July 14, 2004

More than one diagnosis

When Dan first entered long term psychiatric hospitalization his main diagnosis was Anorexia. Over the period of his 15th year he dropped 60 lbs in 3 months. I was horrified when this was happening. My husbnad and myself had taken great care that no emphasis be put on food or body size....just becaue I didn't want any of my kids to have to struggle with ana like I did. But low and behold my son decided one summer to lose some weight. He he stopped at losing 10 - 15 lbs he woudl have been fine...but there was nostopping him. By the end of his 15th summer he would eat only leafs of lettuce and small bowls of mustard. He was in and out of psych wards like a revolving door. Finally he was put into long term treatment.

He was so thin that they just about put him in a medical hospital at first. I was told to be prepared for the worst bcause he was beyond what you would call thin. At the first hospital he was in they centered all their efforts on his problems with anorexia. And they were successful. To this day he weighs a normal weight, and has noe of the classic straits fo someone with an ED...for which I am eternally gratefull.

While in the first hospital it became very clear that Dan had OCD. I pretty much knew he had that from the years of raising him. He would re-do the same homework page 12 times if he was allowed to do so. His belongings seemed to own him instead of the other way around.

And then there was the Dx of schizophrenia looming in the future. It was more than I felt I could bear. When Dan went into long term treatment his older sister decided to move into a group home. She and Dan were very close and she could not cope with living in the house without him there. So we looked around for a good group home provider and she entered one at the all too young age of 18.

Within the span of 6 months I went from having 3 kids at home to 1 at home. I was hearbroken.

Posted by Kathy on July 14, 2004 04:55 AM