2. I had a wonderful family ...
an amazing boyfriend ...
and a great group of friends ...
3. went to sporting events ...
I enjoyed celebrating special
events with a happy heart ...
and had a great social life ...
4. I spent time at the beach ...
And never worried
about what I looked
like in a swimsuit ...
5. Then sometime in 2008 I became more focused on healthy
living and exercise ...
... obsessively focused ...
6. My face got less full, and my
arms skinnier ...
And then ... my boyfriend and I
moved to California ...
2500 miles away from everyone I
knew ...
7. We did a lot of hiking ...
and I was
walking/riding my bike
EVERYWHERE
8. When family would visit,
I would put on a smile ...
but I was miserable …
I was wasting away,
physically and
emotionally ...
9. The holiday season came and went ...
I resisted all unhealthy food ...
I felt prettier...
I felt like I was in control.
10. The next time I was back in Michigan I
looked different and people could tell.
They would comment on how thin I
was.
11. My hair began falling out. I had sores all over my body. I
looked old and tired and I could hardly walk up a flight of
stairs without being exhausted.
12. When I was home for Christmas my
family intervened. The told me I
could not go back to California.
They told me I was sick.
I Told them they were crazy.
So I packed my bags and got on
the plane.
2 days after I flew back to California, my dad flew out
without me knowing. His only goal was to get me to a
hospital.
14. My sister wrote me a chilling letter
A cry out for my life.
My diagnosis was terrifying.
Anorexia Nervosa
Osteoporosis
Sudden death
15. On the day I was admitted
to the hospital I was 25
years old. I weighed 72
pounds.
I thought I was FAT.
16.
17. My resting heart rate was 20
beats per minute and I was
hooked up to a heart rate
monitor 24/7
I Was woken up 3-4 times a
night to be force fed Ensure
if/when my heart rate
dropped in to the teens
18.
19. I had open sores all over my
body – it was too busy
trying to keep my heart
beating to worry about
keeping skin cells alive.
I had not had a period in
over 3 years.
My hormone levels were
that of a 9 year old girl.
20.
21. The night before I went to
the hospital as I was laying
in bed, I looked to my
boyfriend and asked him to
set 4 alarms during the
middle of the night.
When he asked me why, I
told him I wanted him
to wake up and make sure I
was still breathing.
I knew I was dying.
22.
23. With the help of my family and friends I beat ED.
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t fun.
There were tears, doubts, pain, struggles.
But in the end, the life I got back, the life I wanted and
deserved was worth it.
24. I was eventually able to be active again. I ran to be
STRONG, not skinny. And completed multiple half
marathons and countless 5Ks.
25. And the best part ... the man who stood by me through it all,
was my support and encouragement, asked me to be his
wife. For better or worse, through sickness and health.
26. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
is February 24th – March 2nd
If you, or someone you know is suffering, don’t wait to get
help.
It might be too late.
Call (800) 931-2237
or visit nedawareness.org
