Re: Suggestions needed

[Guest guest]

-

I agree with you that liquid can easily fill up an already small stomach, plus

aggravate acid that's already in there, giving a sick feeling. My son is very

thin also and I try to make sure the calories he eats are the densest I can give

him. Do you know what they're feeding him at his meals? I use cheesecakes,

because my son tolerates the cream cheese even though he can't do milk or

straight cheese. The cream cheese is very dense calorie-wise, plus sweetened

with honey adds more calories and tastes good - he loves them. He eats a lot of

meatloaf and ground beef in different ways. Your son isn't vegetarian, just

gluten-free, right? As for liquids, would a whey protein powder work? That would

be pretty dense with calories as well and it comes in different flavors.

Smoothies also can be packed with calories if they use nuts, peanutbutter, etc.

As far as when he eats, can they put on a TV comedy or play a game with him to

distract while he's eating? Whatever he enjoys doing. My son always works on

laptop while eating - I sometimes remind him to keep eating, he doesn't really

like eating either. Also eating snacks all day instead of large meals - so it's

not a big deal. Son keeps his plate at his desk and grazes on it, then we bring

him the next one. Not ideal but main goal is to keep him eating so he has energy

to get better & go to treatment whenever that happens.

You asked about son using bathroom - he will finally go up to bathroom after

10-14 hours, and just run and run to try to keep from peeing til he gets his

hands washed. This has the same effect as the aerobics you mentioned with your

son's tics. It does feel like a merry-go-round. Hang in there. There are things

going on in his heart and mind you can't see right now - all those people caring

about him has an effect even if you can't immediately see it.

Rhonda

Suggestions needed

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

-

I agree with you that liquid can easily fill up an already small stomach, plus

aggravate acid that's already in there, giving a sick feeling. My son is very

thin also and I try to make sure the calories he eats are the densest I can give

him. Do you know what they're feeding him at his meals? I use cheesecakes,

because my son tolerates the cream cheese even though he can't do milk or

straight cheese. The cream cheese is very dense calorie-wise, plus sweetened

with honey adds more calories and tastes good - he loves them. He eats a lot of

meatloaf and ground beef in different ways. Your son isn't vegetarian, just

gluten-free, right? As for liquids, would a whey protein powder work? That would

be pretty dense with calories as well and it comes in different flavors.

Smoothies also can be packed with calories if they use nuts, peanutbutter, etc.

As far as when he eats, can they put on a TV comedy or play a game with him to

distract while he's eating? Whatever he enjoys doing. My son always works on

laptop while eating - I sometimes remind him to keep eating, he doesn't really

like eating either. Also eating snacks all day instead of large meals - so it's

not a big deal. Son keeps his plate at his desk and grazes on it, then we bring

him the next one. Not ideal but main goal is to keep him eating so he has energy

to get better & go to treatment whenever that happens.

You asked about son using bathroom - he will finally go up to bathroom after

10-14 hours, and just run and run to try to keep from peeing til he gets his

hands washed. This has the same effect as the aerobics you mentioned with your

son's tics. It does feel like a merry-go-round. Hang in there. There are things

going on in his heart and mind you can't see right now - all those people caring

about him has an effect even if you can't immediately see it.

Rhonda

Suggestions needed

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

-

I agree with you that liquid can easily fill up an already small stomach, plus

aggravate acid that's already in there, giving a sick feeling. My son is very

thin also and I try to make sure the calories he eats are the densest I can give

him. Do you know what they're feeding him at his meals? I use cheesecakes,

because my son tolerates the cream cheese even though he can't do milk or

straight cheese. The cream cheese is very dense calorie-wise, plus sweetened

with honey adds more calories and tastes good - he loves them. He eats a lot of

meatloaf and ground beef in different ways. Your son isn't vegetarian, just

gluten-free, right? As for liquids, would a whey protein powder work? That would

be pretty dense with calories as well and it comes in different flavors.

Smoothies also can be packed with calories if they use nuts, peanutbutter, etc.

As far as when he eats, can they put on a TV comedy or play a game with him to

distract while he's eating? Whatever he enjoys doing. My son always works on

laptop while eating - I sometimes remind him to keep eating, he doesn't really

like eating either. Also eating snacks all day instead of large meals - so it's

not a big deal. Son keeps his plate at his desk and grazes on it, then we bring

him the next one. Not ideal but main goal is to keep him eating so he has energy

to get better & go to treatment whenever that happens.

