Thanks ODGA - We need them today - rough night with D last night. We went to the movies yesterday afternoon with my Aunt and cousin who are visiting my mom. D ate popcorn and raisinettes and then wanted to go to the bathroom right before the big finale of the movie. I of course said she couldn't go alone, and asked her if she could wait until the movie was over so I wouldn't miss the ending. She got upset, told me I didn't "trust her" (DUH!!!) etc. - kind of ruined the end of the movie for me. Then we all went out of the theater and were discussing plans to go out to dinner - D said she didn't want to go out, wanted to go home, S12 was whining about the choice of restaurant .... all of this rubbed H the wrong way,since he never got to go to restaurants as a kid and feels they don't appreciate it. So H decides he will take those two home and I'll go to dinner with S17 and my relatives. D13 and S12 then proceed to scream and cry all the way home because they're being left out of the party.
All has calmed down by the time I return from dinner but then D shows me where she scraped up her wrist with some scissors and is talking about how much she hates herself . This is such a frightening disease - I swear, if you had met this child six months ago, you would never have imagined she was capable of being here.
Well, overall yesterday was a good day on the anorexia rollercoaster. Took D out of school early so we could go to the nutritionist and then to the acupuncturist. Had lunch together first and D ate pretty well. Nutritionist visit went okay, although for a while it deteriorated into my very bright D using all her lawyerly skills to try to convince us that her standard of beauty was valid (despite causing severe weakness, irregular periods, etc!). She did weigh 102, so that helps confirm that she really has kept some food down this past weekend. (She doesn't know what she weighed). Afetr we left, D tried to continue her argument about different standards of beauty and I finally had to tell her "look, I'm tired of talking to the eating disorder, can I talk to my daughter now?"
Then we went to the acupuncturist. She's a specialist in Chinese medicine, and is always trying to teach me, having me feel the differences in D's pulses before and after treatment, etc. - I must confess, I can't tell any difference. But overall, I think the acupuncture may be the most useful part of her treatment so far. Whether it's placebo effect or not, I couldn't tell you, but D loves the way she feels afterwards, and having the little "seeds" to press during the week afterward gives her a sense of control over her symptoms. She was in a much better mood when we left, and except for a brief period of obsessing about her "puffy belly" when we got home, had a pretty good evening.
I had been afraid she would vomit at school yesterday once she was finally free of my hawk-like observation, but she said she didn't - apparently, her friends at school are exercising the same hawk-like vigilance
Well, today I finally have one day free of appointments, so I better go make the best of it - need to catch up on my grocery shopping, finish decluttering the house (H and I both tackled some decluttering projects this weekend, and I still have to dispose of the things that need to go to the Goodwill and that need to arrive at other destinations, like garage storage or friend's houses.) Then tonite we have a friend visiting from Australia who will be coming over for dinner.
Goodness, Ellie - I have been away from the bb for a while - I am so sorry about your D. You are right it is such a terrifying disease. You are amazingly strong. I will continue to pray for your family.
Mockers2
"Somehow we survive, and tenderness frustrated does not wither." Dennis Brutus, South African poet
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Friedrich Nietzsche
Thanks, Mockers. It's amazing, there's definitely such a strong overlap in her case, between anorexia, OCD, and mostly Body Dysmorphic disorder. We're just throwing everything we can at it at the moment, and in the long run, I can only hope she will respond to Prozac as well as my H did for his depression, as that is the drug of choice for BDD. And again, I just feel so well prepared, with all my DBing experience, to slog through this. I'm also grateful we have access to such good therapists - and that my experience with bad marriage counseling has made me a much wiser consumer
I am glad you are feeling OK about how things are going with your D. I do hope you sort things out, you seem to have caught it in the early stages, perhaps it won't have taken hold too much yet.
I wonder if you could visit my thread? I want to know how to approach my H about financial issues...
Livnlearn
"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates
Hi Ellie... you do have your hands full with your D's situation. Hang in there. Things will get better.
I've used a Doctor of Chinese medicine for almost 5 years now to help control my TypeII diabetes. The herbal tea is gawdawefull but it works. My D first took me to see him.
About 8 years ago my D suffered from a terrible skin rash. She saw every specialist in her city, none of whom could help. Oh sure, they used various prescription drugs but nothing worked. Finally, her doctor referred her to a shrink. The shrink was the one who took her to see Dr. Zchou ! Three weeks, and daily herbal tea later, the rash was gone.
Ellie, Just catching up and I appreciate your concern about my D. We are all learning here arent we. I am , as usual, very amazed at your ability to confront things headon and solution focused- yay! We learn for life on this board!!!! It sounds like she is really communicating with you and your R with her is really good. I have confidence in you all. One comment: can you let your H take on some of the burden? I think I sell my H short sometimes and dont allow him or trust him or appreciate what he can really do. I learned this throughout our M problems. I know you can appreciate what I am saying!! Anyway, trust in him without compromising your D's sitch IMHO. Happy V- day!! A little more snowboarding is in your future I hope!! Shay
Hi Ellie~ Just stopping by to hope your weekend goes well. I know these are difficult. I hope your D continues to slowly gain. She sounds like a beautiful young woman and prayers that she will realize that herself and feel good about that.
. This is such a frightening disease - I swear, if you had met this child six months ago, you would never have imagined she was capable of being here.
(She doesn't know what she weighed). Afetr we left, D tried to continue her argument about different standards of beauty and I finally had to tell her "look, I'm tired of talking to the eating disorder, can I talk to my daughter now?" 
