i'm 5'3" and 80 lbs (13 years old) , and next week i have to start staying at the hospital to gain weight until i'm 105 lbs. i'm really upset, because i can't go back to school for the first month or more with everyone else.
i have questions for the people here who are being hospitalized for the same thing or have been hospitalized before.
i know everyone's situations are different, but if you could give me some general ideas from your experiance, that'd be great. i'm just worried about everything that's going on, and i want to know some things to expect:
how do i do my school work? (like does a tudor come or what? and does the school send stuff...? idk.)
what do they feed you there? (DO THEY RESPECT VEGETARIANISM?! i really doubt it, but... i might as well hope.)
how do you get any excercise? (i know there's yoga there (ick) but anything else they might allow?)
and my parents can only visit an hour a day. i think that's pretty dumb, even tho i don't really want to see them, some ppl get homesick, ya know?
no cell phone, no ipod, no computer... aka hell for me. 
I have never been hospitalized, only threatened with it, but I will try and answer you based on what I asked when I was threatened:
For your schoolwork, they may have assignments sent to you from your school to the hospital. I am not sure about this, so I'd wait for other answers on this one.
Being lactose intolerant and having certain things I can't eat without it making my stomach react, I asked this same question. The answer on most counts is yes, they will likely respect your dietary wishes if you're a vegetarian. Menus are generally with a vegetarian option. Food-wise, I was told it would be healthy food, with a bit of fear food thrown into the mixture.
You will likely not be allowed exercise beyond walking. Do not disregard yoga! I would personally love to learn yoga. It's very good for your flexibility and improving muscle tone.
If your parents can only visit for an hour then spend that time with them well. To keep yourself occupied, take or write a journal (they will likely encourage this anyway), draw, or read - perhaps ask before you go in what activities are available to you?
Sometimes, our health needs to come before our education. I wish you lots of luck.
thank u 
it's that fear food i'm worried about. i throw up pretty easily 
and since it's the eating disorder floor, you actually have to go to the desk to get a pass to go to the bathroom... i see why, but still.
The first couple of days of your stay will be tough, and you will have rough days throughout your stay, but truthfully, if you just accept that you are where you need to be at this stage in your life and put all your focus into doing what you need to do to get healthy again, you will be able to get through it. Don't think about what you are missing at home, just think about the opportunity you have been given to get better, and take advantage of it!
To answer your questions, I can tell you what a typical day was like for me in an inpatient center for people with eating disorders. We ate six times a day, three meals and three snacks, which we planned out ahead of time with our nutritionist. We each had a meal plan that told us how many grains, protein, fats, fruits, vegetables, and dairy we needed at each meal. So while you do have a choice in what you eat, you will be pushed to eat new foods and challenging foods, and the hospital will most likely ask you to forgo your vegetariansim for a while. It is hard to gain weight and muscle without lots of protein, and meat provides nutrients you need as well as calories and fat. Also, many people with eating disorders become vegetarians because it is easier to restrict/eat lower calorie foods that way (NOT saying all vegetarians have eating disorders OR making any assumptions about why you became vegetarian...). But like you said, all places have different rules. At my hospital no one was allowed to exercise at all. This was tough at first, but you could get in trouble for pacing around the room or stretching, because it was counter-productive. Altough we did do some yoga/movement classes and some exercises after meals to help with digestion.
We were weighed first thing in the morning and had our vital signs monitered twice a day. During the day we had group therapy sessions, expressive therapy, movement therapy, and "lessons" which were sort of lectures/discussions related to ED topics, including sessions on nutrition and medications. We also had plenty of free time to read, watch tv, listen to music, etc, although weren't allowed cellphones or computers. We were allowed to call home twice a day, and there were visiting hours four times a week. My parents came every time, and we talked or played cards or watched tv together, and I really didn't miss them too much, even though I am very close to them. We also had family therapy sessions and couple times a week. We had "school" for about 1-2 hours every weekday morning. Most likely, your school will collaborate with your hospital to make sure that you don't fall too far behind. My teachers faxed assignments directly to the hospital, and I was able to turn in homework and papers and even take tests. When I got back to school, my teachers helped me get caught caught up and I didn't have any problems getting back into the swing of things.
Also, you will have to get used to things like leaving the door open while you go to the bathroom and sleeping with a roommate. But you will become accustomed to the routine pretty quickly, and if you cooperate with it things will go much more smoothly. You will get through this!! Good luck!
Hey! Although I have never been hospitalized I definitely thought about it, and I am sure my parents did as well. I just wanted to pop in and say good luck! Hopefully you will get better and I hope you do. I wish you the best of luck and you can do this! Do not let the ED hold you back. It wants to tell you that you are not worth it, are not good enough, cannot and will never get better, etc. Well, those are all LIES! Good luck!
Heyyy!
i actually just got out of the hospital to go back to school. I am going to be honest i never wanted to go inpatient or get any treatment. But now going through it all, i dont regret anything. This is what you need. Dont be scared. You will survive. Its a big change, yes i understand no cell phone, or computer or anything, but its nice. You will still ahve phone time and i think they use the limited visiting as an incentive to get better quicker. Going to the hospital was a huge help for myself. It gave me different tools, allowed me to gain weight, learn to eat more healthier, just i dont know was honestly a great experience. Its nice to be there and know you are working on gettin better. You have no more distractions or worries its just you and your Ed and you have to work on things now. THe staff that i had at my hospital was so helpful. Use the hospitalization as an advantage. Dont just go in there and just go through the motions to get out, that wont help you in the end. Keep your mind open and rememeber to trust the nutritionist and staff. THis was the hardest part for me. The nutritionist knows what your body needs and probably will give you a meal plan. Follow it. Work on challenging yourself!. Let me know if you have any other questions or anything.
