[doggiedo]

My grandmother suffers from anorexia. She is losing weight rapidly and has been restricting for years. She was in the hospital earlier this week for deydration and elevated heart rate.

They are bringing her back to the ER today because she has not eaten today or yesterday.

I suffer from an eating disorder myself, so I often wonder if genetics plays a role at all. I feel helpless. And at the same time I sort of understand what she is going through, although none of my family members know that. They don't know that.

So now it's a waiting game. See if she has the will to live.

[mrskid]

Hi hun I hope your grandmother pulls through.Ii sounds like she is a strong lady. I also know how it is when no one around you know the pain you are going through.So if you need some one to talk to we are here. Don't let what is going on with your grandmother make your not eat even more because I am sure she dose not wont you to go through what she is.

[MrsBee]

I heard there was a piece on "Genetics Of Eating Disorders" ran on a day time talk show.

It would make pretty good sense, although my mom suffers from every sign of an eating disorder, she has NEVER come out and said it. At the same time, I have come out, asked for help and she ignores it of me.

Its a bit daunting to think that this behavior is permanent, thus making it incurable.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0511150158.htm

[doggiedo]

Interesting. She is actually doing better, was sent home and ate something small today. E shall see. I hope she's here for a lot longer. I hope this post title doesn't jinx anything :/

[eskielover]

I have been in the hospital for anorexia more times than I care to count. Dehydration is usually the starting issues.....it's when they take the blood cound & if it shows up to anemic.....then the hospital ends up keeping the person & either puts them on a central line with TPN nutrition or a feeding tube to get the body out of the anemic state.

The central line for me was a horrible experience & one time the surgeon actually knicked my lung with the needle that they put in the artery next to your heart so that the food goes directly into the blood.

I can honestly tell you from personal experience....it's better to eat at least small amounts to get back to eating more normally.....it's not something to mess around with. When I was in the hospital for anorexia right before my mother's funeral, the hospital's pdoc said he would put me on a 72 hour hold because I was a danger to myself since he believed that within a few days I would not be alive if I didn't agree immediately to the central line.....would have meant I couldn't go to my mother's funeral. Graciously, my GP did not react so extremely & looked the other way when I left the hospital Against Medical Advice....with the promise to come back to the hospital right after the funeral.

In reality....ED's are not something to mess around with....I think that within families, there is the mental attitude toward weight that tends to keep in going through the generations. Most of the time ED's are based from stressful situations in life or a trauma in one's background or in my case it was a current trauma I went through that last time.

I think there is just too much of the belief that genes are the cause of our problems & that it's not really our choice because of that.....NOT TRUE....it's always our choice to eat or not to eat.....& the desire to live really needs to be there also much stronger then the desire to loose weight.

[Gr3tta]

I am so sorry your grandmother is suffering, and you along with her. I was glad to see she had some improvement, and hope she will continue to improve.

[Christina86]

I'm glad she got released from hospital. Who knows, eating disorders could be partly genetic - but I'm not sure either way. Please take care of yourself.