A couple of years ago I attempted to begin a blog. I failed. Years ago that failure would have sent me into a tailspin. Now (and two years ago) it doesn't matter. Interesting how getting on mellows one out.....
Here I am, again. There are so many things I want to write about ranging from my struggles to come to terms with my family member's very long-term eating disorder to my questions about what's next in my life? I want a place where I can write down my thoughts about things like the recent announcement by the Catholic Church that women (still) cannot be ordained as priests. I used to write letters to the editor of our local newspaper but that seems rather fruitless, especially since the current editors tuck things away in the back pages like the recent call to impeach our sitting president. I want to know why the world community, if one believes what Nicholas Kristoff writes today in the NYT that in some parts of eastern Congo three-quarters of the women have been raped, seems to be ignoring this outrage. I'd like to write about creating a walking path in my yard, about the pleasure of pulling weeds, about watching glorious sunsets, about my beloved husband......
PS three years or so later. Well, I've now spit my blog into two blogs, soon to become three. One is totally focused on eating disorders; one will be a place for family stories and photos; and the third will be the place I can talk and muse about things.
PPS two of the blogs are private, for access by family only. The one regarding ED's remains public. I hope it will continue to be of assistance to those needing further information from the parent of an adult point of view.
Information is provided about eating disorders, particularly of adults, to parents and other loved ones written by a parent who is in recovery from an eating disorder.
Welcome
When I created this blog, I was "getting on" in my early sixties, hence the blog name. However, my adult daughter's eating disorder and co-occurring emotional dysregulation disorder and other co-morbidities - ongoing for about 33 years - became and was our focus as we attempted to help her get into recovery. By learning about, reflecting on, reading about, attending conferences and writing about eating and brain disorders, I created a place to blog what I've learned. I hope this blog will be of use to others, especially families of and adult sufferers themselves to help them get into recovery. I update posts from time and the update date will be present at the top of the post.
Sadly, my daughter passed away in early October 2021 mainly because her body became so malnourished that she was immunocompromised, contracted a severe infection that was not properly addressed during an earlier hospital stay the month before, and developed an overwhelming non-covid pneumonia following surgery to save her life. I believe she should have been able to receive palliative care but Arizona, our country, and even the professionals trained in the treatment of eating disorders, particularly anorexia, are not "there" yet. I address the issue of palliative care in a recent post below, initially written in November 2021. I am not a certified eating disorder specialist. I am an Expert by Experience and college-educated with a BA in Community Work with an additional certificate in a one-year program in Business Administration from the same institution.
I am passionate about all of this because, as Shakespeare wrote in The Taming of the Shrew, Act 4, Scene 3: "My tongue will tell the anger [and sadness] of my heart or else my heart, concealing it, will break. And, rather than it shall, I will be free even to the uttermost, as I please in words."[2016]
Travel Guide
If you're new to my blog, I recommend you begin on the right side and take a look at the "Of Note" offerings. Read Dr. Cynthia Bulik's recent published interview (5/4/22) "Rethinking Eating Disorders" if you want to print an easy-to-understand professional's expert opinion about anorexia for your family doctor or the therapist. [Early intervention is absolutely critical. For those whose eating disorder is categorized as entrenched or severe and enduring, read the editorial comment by Stephen Touyz and Philipa Hay for a new approach about treatment. It is possible for your loved one to recover! I have also attached a link here for additional papers on the subject of severe and entrenched eating disorders. If you are a family member or friend of an adult with an eating disorder and have been at this for awhile, I refer you to the posts within the title "Adult Eating Disorders and Recovery Tools" found in the Index on the right hand side of this site. As well, in the "Of Note" section take a look at those posts with an asterisk. If you're a parent and need support, look for posts in the Index about parent support or parent toolbox.
In my opinion, the best book to buy, to refer to constantly and to share with members of the medical/psychiatric profession is "Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders" by Jennifer L. Gaudiani MD, CEDS, FAED. "Dr. Gaudiani aims to improve medical diagnosis and treatment, motivate recovery, and validate the lived experiences of individuals of all body shapes and sizes, while firmly rejecting dieting culture."
I recommend two groups who will support you on your journey - F.E.A.S.T and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. Both maintain websites and Facebook private groups.