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Monday 26 December 2011

Keep drinking the water

I fail to understand why a diagnosed anorexic who is underweight (BMI of 16ish) cannot be admitted to an Inpatient Unit over the Christmas period but has to weight for expert medical attention until 4th January.  Nor do I understand how a mother can be advised that 2 Fortisips (a total of 600 cals) per day "should" be OK as nutrition for the next 10 days, as long as the patient "continues to drink water".

I do not understand why a patient with anosognosia should be asked whether they "want" to be admitted.  If you do not believe you are ill, why on earth would you volunteer to go into hospital over Christmas?

I do not understand why a mother can't get instant help for her child who is consuming 300 calories a day.

If this was a patient with Alzheimers, Schizophreia, Autisms or Parkinsons, would not the Daily Mail be huffing and puffing?  Wouldn't the Sun be blasting about the patient being left to barely survive?  How about the Health Minister?  Would he not be sitting in his office, desperately coming up with a strategy to "make sure this never happens again"?

But hey - we are talking about an anorexic here.  This is just a diet gone wrong/a cry for attention/the result of abuse/stubborness, isn't it?  Why should we care?

5 comments:

  1. I am outraged by this situation, too. Are the people in charge truly ignorant of the mindset of anorexics? If so, they need to be fired and knowledgeable people hired. Are they really unaware of the physical danger to this child? She could die waiting until the 4th. This is unconscionable.

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  2. Kris

    If I could "like" your comment, I would. My heart goes out to this family - a truly wonderful, kind and loving mother and a very sick daughter being woefully mistreated.

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  3. That is appalling and my heart goes out to this family as well. No, not just appalling, it's bloody sh*t. The mother must be beside herself.

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  4. It is beyond disgusting that the medical system still does not recognise the criticality of the health status when these kids are at this point.

    To ask someone with AN if they want to be admitted is stupid and negligent and demonstrates the continuing ignorance and indifference in the medical profession to EDs.

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  5. Of course they don't 'want to be admitted'. From personal experience they will fight tooth and nail to ensure they are NOT admitted, whether it is physical fighting or controlling their intake so they hover 'just above' the qualifying BMI for hospital admission.

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