The Star: April 15, 2021

Thursday April 15 2021 The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 19
day in the life in an eating disorders ward
“This is not a place you ever
want to find yourself in,” said
Nelis of the inpatient ward at the
hospital.
“It is not fun. It is not glamorous.
“It is hard.
“It is frustrating. It limits your
freedom.
“You are living in a bubble of
disordered eating where your
life – work, study, friends, family,
personal interests and hobbies
and greater autonomy – are dictated
by the ward staff and what
best benefits your recovery.”
Nelis said when she was first
admitted as an inpatient her
body was “wasting away”.
“My heart and other organs
were literally feeding on themselves
in order to get energy
needed to keep me alive,” she
said.
“My heart rate was 40, where it
usually lies between 60 to 80 in
healthy people, and blood results
looked appalling – I was told I
wouldn’t last much longer if I
kept going the way I was.
“I spent four months collectively
as an inpatient in the eating
disorders unit at the hospital.
“Spread across four different
admissions, with both nasogastric
tubes and the Mental Health
Act enforced on me, I spent long
periods at a time gaining weight
CHANGE: Nelis posted a photo to show her at the stages of her illness.
under the careful eye of specialist
doctors, nurses, and accompanying
staff.”
Nelis is now recovered and
grateful she was able to get the
help she did, but is painfully
aware of the shortcomings of the
system for others.
“Our public resources and
services are limited and stretched
out doing their damn best – it’s
really time for the Government
to give the crises of eating
disordered, disordered eating,
and obesity the attention and
resourcing it deserves,” she said.
An inpatient’s diary – a
day in the life in an eating
disorders ward
From the moment patients
PHOTOS: NZH
wake until the moment they
sleep – and then every hour in
between – they are monitored.
Watched.
Their sickness cannot be left to
its own devices. Their health is
far too precarious for this once
they are admitted.
They wake at 7am each day.
Mondays and Thursdays start
with a weigh-in.
Then breakfast.
“Most of the patients would eat
together in the dining room and
lounge – a nurse would eat with
you. This was called ‘supported
eating’,” said Nelis.
“The radio was often put on
to fill gaps in conversation, and
lessen the tension in the room.
“You would have 30 minutes to
finish all food and drink – otherwise
a nutritional supplement
would be provided, a caloriedense
shake.”
At 9am it was morning medications
time, medical observations
and blood tests.
“Typically you would get an
echocardiogram on the activity
of the heart rate and rhythm,
lying and standing blood pressure
and temperature,” explained
Nelis.
Most had observations done on
weigh-in days only – more often
for those deemed “medically
unstable” and less for those with
“no concerns”.
Then off to the “on-campus
school” for those still attending
and “free time” for the older
patients unless they had appointments
with their care team – one
of a psychologist, psychiatrist,
social worker, occupational
therapist and nurse.
• Continued, page 20
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