Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

She's so thin

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • She's so thin

    My daughter, Amber, 15, had her surgery May 12th 2004. While she was in hospital she lost 5 kilo's and since then has lost another 4 or so. She is eating, almost as much as she was before the surgery. I'm not worried at all that she may be anorexic. She tells me that she is hungry and she eats. We all sit down together (1 parent, 5 kids) and eat together for 99% of meals eaten at home. So I know that she really is eating.
    Does anyone have any ideas on why she is not gaining weight? She is now 5 ft 11 and weighs 51 kgs ( I think that's about 122 lbs)
    She slipped and fell in the shower the other night and afterwards asked me to feel her back because she said it felt different. I could feel everything in her back. I ran my fingers down the rods the whole length of her back and could feel every part.
    I'm stumped as to how else to help. She is having protien shakes and lots of carbs, fresh fruit and veg.
    Has any one else had this happen?
    Cheryl.

  • #2
    Cherly,

    I am still losing weight and I had my surgery in April 2004. Our bodies have so much healing and repairing to do. If I remember rilght, maybe not, but I think Amber had A/P surgury and so did I. All those muscles in the back and on the side have to repair themselves and that takes alot of calories. As long as she is eating I would try not to worry about it. Theresa
    Theresa

    April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
    Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
    Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
    Fused T2 to sacrum
    June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
    MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

    FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

    Comment


    • #3
      Cheryl,

      It's Theresa again. I was telling my husband about your daughter last night and he reminded me that when our son was 15 his trainers had him doing protein shakes and an ice cream diet to try to put weight on. None of it worked. I had asked the doctor about it and he said that he just had a very fast metabolism. He is now 19 and has finally put on some weight. He's 6 ft and about 170 - 175 pounds. He only has a size 30 waist, but he doesn't look skinny anymore. Maybe Amber is the same. Theresa
      Theresa

      April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
      Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
      Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
      Fused T2 to sacrum
      June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
      MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

      FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

      Comment


      • #4
        I suppose some people would say that our family is lucky in that we all have fast metabalisms. I didn't start to put on weight until after baby number 5 (at age 30) and within months my thyroid had stopped working. All of my children are very thin and have enormous appetites. My late husband was the same.
        I think what has concerned me the most is that she has been still losing weight. If she had stayed at the weight she was when we left the hospital it wouldn't have been too bad, but the fact that she kept losing is what is worrying me. It is starting to worry her as well. At first, for her, it was just that her clothes were too big, now she is becoming concerned about the way she looks, too many bones, she says.
        Even her friends have asked her if she is anorexic and watch her to make sure she eats (which she does). Her cooking teacher at school is going over the top with concern, Amber comes home complaining every time she has this teacher.
        I don't want the weight to become a bigger issue than it should be and I try not to say anything to her, just cook things I know she loves. She's getting too much image feedback from everyone else without me getting "on her case" about it.
        What else can I do?
        Cheryl.

        Comment


        • #5
          Cheryl,

          I would definitely have a talk with the cooking teacher and her friends. Ask them not to keep questioning her about it. That's just going to cause more stress for her, she's already got enough with trying to get better. I just got back from shopping. I'm going to work on Wednesday for the first time in 5 months and like you say, everything is to big. Keep lots of her favorite high calorie snacks around. Peanut butter sandwiches are a good snack with lots of calories.
          Theresa

          April 8 & 12, 2004 - Anterior/Posterior surgery 15 hours & 7 hours
          Thorasic - 79 degree down to 22
          Lumbar - 44 degree down to 18
          Fused T2 to sacrum
          June 2, 2005 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @L3 7 hours
          MAY 21, 2007 - Pedicle subtraction osteotomy @ L2, extended the fusion to S2 and added pelvic instrumentation 9 hours

          FUSED T2 - SACRUM 2

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks for your help. It just seems so hard when your doing it on your own and have no-one to share concerns with.
            She's just got home from school and raided the fridge, cold bbq sausages and a bread roll. The other girls will be home soon and she'll probably get something with them as well. So you can see her appetite is there.
            Thanks again.
            Cheryl.

            Comment


            • #7
              Cheryl!
              Im having the same problem. Im 5'10'' now and I only weigh 115. I only weighed 125 before surgery, but one thing Im doing is drinking Boosts, or Ensures. These are diet drinks that are supposed to replace meals, but I drink them with meals. Its helped to put on 5 pounds. Hope I could help some.....
              Annie

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Cheryl,

                It's good that her appetite is good. SInce she has a fast metabolism anyways it could be that it's kicked into supper high gear. As long as her energy level isn't effected it shouldn't be that bad. After my surgery I was skeleton girl too. It took a while before my weight started to come back. Gaining weight is actually harder then losing!! Do the weight loss in reverse. Keep track of her total carbs and calories and figure out a rough estemate of how much she burns. (there are those average calorie burn charts for weith loss) Then you can figure out if she needs more calories or not. Hope that helps some!

                Comment


                • #9
                  Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
                  As a kid my thyroid was very over active as a result it is now very under active. I have been wondering if this may be Amber's problem and am taking her to the doctor's tomorrow to get her tested. It can be cause by mental or physical stress. I could never put on weight during my teens no matter how much I ate. I'm just worried that she still seems to be losing slightly.
                  Cheryl.

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X