Alarmingly underweight tween

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here and I’m sorry for not sharing. I was feeling very exposed. I had shared a lot of personal information about DD and wanted to protect her privacy. It’s a small town and I feared outing her further by identifying her doctor. But you are right, all those who provided helpful advice deserve a recommendation: Promise Ahlstrom.

P.S. That NP above was me attempting to share without outing my daughter. Silly I guess. It is true that I learned of Dr. Ahlstrom from my coworker who had a wonderful experience with her. Her daughter is doing well and while she is a young adult now, she still checks in with Promise. She was also recommended on the Special Needs thread, along with Dr. Madden.

this was very kind of you OP as well as your previous attempt to share doct/ name.

[Anonymous]

Please let us know how you and your DD are doing. I read through this thread and my heart goes out to you and your family.

[Anonymous]

OP with an update. We had a follow up appointment with DD’s new pediatrician and the news was encouraging. DD gained 1.5 lbs in a month! We will continue with follow up visits for the next few months to ensure the trend continues, but I am greatly relieved and DD is feeling much more confident and in control. She is taking her supplements consistently and her appetite seems to be improving as well.

Looking at DD’s growth curve, her doctor said that it’s been pretty consistent all along, and while unusual that DH and I are both in the 95th percentile in height, and she is in the 5-10th, genetics are difficult to grasp sometimes. She also agreed that some people do not experience the same hunger cues as others. DD may always need to eat on a schedule and challenge herself to eat for health, not hunger. That was reassuring to me, because I often doubt how much I should remind her and encourage her. Until she has stopped growing, I’ve accepted that this is my job for now.

Thanks again for all the advice and sharing of experiences. It was hard at times, but very helpful, and I feel good this thread has helped others as well. I wish you all the very best.

[Anonymous]

Hi, OP-it's been a few months and I was wondering if you have any updates you are comfortable sharing?

[Anonymous]

OP here and thanks for asking. DD is doing great. Since my first post she has gained 10 pounds and grown 2 inches! She is now 4’8” and 63 pounds, still small but less alarmingly so. The supplements have made all the difference for her. And she is eating more at mealtimes and snacking too. I think we’ve all hit our stride but it was really tough going for awhile. We haven’t been back to Children’s Hospital for a follow up, and honestly I’m ready to move on. Her new pediatrician is very pleased with her progress - still checking in every two months or so to make sure she stays on track. We are very relieved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here and thanks for asking. DD is doing great. Since my first post she has gained 10 pounds and grown 2 inches! She is now 4’8” and 63 pounds, still small but less alarmingly so. The supplements have made all the difference for her. And she is eating more at mealtimes and snacking too. I think we’ve all hit our stride but it was really tough going for awhile. We haven’t been back to Children’s Hospital for a follow up, and honestly I’m ready to move on. Her new pediatrician is very pleased with her progress - still checking in every two months or so to make sure she stays on track. We are very relieved.

Amazing! So happy for you all

[Anonymous]

OP hear with an update!

DD is now 16 and we just returned from the pediatrician. I’m happy to report that she is 5’6” and 110 pounds. She finally got her period at age 15 and she’s not done growing yet. She loves to eat, recognizes hunger cues, and eats more than her parents. She’s still anxious but learning to manage it without meds, and she’s not stressed about eating at all anymore.

Getting to this point has been challenging, I won’t lie. I couldn’t bear to read through all the responses - supportive and not - and I will admit that things got much worse before they got better about two years ago. We finally found a dietician who clicked with DD. She convinced us that while DD didn’t meet the psychological diagnosis for anorexia (she was simply not hungry), the treatment was the same. It was a long hard road. But since then she’s grown 6 inches and gained 30 pounds. She’s still got a ways to go, but the end of the tunnel is in sight.

I really appreciate all the support I received on this thread years ago. I hope this update will give parents struggling with these issues some comfort.

[Anonymous]

* here not hear. Doh!

[Anonymous]

Wow OP, that's great news! Thank you so much for the update!

[Anonymous]

great update!! thanks.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations OP!

[Anonymous]

So happy to see this update. Your daughter is so lucky to have you as such a thoughtful and caring mom.

[Anonymous]

Great news, OP! Best wishes to you and your daughter!

[Anonymous]

Great news! Thank you for the update.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much for posting an encouraging update and I’m so glad your DD is doing well! I’m sure this was a struggle for all of you and it’s great that you found the other side!