Thursday, March 25, 2010

had to share this

Yesterday I went to Des Moines to the Jordan Creek mall to meet my friend Jodi. Jodi is someone I met through FB/blogging and I was really excited to meet her in person. We had lunch and sat and talked for awhile and it was really nice. We both have had alot of the same experiences in the mental healthcare system in Iowa and we talked alot and compared the good, bad, and ugly. And the funny.

Unfortunately, Jodi has done some time in the Univ. of Ia Hospitals ED program. You know, the place I refer to as "evil hell". So yesterday, we were telling eachother our stories of treatment there and talking about the staff who were mean to us and she brought up Shirley and she asked me "did Shirley ever accuse you of 'bowel hoarding'?".

Ok, so before I go any further, here is the disclaimer. You know I try not to dwell on specific ED behaviors alot on this blog, in case there are any pro ana's out there trolling for "tips and tricks". But seriously, if reading what I am about to discuss inspires you to try this "trick", you need help and I am not responsible. Ok, back to "bowel hoarding" (trying to type this with a straight face).

I had never, in all my days of treatment, heard of bowel hoarding until Jodi told me about it yesterday. Apparently, at UIHC, if you are really constipated, you risk being accused of holding in your poop to boost your weight, and this is what they refer to as "bowel hoarding". This is what my friend Jodi was accused of.
When she told me this I burst out laughing. We both had a good cackle over it. That's the thing about these situations. They are fun to laugh about now, but at the time Jodi was going through it, it must have been frustrating and infuriating. It sucks to be locked up in a place where everything you do (or don't do) is viewed as some type of lie or manipulation. But seriously, bowel hoarding? Maybe someone would do this, but it really sounds to me like one more thing the good folks at the UIHC made up to accuse the poor patients of.

Here's a shout out to Jodi, for surviving that place, and for giving me something to laugh about yesterday.

11 comments:

PTC said...

That might be the most rediculous thing I've ever heard! I think the people who work there are psychotic!! Please, I jump at any opportunity to "not hoard" mine. :)

I Hate to Weight said...

is it possible to do? must take a lot of talent and perseverance.

it's all too sad.

now.is.now said...

This is a riot! What in the world!!!!!! And you wonder why ED patients have difficulty trusting the professionals sometimes!!!

Angela Elain Gambrel said...

OMG, I now will think about this every time I'm constipated (which is quite often when I'm restricting, and a big problem with anorexics - we celebrate going and to repeat @PTC, "jump at any opportunity to not hoard.")

Next time I won't tell my doctor I have problems with constipation, I'm just 'bowel hoarding.' Ya know, saving it for a raining day when I might need that .4 pounds of crap during weigh-in. (I wonder if you also can "bladder hoard"? That should give you another .2 pounds)

Seven times in IP and I thought I heard everything. But I apparently not. I hope your friend told Shirley she was the one full of crap.

LMAO! (Now if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go to bed and keep my BMs to myself until morning ... It isn't often you find something funny about an ED, but this one is. Too bad you can't send it into Reader's Digest for one of their joke sections ...)

Thanks for sharing!

Angela Elain Gambrel said...

That was "rainy' day. Can't type so great at 3:30 a.m. But this was definitely worth staying up for.

Anonymous said...

that's too funny. i'm gonna use that phrase. it's too good not to pass on :)

Jenn said...

that is crazy-ness to me! I have ALOT of constipation and digestion problems and I can't imagine holding it in...EVEN to have a higher weight on the scale.

Thanks for sharing because that totally made my day! :)

Anonymous said...

So weird! It's a whole new twist to 'anal retentive.'

Amber Rochelle said...

I thought I'd heard it all too! This post totally made me laugh :)

Stella said...

That is CRAZY!! Thanks for making me laugh, I needed it :)

jodilynn said...

sooo...I was just reading over this blog with one of my friends who has also been subject the the UIHC hell hole. We are seriously laughing so hard we are crying.