Can someone help me with this diagnosis? (NVR- anorexia related)
This is kind of personal, and way not vegan relatred, but this board seems to have a pretty high number of people with experiance in ED's, so I thought I might be able to figure this one out...
I went to the doctor and got this diagnosis:
http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/sparrowpigeonowl/diagnosis2.jpg
(No, there is no blood test for anorexia, but it's checking for other things like electrolytes etc.)
Ok, so I get anorexia, and irregular menses (told you it was personal!) but what is GME? I have googled to no avail. My doctor has terrible hours and with my work schedual I can't get an appointment or even a phone call for another week at least.
I am feeling really down to see this written out like that, like a nail in the coffin. I hate that the thing that has made my life so small is just dependant on matching up criteria, a fill in the blanks, as if it's my penicillin allergy. A real kick in the face!!
And, so this post is not all about me, tell me about the day you decided to change your life for the better: what triggered it, what you did, where you are today.
Hmmmm ... how well do you know this doctor?
The only GME of which I have heard is the name (forgot the long version) of the inflammation of the central nervous system in DOGS and CATS. I've never heard of it in humans.
I was not pre-med or anything like that. I did go to grad school for biology, though. But, maybe I'm missing something and there is another condition by the name of GME in humans.
I'd call your doctor and ask. And then get a second opinion.
I have no idea about the GME thing..gotta love "Doctor Speak" and their ever-satisfying explainations. ::) Is there an advice nurse, or really any nurse, on staff that you could call - I would think that you have a certain right to know and understand your own diagnosis.
Sorry to not be of much help...
And, so this post is not all about me, tell me about the day you decided to change your life for the better: what triggered it, what you did, where you are today.
I've been dealing with anorexia for over a year... I can't really pinpoint one specific incident that made me realize I needed help. Mostly just the constant concern of my husband and family. Realizing that my preoccupation was bordering (okay, very very closely bordering) on obsession. Losing muscle. Losing curves. I saw a mother at the library one day, carrying a child, with another in tow...she was really really thin, sickly thin. I realized that I do not want to still struggle with the disorder when I have children. That I'm reducing my chances of even being capable of having children.
I was forced into the hospital in January, and finally, after months and months of insurance issues, and a general lack of informed doctors and specialists, I'm seeing a psychologist and having weekly weigh-ins with a check of my vital signs.
It's hard. I'm not going to lie. The disordered thoughts are still there. It's a struggle. But the rational side of me (when it occasionally makes an appearance), realizes that help is what I need. And it's about time. I'm ready to get back to a normal life. The effect that this has had on my family is tough, so that's a good motivator on days when I can't seem to do it for just me.
Wow. That was long and rambling, but it helps even to just type it out.
Good luck with whatever treatment option you choose.
Stay encouraged!
Could it be GME= General Medical Examination?
If that's your receipt, that maybe that's what he's billing you for?
Just a guess.
General Medical Exam??? It's difficult to discern without knowing the whole context of the visit. Can you leave a message with his/her nurse stating your specific question and allow them to leave detailed message (ie-include the info your asking for not just 'please call us back') for you if you're not available when they return your call?
Ahhh -- Omega_H posted while I was typing.....oh, well...I'll post anyway.
I have no idea about the GME thing..gotta love "Doctor Speak" and their ever-satisfying explainations. ::) Is there an advice nurse, or really any nurse, on staff that you could call - I would think that you have a certain right to know and understand your own diagnosis.
Sorry to not be of much help...
And, so this post is not all about me, tell me about the day you decided to change your life for the better: what triggered it, what you did, where you are today.
I've been dealing with anorexia for over a year... I can't really pinpoint one specific incident that made me realize I needed help. Mostly just the constant concern of my husband and family. Realizing that my preoccupation was bordering (okay, very very closely bordering) on obsession. Losing muscle. Losing curves. I saw a mother at the library one day, carrying a child, with another in tow...she was really really thin, sickly thin. I realized that I do not want to still struggle with the disorder when I have children. That I'm reducing my chances of even being capable of having children.
I was forced into the hospital in January, and finally, after months and months of insurance issues, and a general lack of informed doctors and specialists, I'm seeing a psychologist and having weekly weigh-ins with a check of my vital signs.
It's hard. I'm not going to lie. The disordered thoughts are still there. It's a struggle. But the rational side of me (when it occasionally makes an appearance), realizes that help is what I need. And it's about time. I'm ready to get back to a normal life. The effect that this has had on my family is tough, so that's a good motivator on days when I can't seem to do it for just me.
Wow. That was long and rambling, but it helps even to just type it out.
Good luck with whatever treatment option you choose.
Stay encouraged!
I too, have no idea what "GME" means. it's all greek to me...
and I, too, have been dealing with an ed. I'm glad, TIFL, that you're getting help. I've had many mini revelations - moments, minutes, hours, days - where I just can't take this thing anymore - where I feel so motivated to LIVE my life without this obsession/addiction. I know I can't function on a normal, day-to-day level if I continue. I know I can't accomplish what I want in my life (both big and small things) if I'm sick like this. my situation isn't good right now (lost a lot of weight in the last few months) and I'm struggling to even get into the mindset of GAINING.
sigh. that was a ramble. sorry...
