Medical Complications & Visits to the Doctor

Thanks to my overly cuddly dog who runs around in the woods, and apparently rolls around in poison ivy, I've been dealing with a pretty nasty case of the itchy stuff for the past week or so. Thankfully, I finally gave in, went to see a doctor, and was prescribed some medications to help speed up the healing process. Unfortunately, however, there are some pretty severe side effects that come along with these itch-relieving meds.

For me, nausea and water retention, neither of which are particularly helpful for someone recovering from an eating disorder, have been my symptoms for the past two days. The craziest thing of all is I'm supposed to take the meds three times a day with meals, as soon as my nausea from the previous dose wears off. So I sit down to a meal only to begin feeling like it's going to come right back up, which of course brings back not-so-pleasant memories.

Additionally, the water retention would probably make the average person feel a little bloated, but to me it feels like I have gained about fifty pounds in two days. Which of course doesn't make eating any easier. I think I'm allowed to be a little moody for the next 10 days until this round of meds is finished; if not, I'm using this as my excuse anyway.

In the past I have also spoken with individuals recovering from an eating disorder who have had some type of medical condition that hindered their eating schedule, oftentimes much worse than mine. In a way it's a perfect little excuse to avoid meeting my daily caloric requirements and a part of me is tempted to listen to that disordered part of my brain. 

The healthy side of my brain, on the other hand, knows better. Ten more days of being uncomfortable will not be the end of the world. Ten more days of missing calories might not be the end of the world either, but it certainly won't be in my best interest. So, I'm back to counting calories and good ole mechanical eating for the time being.

Also, I wanted to make sure I shared something a little more upbeat. While I was visiting the doctor, as part of their routine check up, I was forced to get weighed. They asked if I knew my approximate weight and I said no, so up on the dreaded scale I went. 

Without much hesitation I asked if I could step on the scale backwards and both nurses happily agreed. One of them even said, "We will just write your weight down on our charts and you won't have to see it! I wish I had the willpower not to look at my own weight." 

Such a relief. I wasn't sure if they had access to my previous records and knew about my eating disorder, but their response to my request was wonderful. It made my entire day. Lesson learned; don't be afraid to ask for what you need at the doctor's office. More likely than not, they will be understanding and compassionate of our requests.

Almost anything medically related can quickly turn into a trigger for those of us recovering from an eating disorder. Although there is never a good time to get sick or be covered in poison ivy, I am actually grateful this is happening to me further along in my recovery process. I have really struggled with this all week, but I think I'm finally starting to learn a lesson or two from it and see the light at the end of this (very itchy) tunnel.

Progress.



P.S. A friend of mine is participating in the Out of The Darkness Walk for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I actually did this walk with a couple friends of mine a year ago and it's a great cause/organization. If you are interested or have further questions, please click here!