is 23-25 years old... if it was a repeat.. they sent her to a rehab clinic in canada

canadiannurse21 · Jun 18, 2003

Didn't see the show but,

Its nice to know you are teaching your child that anorexia nervosa is an illness---it will teach her to be less biased and more compassionate in the future:)

renerian, BSN, RN · Jun 18, 2003

My stepdaughter is almost 19. She has an eating disorder. Life with her has been hell. She refuses therapy. I personally cannot wait till she leaves for college in 11 weeks. I am so sick of dealing with the starving, binging , purging, gorging, lieing, stealing, cheating, and refusing medical care. Sometimes all the love and support does not do squat if the person does not want help. I would not wish living with her on my worst enemy.

renerian

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 19, 2003

its a tough cycle to break out of...even tougher for loved ones to watch. and it ends tragically too often. i did not see the maury show (i cannot stand him or other "talk show" hosts) but i can only imagine how awful it was.....it's an awful disorder.

Figo · Jun 19, 2003

To smiling blue eyes-I thought the story you told about your grandpa was neat. We can gain so much wisdom from our elders if we will just take time to listen. I have missed alot when I should have listened and didn't.

SmilingBluEyes · Jun 19, 2003

thank you figo.

charissa · Jun 19, 2003

Originally posted by renerian
My stepdaughter is almost 19. She has an eating disorder. Life with her has been hell. She refuses therapy. I personally cannot wait till she leaves for college in 11 weeks. I am so sick of dealing with the starving, binging , purging, gorging, lieing, stealing, cheating, and refusing medical care. Sometimes all the love and support does not do squat if the person does not want help. I would not wish living with her on my worst enemy.

renerian

But if you were her mother would that change anything? Some step parents are great, others . . at least in my experience lieave quite a bit to be desired

AHarri66, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2003

Charissa, I'm going to have to jump to Renerian's defense here.

My niece has battled anorexia/bulemia for 15 years. Thankfully, she's doing quite well now, but the 5 or so years while she was "active" were hell on everyone, including my sister, who is her "natural" mother.

If you have ever lived with anyone with this type of illness, or any kind of addiction, you would know that while you love and support the individual to no end, everyone has a breaking point. It is very difficult to stand there offering help and guidance and have it ignored, while you watch the person you love wither away in front of you. I don't think being a step-parent has one bit to do with it.

I've felt the same frustration with some of my patients who refuse treatment, yet come back with the same problems over and over again.

I think your statement was a bit callous.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2003

Apparently it is very tough to cure. I worked with an anorexic who said she was recovering. We were good friends, we went out to eat once and she played with her food, held it in her fork, but ate very little. She weighed herself everyday and if she gained wait would "fast". She was in her mid-20s. She damaged her hips from jogging so much during her worst phase. She was very skinny. But she said she was recovered. I don't think so. She quit and moved on and I lost touch with her.

renerian, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2003

Yes we tried three therapists to hopefully find one she would open up too. Spent 12,000 that insurance would not cover. She has ruined her teeth, refused dental care. We had to home school her, refused to go to high school so the courts made us home school her, she has stolen money, credit cards, debit cards and pawned my possesions to get food to barf, has gone from being 5'5" at 83 pounds to now 160 pounds. Her barfing has taken all the enamel off the bathroom sink as she barfs in the sink and not the toliet.

Yes I wish her mom was involved. I think that is the root of her whole problem. She lives far away and only sees her kids once or twice a month.

The other stepkids are fine. She also has three mental health disorders. She was refusing meds but now at least she takes them to control the anger/panic attacks. She has put a chair through my bay window and at her moms took a shovel to and broke out all her windows in her home one day.

She is a handful.

renerian

renerian, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2003

Blue eyes that is a nice story about your grandfather.

renerian