Post by ¤♫Mary Lynn♫¤ on May 25, 2009 5:22:31 GMT -5
This is serious stuff (Nothing inapropriate of course!)- so if you don't wanna hear it, I would suggest you don't read on!
For those of you who don't know, I've been struggling with an Eating Disorder for the past eight years- Since I was about 11-12. I have what is medically known to as "Purge-Type Anorexia Nervosa". What it is (in a nutshell) is typical Anorexia, along with the purging typically found in Bulimia (Purging: self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas). I wanted to share some of the health effects I've experienced through this terrible disease I've suffered with through so many years. This is not to alarm you, simply to show you the effects of an ED. I hope to help you, whomever you may be, to see how serious this is and not fall into the same trap that too many of us fall into. It just isn't worth it. I'm going to focus on the personal effects it's had on me.
Firstly, I have a major electrolyte imbalance. This means if I forget to drink enough electrolytes even once, my organs will quickly begin to fail, and I could die within hours. This is SO SCARY for me. I have to have lots of electrolytes with me at all times. Which, by the way, is extremely annoying! Luckily this one shouldn't be permanent. (Electrolytes control healthy teeth, joints and bones, nerve and muscle impulses, kidneys and heart, blood sugar levels and the delivery of oxygen to the cells).
I'm also Malnourished. (Malnutrition: A deficiency for energy, protein and micronutrients. It can cause severe health risks including [but not limited to] respiratory infections, kidney failure, blindness, & heart attack). My body is now so used to running on empty, even now that I'm working in recovery, it can't absorb all the nutrients I need. This has resulted in having to be tube-fed multiple times:
Next up: Insomnia. I think that one speaks for itself. (evidenced by me typing this at four in the morning!)
I have a weakened immune system as well. I'm almost always sick. It sucks butt! I get high fevers almost weekly, and always get colds and flu's. It's the most awful thing, seriously. It's so hard to go about living life when I'm so sick all the time.
Next up: Low Blood Pressure/Hypotension. This is caused by lowered body temperature, malnutrition and dehydration. Can cause heart arrhythmias, shock or myocardial infarction.
Speaking of which, I have a Heart Arrhythmia. My heart beats abnormally. It'll skip a beat or two sometimes, and sometimes it's just stick three or four all together, beating so much & hard that I lose my breath. Like when you get the air knocked out of you. IT. HURTS.
Last time I was at the doctors, as they were reviewing my EKG results, listening to my heart, and checking my vitals, they became increasingly concerned about my heart. It isn't functioning properly now. I've been referred to a cardiologist. I even had to wear this heart monitor for 24 hours to monitor as I was doing my normal daily activities. It was really annoying & itchy. Not to mention weird when people noticed..:
I have Orthostatic Hypotension - (a sudden drop in blood pressure upon sitting up or standing. This causes dizziness, blurred vision, passing out, heart pounding and headaches). This sucks as well. Every once in a while I'll pass out in public. It's SO humiliating, I can't even explain.
I bruise like a freakin' PEACH. (Vitamin Deficiencies cause a decrease in the body's ability to heal itself, low blood pressure, low platelets count and/or extreme weight loss will all lead to easily bruised skin that can take a long time to heal.) I look ridiculous with bruises all over me. I seriously look like I've been beaten sometimes. A few weeks ago I was accidentally hit with a jump rope. The result:
..And those are only the PHYSICAL effects!
-Mary Lynn.
For those of you who don't know, I've been struggling with an Eating Disorder for the past eight years- Since I was about 11-12. I have what is medically known to as "Purge-Type Anorexia Nervosa". What it is (in a nutshell) is typical Anorexia, along with the purging typically found in Bulimia (Purging: self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas). I wanted to share some of the health effects I've experienced through this terrible disease I've suffered with through so many years. This is not to alarm you, simply to show you the effects of an ED. I hope to help you, whomever you may be, to see how serious this is and not fall into the same trap that too many of us fall into. It just isn't worth it. I'm going to focus on the personal effects it's had on me.
Firstly, I have a major electrolyte imbalance. This means if I forget to drink enough electrolytes even once, my organs will quickly begin to fail, and I could die within hours. This is SO SCARY for me. I have to have lots of electrolytes with me at all times. Which, by the way, is extremely annoying! Luckily this one shouldn't be permanent. (Electrolytes control healthy teeth, joints and bones, nerve and muscle impulses, kidneys and heart, blood sugar levels and the delivery of oxygen to the cells).
I'm also Malnourished. (Malnutrition: A deficiency for energy, protein and micronutrients. It can cause severe health risks including [but not limited to] respiratory infections, kidney failure, blindness, & heart attack). My body is now so used to running on empty, even now that I'm working in recovery, it can't absorb all the nutrients I need. This has resulted in having to be tube-fed multiple times:
Next up: Insomnia. I think that one speaks for itself. (evidenced by me typing this at four in the morning!)
I have a weakened immune system as well. I'm almost always sick. It sucks butt! I get high fevers almost weekly, and always get colds and flu's. It's the most awful thing, seriously. It's so hard to go about living life when I'm so sick all the time.
Next up: Low Blood Pressure/Hypotension. This is caused by lowered body temperature, malnutrition and dehydration. Can cause heart arrhythmias, shock or myocardial infarction.
Speaking of which, I have a Heart Arrhythmia. My heart beats abnormally. It'll skip a beat or two sometimes, and sometimes it's just stick three or four all together, beating so much & hard that I lose my breath. Like when you get the air knocked out of you. IT. HURTS.
Last time I was at the doctors, as they were reviewing my EKG results, listening to my heart, and checking my vitals, they became increasingly concerned about my heart. It isn't functioning properly now. I've been referred to a cardiologist. I even had to wear this heart monitor for 24 hours to monitor as I was doing my normal daily activities. It was really annoying & itchy. Not to mention weird when people noticed..:
I have Orthostatic Hypotension - (a sudden drop in blood pressure upon sitting up or standing. This causes dizziness, blurred vision, passing out, heart pounding and headaches). This sucks as well. Every once in a while I'll pass out in public. It's SO humiliating, I can't even explain.
I bruise like a freakin' PEACH. (Vitamin Deficiencies cause a decrease in the body's ability to heal itself, low blood pressure, low platelets count and/or extreme weight loss will all lead to easily bruised skin that can take a long time to heal.) I look ridiculous with bruises all over me. I seriously look like I've been beaten sometimes. A few weeks ago I was accidentally hit with a jump rope. The result:
..And those are only the PHYSICAL effects!
-Mary Lynn.