[SingDanceRunLife]

As per T's order, and my compliance, I am going to see a nutritionist. I have never done this before, even though T has told me a million times I should (but that was all before I admitted my ED and would refuse to talk much about anything related to it).

I know nothing about seeing a nutritionist...I don't know if I should prepare anything or what it will be like...and honestly, I'm quite nervous because I know my eating habits are horrendous and I don't want to be judged on them, and this is a completely new person joining in on treatment, and it took years for me to come around and talk about Ed with my T.

All I know is that it's gonna be a lot. T said it would be a lot of repeat information, and a lot of new information...and the nutritionist said that the appointment will probably be about an hour and a half because she wants to get the whole story and picture.

Any advice for a first timer?

[Hope-Full]

First, the nutritionist won't be judging you at all (at least a good one won't!) I was worried about the same thing, and T and I spent the days leading up to my appointment with the nutritionist talking about my fears around working with one - with that judgement being the biggest one.

My first appointment was an hour and a half. She asked if I could keep food records for a few days prior to coming, just so she could get an idea of where I was. I was apprehensive about this but it was actually ok. Yes, there was a lot of repeat info that I had heard from my doctor as well, but it was with the nutritional spin and it helped to hear it twice.

She started with me where I was, there was no pushing of anything, except some major importance on getting my calorie count up to a certain level (which was still an ED level, just higher than where I was, cause where I was was causing my organs to struggle.) Otherwise, we went really slowly, working with my safe foods for a while, and eventually (we're talking months) expanding the variety ever so slightly.

The nutritionist's goal was to get me to a place where my body was healthy enough to function (cause it wasn't) so that we could work on the mental aspect of the ED. That took a good 6-8 months. It's now two years later and I've tapered down from every week with the nutritionist to once a month with email check in as needed.

My suggestion to you would be to be upfront with your fears and apprehensions so she can best work with you to appease them. I'd also ask about her boundaries/communication expectations. I know it helped me to be able to email my nutritionist whenever I needed to.

Good luck! The first visit is the scariest! My nutritionist is a much loved member of my treatment team, second only to my beloved T!

[SingDanceRunLife]

I just feel like it'll be entering the judgement zone. The only other person that knows about my eating habits is my T, and it took me years to work up the strength and courage to fully disclose them to her. How am I supposed to do that with someone I'm just meeting? I only have 1 reason to trust her, and that is that my T trusts her. But I don't know if that's enough for me. I have a hard time with that and new people.

[Hope-Full]

Originally Posted by SingDanceRunLife

I only have 1 reason to trust her, and that is that my T trusts her. But I don't know if that's enough for me. I have a hard time with that and new people.

That's all I had to go on, too, was the fact that my T trusts her. It was REALLY hard, but since at that point, I was really starting to trust my T, I took the chance. It sounds like you've been working with your T for a while, so hopefully you do trust her fully, and can hold on to the fact that if you trust T, and T trusts this nutritionist, then hopefully you'll at least be able to be open to working with this nutritionist.

Please keep us posted as to how it goes, and I'll be thinking of you tomorrow!

[SingDanceRunLife]

I do trust my T. I've always had a sense of trust with her -- even just with the initial consultation. Afterwards, I knew that I didn't want to see anyone else. And even though at that point I also was a shell.

Through the years, we've cracked through many layers, and now we're here. I got to the point within myself that I really want to change, not just with the ED, but in general and my T has always been there, open to when I was ready. I mean, I first saw her when I was in 11th grade, and I'm now a senior in college...but even back in 11th grade this was going on, just at a lower level, and we had bigger things to work on. But you know what I thought of today? I kicked my OCD's butt (not saying I don't still have OCD, I do, and it still takes up time every single day, but not 3 hours of every single day), so I can kick ed's butt too!

[avoice]

I was sent right to rehab in fact been to ED rehab 6 times. Tube feed to for starvation had to stay in a medical hospital while they pumped food through my nose right down to my stomach. Than i was put in a ED facility court order no fun good luck.

[unaluna]

Just wanted to say im with you, been reading your stuff for quite a while - we might have joined around the same time? - and even tho theres a big age difference between us, I still THINK im young! Anyway I saw my nutritionist earlier this year. Still workin at it. I bought myself a sushi mat this weekend and a pack of nori sheets. I dont know about making rice all the time but I do like the seaweed sheets, thought they might be a better choice for my veggie "tacos". Good luck!

[SingDanceRunLife]

Fortunately I don't think that anyone would have the power to put me inpatient or anything like that. Although if they did, it might not be such a bad thing...I'm a mental case and a half and I know it...and if residential treatment centers weren't so damn expensive, I would probably make a case to my parents that I should be in one.

[eskielover]

I have been in & out of the medical hospital for IV nutrition...they used the central line rather than the tube feeding for me....even though I suppose that's more dangerous because it takes a surgery to insert the central line & they nicked my lung once with the needle.....not fun.....but it was necessary to keep me alive at the time. That only happens when your weight is so low & you have become so anemic that your body can't go on any longer without the nutrition......& it was after a long period of time without eating & even then it took quite a long time for my body to get to that severe point & I was already in the medical hospital due to my health issues after going through a trauma with the home care person when my mother was dying of cancer.....really messed me up & couldn't eat.

The only time I went to a treatment center, they covered the cost of it & my pdoc got me into it because my weight was even lower than the last time...but they didn't take into consideration the real reason my weight was that low so it was a useless 8 weeks.....but it got me out of the bad place I was in at home with my marriage.....life was just a total mess.

You are better off if you can work it through in your normal home environment like you are doing