I have worked in the medical field for a few years and I am familiar with most abbreviations... General Medical Exam came to mind right away when I read that...
I am feeling really down to see this written out like that, like a nail in the coffin. I hate that the thing that has made my life so small is just dependant on matching up criteria, a fill in the blanks, as if it's my penicillin allergy. A real kick in the face!!
And, so this post is not all about me, tell me about the day you decided to change your life for the better: what triggered it, what you did, where you are today.
Hi there, and sorry you're feeling so down right now. I tend to stay away from the ED threads for two reasons: it's been a really long time since my brief stint with one and I was far away from the severity a lot of you have expressed. I'm responding now, however, because of your two points above. Once I realized what a statistic I was, I became angry and depressed, and that was exactly what led me to ultimately embrace a positive self image, love and respect my body, and work at being a healthy human.
My moment of clarity, if you will, came as I was walking across my old school's campus, random thoughts filtering in and out, and it suddenly hit me. I literally stopped in my tracks as I recited my sociology professor's words in my head. All my 'symptoms' were statistical indicators of this or that, and without getting into too much detail, that's when I realized I wanted to be defined as more than a collection of tally marks. I wanted to be a human, living and expressing myself as such.
That moment has stayed with me; I'll probably never forget it. It struck me in a way that's similar to what you're expressing, so I hope you find a way to define yourself as an authentic human being - whatever that means for you.
My sincerest and best wishes to all of you dealing with emotional and control issues, which seem to be directly related to EDs. Love yourself, not only because you are worth it, but because your life is, too.
My moment of clarity, if you will, came as I was walking across my old school's campus, random thoughts filtering in and out, and it suddenly hit me. I literally stopped in my tracks as I recited my sociology professor's words in my head. All my 'symptoms' were statistical indicators of this or that, and without getting into too much detail, that's when I realized I wanted to be defined as more than a collection of tally marks. I wanted to be a human, living and expressing myself as such.
you know, it's funny. I've thought a lot about this. why do we want to be thin? it's cultural - our "standards" of beauty, etc. it's corporate. THEY are telling me what is beautiful. am I trying to be like that? am I letting them, at least partially, control my views about food, and what purpose food serves? in our society, food is an enemy. it's meant to be controled. you can only eat so much, otherwise you'll blow up like a blimp. exercise, exercise, exercise!
what's funny is that I've had one inspiration. you all know isa from VWAV... I read that book. she's definitely anti-corporate, and very very amusing. she scorns the "beauty" industry. she marches to her own drum.
well, damn the beauty industry. damn the obsession with calories and exercise. I want to be a rebel. I want to scorn them too. scorn them with scones...
gaining weight, taking care of myself, and developing a positive relationship with food would be a rebellion against all that I hate in North American culture. the flaky celebrities, the tabloids, the fad diets, the beauty myth.
doesn't that sound... nice?
I suspect it's General Medical Examination - meaning a well-being medical exam. That can also be a diagnosis.
When I was 32 years old, my doctor suspected I had breast cancer. I was shocked and scared at the same time. I prayed about it and then decided if I had it, I would accept it and go on with dignity. I cried because I was afraid I would never see my son grow up and become a man or get married. It turned out that I did not have breast cancer. I felt I was given a second chance and decided to change my life. For me, that was to experience things I wouldn't dream of doing before I was diagnosed. I decided to do something I never did before at least once a month. I told all my friends and asked them to help me accomplish that. Before my year was up, I had experienced hundreds of new things; learning to ski, sailing a catamarran, flying a small plane, etc. You get the idea. This was life changing to me. Being ill and then knowing that I was given a second chance, so to speak, made me feel I needed to grab life for everything it was worth. It gave a new meaning to my life.
you know, it's funny. I've thought a lot about this. why do we want to be thin? it's cultural - our "standards" of beauty, etc. it's corporate. THEY are telling me what is beautiful. am I trying to be like that? am I letting them, at least partially, control my views about food, and what purpose food serves? in our society, food is an enemy. it's meant to be controled. you can only eat so much, otherwise you'll blow up like a blimp. exercise, exercise, exercise!
well, d**n the beauty industry. d**n the obsession with calories and exercise. I want to be a rebel. I want to scorn them too. scorn them with scones...
gaining weight, taking care of myself, and developing a positive relationship with food would be a rebellion against all that I hate in North American culture. the flaky celebrities, the tabloids, the fad diets, the beauty myth.
doesn't that sound... nice?
Yes, it does. And beauty has its fads and fashions too. Bone-thin came in during the 1960's with Twiggy and a couple of other models. Before that, curves were good. The two women considered most beautiful in US cinema history, Elisabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, were both statuesque. As a person whose persistent weight problem goes the other direction, it is an enormous comfort to remember that Miss Monroe wore a size 16-18 all her life. And yet she is a paradigm of beauty.
