Anorexia

[Mykidsmom]

Help!!!!!!! after months of being sick...being in the coma...and the seizure activity my daughter Melanie has come thro the storm with Anorexia.

We are at our wits end...in since the end of april shes lost more than 43lbs....she could possibly have even lost more but thats when we started tracking her weight..shes refusing to eat at all......drink at all....shes been dehydrated more times this month than i can count...meal times and getting food into her has become a drag down screaming war....mostly her screaming at us...weve tried everything, reasoning...getting angry, ignoring her, as i said we are at our wits end...weve never dealt with this issue ever and are wading in the dark....the dr isnt concerned...leave her alone is his answer....we are waiting to see a shrink with her soon...but with +40 temps, dehydration is an issue....i had to stand over her for 3 hrs today to make her finish a glass of water....and she hasnt eaten a pick since yesterday when her whole diet consisted of 1 small banana...

i dont know what to do! seems if we leave her to the stage shes very weak, (shes quite weak now) and call the paramedics they will take her to the hospital..but there they will rehydrate her and send her home.......

anyone any ideas?

[bigby]

would she drink any juice or maybe make icepops?
I have no experience of this sorry

I know when my sister was like that they used rewards when she ate and withheld things when she did not eat

[Mykidsmom]

nothing breda seems to work...we tried that with even getting her to write down things shed like to eat...but when faced with them she gags....we also tried the reward thing......no go either...jess's baby shower was on saturday and we even used that as leverage.....no go either..

[bigby]

could she make her own drink, like say a smoothie with fruit or milk shake

I think you need professional help with this, having met her I know she likes different food so not good if she does not want any of it

there was a chicken and pizza place we ordered from once?? would she order in?

[Mykidsmom]

nope.....weve ordered all kinda foods...bought and cooked anything she even hinted at....and some she didnt mention lol.....no luck....i know anorexia is a brain dysfunction rather than behavior so im worried something happened with all the stuff going on in her brain....thing is she looks desperate bigs...and over 40lbs (more than 3 stone) is a heck of a lot of weight to lose....im trying to get her to take ensure....it has all the vitamins.....but so far no luck.....she did take one or two last week..

[KatieMorag]

Help!!!!!!! after months of being sick...being in the coma...and the seizure activity my daughter Melanie has come thro the storm with Anorexia.

We are at our wits end...in since the end of april shes lost more than 43lbs....she could possibly have even lost more but thats when we started tracking her weight..shes refusing to eat at all......drink at all....shes been dehydrated more times this month than i can count...meal times and getting food into her has become a drag down screaming war....mostly her screaming at us...weve tried everything, reasoning...getting angry, ignoring her, as i said we are at our wits end...weve never dealt with this issue ever and are wading in the dark....the dr isnt concerned...leave her alone is his answer....we are waiting to see a shrink with her soon...but with +40 temps, dehydration is an issue....i had to stand over her for 3 hrs today to make her finish a glass of water....and she hasnt eaten a pick since yesterday when her whole diet consisted of 1 small banana...

i dont know what to do! seems if we leave her to the stage shes very weak, (shes quite weak now) and call the paramedics they will take her to the hospital..but there they will rehydrate her and send her home.......

anyone any ideas?

It's a tough one....but I'd say if the doctors aren't concerned, you should
go with that.....she has been through a lot, and it's still early days. You know
yourself that trying to force the issue at this stage isn't going to work....it's counter-productive. You say she's being rehydrated....is she being fed
artificially too? I do sympathise...it must be awful. A family member
went through this, and it was a long, tough road....she's okay now.....but
with Melanie, has she shown signs of this before, or is it just reactive following the coma etc?

[bigby]

I know she loved dudley, if dudley was to move out for a few days until she got back eating???
that sounds so cruel as I am typing it, you must be frantic

[Womblemum]

My tuppence worth....is this a form of attention seeking? With the change in the number of people living in the house she is no longer the resident "pet". I know the g'kids stayed over regularly but that is different to actually living there. This action may not even be a concious one but is worth considering.

[quinner]

Help!!!!!!! after months of being sick...being in the coma...and the seizure activity my daughter Melanie has come thro the storm with Anorexia.

We are at our wits end...in since the end of april shes lost more than 43lbs....she could possibly have even lost more but thats when we started tracking her weight..shes refusing to eat at all......drink at all....shes been dehydrated more times this month than i can count...meal times and getting food into her has become a drag down screaming war....mostly her screaming at us...weve tried everything, reasoning...getting angry, ignoring her, as i said we are at our wits end...weve never dealt with this issue ever and are wading in the dark....the dr isnt concerned...leave her alone is his answer....we are waiting to see a shrink with her soon...but with +40 temps, dehydration is an issue....i had to stand over her for 3 hrs today to make her finish a glass of water....and she hasnt eaten a pick since yesterday when her whole diet consisted of 1 small banana...

i dont know what to do! seems if we leave her to the stage shes very weak, (shes quite weak now) and call the paramedics they will take her to the hospital..but there they will rehydrate her and send her home.......

anyone any ideas?

helen, may i ask what age she is please...

[Mykidsmom]

thanks guys...its been going on since before the gkids moved in womble....actually that was part of the reason they did move in.....so no its not anything to do with them...

shes no interest in dudley at all bigs...can you believe that???

katie. shes not being artificially fed...they wont do that.....and they wont rehydrate her till her kidneys are failing...

we are beyond frantic..i dont know what to do......if food and drink isnt the issue shes fine...going about her stuff...not to the extent she used to mind you....shes tired...the other day she was so dehydrated the dr couldnt get blood for tests so she sat for 2 hrs with a bottle of water.....never touched it.....till eventually i got her into the bathroom and made her drink half of it with extreme threats and pressure...

[bigby]

thanks guys...its been going on since before the gkids moved in womble....actually that was part of the reason they did move in.....so no its not anything to do with them...

shes no interest in dudley at all bigs...can you believe that???

katie. shes not being artificially fed...they wont do that.....and they wont rehydrate her till her kidneys are failing...

we are beyond frantic..i dont know what to do......if food and drink isnt the issue shes fine...going about her stuff...not to the extent she used to mind you....shes tired...the other day she was so dehydrated the dr couldnt get blood for tests so she sat for 2 hrs with a bottle of water.....never touched it.....till eventually i got her into the bathroom and made her drink half of it with extreme threats and pressure...

"shes no interest in dudley at all bigs...can you believe that???"
ok that is hard to understand, she loved that dog so not like her to have no interest

so sorry not to be of more help

[KatieMorag]

Sorry Helen, I thought they were rehydrating her already...just re-read your
opening post and saw that it's only what they'd do if she got to a certain point....if I was you, and I was that worried, I'd ring them now.......you shouldn't be left to deal with this alone.

[Mykidsmom]

thanks katie..ive called everyone under the sun but they keep telling me to leave her alone...that there is nothing anyone can do??? i dont believe this...its an illness and melanie in particular is very vulnerable because of her disability..i am trying very hard tactics with her now....i'll see how that goes..

[KatieMorag]

thanks katie..ive called everyone under the sun but they keep telling me to leave her alone...that there is nothing anyone can do??? i dont believe this...its an illness and melanie in particular is very vulnerable because of her disability..i am trying very hard tactics with her now....i'll see how that goes..

I think that's ridiculous....I can't believe no-one would come out to you
in that situation. Surely there's a mental health team you could call?

[Womblemum]

I hate to even suggest this but would the threat of going back into hospital if she doesn't eat/drink have any effect? or....could maybe one of the kids explain that it is upsetting & worrying them seeing her like this, she might listen to them where she won't to you