I was hospitalized several times, the first at about the same age you are. Because every hospital program is different it is difficult to answer specifically. I will tell you what I can though. Generally, you have to miss a certain amount of school days before you are eligible for a tutor. However, if it is known in advance how long you may be hospitalized, you may be able to start up right away. (I missed so much school, I feel your pain!) If you are not provided with a tutor your parents should be able to get the assignments from your teachers. There may be some classes you cannot do in the hospital. Some schools will give P.E. credit if exercise is a component of the program. Languages are difficult to do while in-patient. (I tried to teach myself French, not too successful!) Art, drama, music, etc. may not be conducive to the hospital environment. However, most teachers are pretty willing to give an alternate project. You may need to attend summer school. (I did but got to take classes at the local community college so it was kind of cool.) Most programs do respect vegetarianism but they will challenge you to eat fear foods. If your program does incorporate exercise you will most likely need to reach a certain weight before participating. Sometimes hospital programs have recreational therapy, art therapy, or even outings. You are fortunate your parents can visit. I wasn't allowed any visitors at all! I wish you the best of luck. You can send me a message and ask me as many questions as you'd like, I don't mind! Take care, I pray this is your first and last hospitalization.
Original Post by michaeljackson1987:
i'm 5'3" and 80 lbs (13 years old) , and next week i have to start staying at the hospital to gain weight until i'm 105 lbs. i'm really upset, because i can't go back to school for the first month or more with everyone else.
i have questions for the people here who are being hospitalized for the same thing or have been hospitalized before.
i know everyone's situations are different, but if you could give me some general ideas from your experiance, that'd be great. i'm just worried about everything that's going on, and i want to know some things to expect:
how do i do my school work? (like does a tudor come or what? and does the school send stuff...? idk.)
what do they feed you there? (DO THEY RESPECT VEGETARIANISM?! i really doubt it, but... i might as well hope.)
how do you get any excercise? (i know there's yoga there (ick) but anything else they might allow?)
and my parents can only visit an hour a day. i think that's pretty dumb, even tho i don't really want to see them, some ppl get homesick, ya know?
no cell phone, no ipod, no computer... aka hell for me.
Your school work is sent to you and a tutor through the school system will tutor you if you are in a medical hospital...if you are in an ed unit they have teachers within the school systemt that you are near at the treatment center to school you and help you with your work
Your dietican through the hospital will set up a meal plan for you...you will be watched to see how much you do or don't eat...I suggest you try because they will supplement you or give you the tube and that is the last thing you want. The more that you eat on your tray the more privleges you recieve...they generally put you on a level system and you start at level one which is 24hr watch pretty much
Since you are underweight you will not be allowed to exerscise other than walking to the bathroom...I suspect if you need to go anywhere they will put you in a wheelchair so you don't burn calories that you need
Your parents are part of your treatment and for the time being need to stay out of the picture so you can regain your nutrition and then therapy can resume with your therapist and family
No electronics because there is a high rate of self harming with eating disorders especially bulimics. No computer is most likely so you won't be triggered into more behaviors with you ed...and the ipod well, we all know there are songs about anorexia out there and so I suppose that is why...each hospital is different about the rules...when I went into treatment we couldn't have magazines, books, sharp objects, flat irons, anything that contained alcohol in the product...but we could use computers and cell phones. Some of those rules didn't start until I got there because of an incident that occured.
I hope you get through this and get well...been at this 11 years now and I am really struggling right now
how do i do my school work? (like does a tudor come or what? and does the school send stuff...? idk.) You'll be sent school work and have a set time to do it during the day.
what do they feed you there? (DO THEY RESPECT VEGETARIANISM?! i really doubt it, but... i might as well hope.) Everything they feed you will be balanced and nutritous. I went in a vegan, and came out a meat-eater. And i actually realized that my body NEEDS the protein from animals. I just feel better. But take it slow, I know this will be scary for you. TRUST YOUR TREATMENT PLAN. They're not trying to make you fat. They are trying to save your life.
how do you get any excercise? (i know there's yoga there (ick) but anything else they might allow?) You shouldn't be allowed to exercise at your weight. I get to do pilates in group on tuesdays, but outside of treatment i only get 2 days of 20 minutes cardio per week...SUPERVISED.
and my parents can only visit an hour a day. i think that's pretty dumb, even tho i don't really want to see them, some ppl get homesick, ya know? You need to focus on yourself now, and i'd take advantage of the time you get with your family, since they're the only people you can really count on to be there for you through your ED.
because i was about to be sent to a hospital for my weight, unless i gained weight.
That wasnt going to be an option for me.. i gained weight, and that terror was what i needed to gain weight back ( i literally gained 30 pounds back, 1/4th of my body weight)
i know its not helping, considering you are going, and i didnt. However, remember, IT IS possible to gain it back, be healthy, look older, stronger and toned.
Now im muscular, fit, and happy. My coloring is normal and all my organs and enzymes work agian ( i dont get cramps after fat, protien rich meals, etc.) You will get better, theres really no other option, theres really no other option.
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