If you ever see Dietrich's first film, "Die Blaue Engel" (The Blue Angel), she was quite, quite curvy when she caught the eye of the Hollywood machine.
Health and beauty, not numbers! I'm with you. Yes, I want to get in shape and that in my case means losing a little excess, taking the strain off my heart etc. BUT not because I have to fit some advertising executive or fashion designer's parameters of "beauty."
Hear, hear! I lost a lot of weight because of a knee injury (it was the obvious thing to do to help it heal) but I've been static for ages, although I'd love to lose a little more. Here's the point - I'm healthy, I feel heathy, I feel great every morning (except if I've overdone the wine the night before), my husband loves me, so do my kids and my furry friends and my human ones. Why should I let a load of people who, chances are, have a much less happy and fulfilling life than me, dictate the way I look? Yet, we still look at the pictures....
Wow, there are soem increible stories here....thanks especially to Laurie, TIFL, queen bee, and Laura for sharing. It means a lot to me.
Not being a statistic...this is an excellent goal to have. I waver between wanting to recover and not wanting to recover. Keeping this in mind will at least make the wanting to recover easier, I hope.
I did call and it is General Medical Exam. We are going to do some more vitals and go over the bloodwork next week. I really appreciate all the replies here.
you know, it's funny. I've thought a lot about this. why do we want to be thin? it's cultural - our "standards" of beauty, etc. it's corporate. THEY are telling me what is beautiful. am I trying to be like that? am I letting them, at least partially, control my views about food, and what purpose food serves? in our society, food is an enemy. it's meant to be controled. you can only eat so much, otherwise you'll blow up like a blimp. exercise, exercise, exercise!
what's funny is that I've had one inspiration. you all know isa from VWAV... I read that book. she's definitely anti-corporate, and very very amusing. she scorns the "beauty" industry. she marches to her own drum.
well, d**n the beauty industry. d**n the obsession with calories and exercise. I want to be a rebel. I want to scorn them too. scorn them with scones...
gaining weight, taking care of myself, and developing a positive relationship with food would be a rebellion against all that I hate in North American culture. the flaky celebrities, the tabloids, the fad diets, the beauty myth.
doesn't that sound... nice?
i totally agree laura!!!
for my whole life, ive never wanted to "fit in" or be "normal" ...i actually scoffed at the people who looked "normal" (whatever THAT was)..so why is it that i choose to ruin my life in the pursuit of fitting in? fitting in to a club that i didnt want to be a member of?
or did i want to, but was afraid i wouldnt be accepted? hmmmm...
either way, im too old for this! ;D
i would rather be looked at for my individuality and not my conformity. right? right. i just have to remember that everyday.
scorn them with scones.... haha. that shoud be a t-shirt!! :)
Not being a statistic...this is an excellent goal to have. I waver between wanting to recover and not wanting to recover. Keeping this in mind will at least make the wanting to recover easier, I hope.
i feel the same way, stars... wanting to recover at times, and other times, being safe in the disease. at this point, i have gotten to the point where, for the most part, i am simply going thru the motions... i try not to think and obsess over food/ calories/ my fatness and instead, act.
Oprahs fitness guru, Bob, said (referring to a weight loss program) that you should just do it, and find the motivation later. in some ways, that has served me.
for me, its a little different than for others, b/c most of my EDs involve not taking my insulin... so one of the steps is simply for me to stop obsessing for even a moment, and JUST TAKE MY SHOT. then its over. i cant take the insulin out of me.
then i just have to watch the bingeing ....
i hope it gets better for you too stars. you arent alone. :-*
Every successful turning point in my life that has changed me for the better has begun with KNOWLEDGE. My recommendation for a recovering anorexic would be to shift your focus away from your problem and become obsessed with the solution instead: read every book and article you come across about health, nutrition, and exercise that focuses on BUILDING a healthy body instead of LOSING weight (most weight loss advice is psychobabble anyway). Make a fun hobby of trying many of the healthy recipes on this website, become a pro at deciphering which foods are healthful and which are harmful, and you'll be able to confidently feed your body what it needs without feeling guilty after every meal. Learn which foods contribute to healthy weight gain (www.nutritiondata.com analyzes foods for this category). And remember that most psychological disorders are NORMAL reactions that either have become excessive or have continued past the situation they were designed for. Dissatisfaction is normal. Don't panic, keep things in perspective, and continually live to be healthy. Body shapes and sizes go in and out of style, but healthy ALWAYS looks good!
i agree boomerang.
i actually caught myself admiring a woman one day because she looked so fit. she wasnt in workout gear, or showing off her muscles, but she just carried herself well and confidently. it was odd to me, b/c normally i would be there eyeing the thinest in the room and comparing myself to their arms, legs or shoulderblades.
it just struck me how far ive come...some days anyway.
today, was not so good. :-\