I would hazard a guess that there are very few of our children with eating disorders that actually gained weight over Christmas, despite their worries, year upon year, that they will get fat... I might be wrong, but it always seems to be the case in our house. Yesterday was our fourth Christmas Day with ED. Can you believe that? But the good news is that...
... despite the scales telling him he'd lost 2kg since he was last weighed, the wheels are already in motion to put it back on again. He immediately volunteered to have an extra 200 calories a day for a week and, so far, he's playing ball. Quite willingly, in fact. Which is why, even though it's our fourth ED Christmas, it is tonnes better than last Christmas, the one before and most certainly the one before that.
Ben was anxious in the lead up to the Big Day, but not as anxious as I've seen him before. However he still wanted to know what the menu was, in detail. Of course I didn't collude with the ED and was suitably vague.
But we couldn't help notice that Ben was selective in what he ate over Christmas dinner. Having said this, he did eat a decent meal, and also had a second helping. But he didn't have any Christmas pudding, despite having made it himself - and he just snacked on dried fruit and roasted chestnuts for the remainder of the day.
Would it have been different, I wonder, if he'd known he was 2kg down?
And we went out for a meal on the 23rd - Ben's 19th birthday.
I can't believe we've had the eating disorder for four Christmas Days now...
I do hope all my blog followers had a reasonably good and ED-free Christmas...
Looking for information on eating disorders in boys? Worried that your son has an eating disorder? How can you tell if a boy has an eating disorder? In 2009 my 15-year-old son developed anorexia. Now, aged 28, he is recovered & studying psychology in order to help others. This blog tells the story of my son's recovery from anorexia as well as raising awareness of eating disorders in boys.
Why are you obsessed with his weight ? it's only 2kg
ReplyDeleteTwice such a weight loss resulted in Ben being admitted to a cardio ward with a potentially fatal pulse rate. That's why.
DeleteI have suffered with ED for the past 4 xmases as well but this year was the only one i truly felt i had done so badly and lost loads of weight whereas in actually fact i let my guard down relaxed round family and have managed to gain 1.5kg and narrowly avoid another admission. Keep up the hard work batty all Ben wants is to be understood and be spoken to as an individual people who brush us with the labels are the ones that demoralize us and demotivate us. Keep it up Ben u r an inspiration to us all xx
ReplyDeleteThanks. Lovely reply. And it sounds as if you're doing so well. Love Batty xx
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