Luna's fight with Anorexia Nervosa (true story)

4

April 2010, 12 years old
POV Maria

Luna is silently sitting at the kitchen table refusing to eat or drink anything. I suddenly realize she didn't drink her tea last night either. Luckily Robert is going to the hospital with us, Luna is so convinced it's nonsense, I'm finding it hard to carry on.

The pediatrician who immediately after my call yesterday was ready to see Luna, is visibly frightened when Luna sits in front of him. He asks Luna a few questions about food, but doesn't argue about her vague answers. "I would like to check your heartbeat, your blood pressure, and your blood sugar levels."

With soft but firm gestures, he leads Luna to the examination table, listens to her heart and puts the blood pressure monitor band around her arm and pumps it up. The soft sound of the band going empty is the only sound you hear in the room. And my pounding heart, but only I can hear that.

"Now your blood sugar." Before Luna realizes, the doctor got a drop of blood from her finger. By the frown on the doctors face I can tell it's not good. "Luna, it's important that you eat and drink something immediately." He says strictly. "What can I get for you?" "Nothing" Luna's voice sounds soft but determined.

"Your blood sugar is way too low," he says. "Luna, not eating is very dangerous. You make yourself sick. We will have to admit you." He gives us a serious look. "The question is not wether we will admit her, but wether it will be the intensive care or the teenager ward." He keeps quiet for a moment and then gives me a piercing look.

"Her blood sugar is extremely low." He knows that I know what it means. Before I can tell we need to do something he grabs the phone and starts preparing things. Robert and I look at each other with a defeated look. Luna is pretending to not care. "You can take her to AMC (different hospital) right now," says the doctor. "They are expecting her. In the teenager ward they know everything about eating disorders."

Eating disorder. The words I have not wanted to think of for the last few months, let alone utter it. Luna has anorexia, I understand now. All kinds of questions are going through my head. How is this possible, how did this develop, how can we help Luna?

When we arrive at AMC Luna immediately gets a bed in the teenager ward. Her blood sugar level is being measured again. It dropped even more. Soon the pediatrician, doctor Robinson, appears. Before she talks to us, she calls someone and asks for lemonade. A moment later a nurse brings a large glass of dark red lemonade. Luckily with a straw, I think.

"Luna, you need to drink this now. Otherwise you'll fall into a coma. Such a low blood sugar lever is very dangerous." The doctor wants to give it to her, but Luna refuses. "Mom, I can't do that." She starts crying and crawls on my lap. "Come on, Lun, I'll help you. Sip by sip. You can do that. I caress her cheeks and move her long hair out of her face.

She's crying now with loud sobs. "Mom, I didn't mean to, I just wanted to..." I'm trying not to cry but tears are running down my cheeks. "Of course not, you overdid it a bit, but now they're going to help you. It's gonna be okay, really" I gently push the straw between her lips. "Come on. Small sips. You'll feel better in a bit."