A Daughter Skating On Thin Ice

I am the proud father of a beautiful teenage daughter. My daughter is a 17year-old teenager who achieves top grades, has qualified for the National Honor Society, has ice-skated competitively for almost 7 years, is active in sports, volunteer activities, school clubs, and is a model for her younger brothers(3: ages 2, 6, 12) and sisters(3: ages 4, 7, 14). She is a leader and example for her small, though close, group of wonderful friends. There is once exception: my daughter struggles with Anorexia Nervosa. Her life has completely been devastated the past 2 years by this ugly psychological and emotional and physical syndrome.

My daughter was competitively ice skating and competing in amateur tournaments and skills competitions since the age of 11. She loved the sport and the training and the atmosphere and competition. She was loved by her trainers and coaches for her work ethic and passion and by the age of 14 had her eyes on qualifying tournaments in the next two years for Olympic placement. Her eyes were wide, though realistic, and she wanted the chance to make this dream a possibility.

At one competition she placed far below her expectations and when speaking with another skater who shared the same coach she was introduced to the idea that in two years her hips would widen, her calves and ankles would get thicker, and her nimble, athletic lightness and flexibility could be lost to puberty. This skater explained that almost all competitive skaters were using laxatives to control weight issues. As my wife and I learned later, this was the beginning of our daughter's demise in becoming diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa.

The struggle since has been a torment. My daughter has lost over thirty percent of her body weight. During her peak competition scheduling she weighed approximately 120 pounds and was competing at a master performance level. Her weight today is barely 75 pounds. She is struggling immensely with the understanding that if she does not eat, the consequences are potentially dire. As parents we have searched for every option, therapist, doctor, or source to help us. Aside from the expert medical professionals, one on-line source was particularly helpful. Here my wife and I found a wealth of information and guidance on the appropriate questions to ask, background information on Anorexia Nervosa and related disorders, and up-to-date research about the latest innovations in caring for, and seeking to help a child with Anorexia.

The road ahead seems long and difficult. Our daughter still has not regained the weight she so badly needs to become healthy and the longer she continues to deprive her body of necessary resources the greater the possibility of permanent or irreversible damage. The symptoms have been far reaching including: loss of menstruation, continual distorted self-image, erosion of tooth enamel, and bowel and digestion problems. and numerous other complications. We found statistics hat showed that twenty percent of those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa will remain chronically ill! We hope our daughter has the strength and we can help her to find the sanctity and peace she needs to recover.