You asked about son using bathroom - he will finally go up to bathroom after

10-14 hours, and just run and run to try to keep from peeing til he gets his

hands washed. This has the same effect as the aerobics you mentioned with your

son's tics. It does feel like a merry-go-round. Hang in there. There are things

going on in his heart and mind you can't see right now - all those people caring

about him has an effect even if you can't immediately see it.

Rhonda

Suggestions needed

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

health food stores have packets of flavored whey powder which will give some

protein in the diet by mixing in water, they also have other powdered protein

powder, also they have electrolyte packets you can add to water without the

sugar calories

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 8:58 PM

Subject: Suggestions needed

 

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd put

this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

health food stores have packets of flavored whey powder which will give some

protein in the diet by mixing in water, they also have other powdered protein

powder, also they have electrolyte packets you can add to water without the

sugar calories

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 8:58 PM

Subject: Suggestions needed

 

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd put

this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

health food stores have packets of flavored whey powder which will give some

protein in the diet by mixing in water, they also have other powdered protein

powder, also they have electrolyte packets you can add to water without the

sugar calories

________________________________

To:

Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 8:58 PM

Subject: Suggestions needed

 

Hi all,

You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd put

this out there to the list........

First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Rhonda for the info and suggestions, it is very helpful.

Cheescake and other things you mention would be great, the problem is that they

have limited things available there at the hospital. I'm seriously considering

going out there, mainly for the purpose of buying a large supply of foods,

drinks, etc. that they can have on hand for my son. It's too difficult to ship a

lot of this stuff and it would be much easier if I could be there to meet with

the dietician, nurse, etc. The problem is that I wouldn't want my son to know

I'm there, he is not in any condition yet for a visit and it could set him back.

So it would be a bit tricky, but I think I could manage it.

Wow, that is an awfully long time for your son to hold going to the bathroom! I

tell you, it is just unbelievable what a grip OCD can get on these kids, it's

truly heartbreaking! You asked if my son could watch TV while eating? I don't

think so because I think he has to eat in a certain area, and I'm not sure they

are just allowed to pop on the TV whenever they want. The other kids all go down

to the cafeteria to eat, but it's too stressful for my son, so he stays up on

the floor and has his meals.

> -

>

> I agree with you that liquid can easily fill up an already small stomach, plus

aggravate acid that's already in there, giving a sick feeling. My son is very

thin also and I try to make sure the calories he eats are the densest I can give

him. Do you know what they're feeding him at his meals? I use cheesecakes,

because my son tolerates the cream cheese even though he can't do milk or

straight cheese. The cream cheese is very dense calorie-wise, plus sweetened

with honey adds more calories and tastes good - he loves them. He eats a lot of

meatloaf and ground beef in different ways. Your son isn't vegetarian, just

gluten-free, right? As for liquids, would a whey protein powder work? That would

be pretty dense with calories as well and it comes in different flavors.

Smoothies also can be packed with calories if they use nuts, peanutbutter, etc.

>

> As far as when he eats, can they put on a TV comedy or play a game with him to

distract while he's eating? Whatever he enjoys doing. My son always works on

laptop while eating - I sometimes remind him to keep eating, he doesn't really

like eating either. Also eating snacks all day instead of large meals - so it's

not a big deal. Son keeps his plate at his desk and grazes on it, then we bring

him the next one. Not ideal but main goal is to keep him eating so he has energy

to get better & go to treatment whenever that happens.

>

> You asked about son using bathroom - he will finally go up to bathroom after

10-14 hours, and just run and run to try to keep from peeing til he gets his

hands washed. This has the same effect as the aerobics you mentioned with your

son's tics. It does feel like a merry-go-round. Hang in there. There are things

going on in his heart and mind you can't see right now - all those people caring

about him has an effect even if you can't immediately see it.

>

> Rhonda

>

> Suggestions needed

>

> Hi all,

>

> You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

>

> First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

>

> Now for the bad news.......he is continuing to lose weight because of a real

catch-22 situation. His tics are so constant there due to the constant stress

that it's almost the equivalent to him doing aerobics all day long. So he's

burning a ton of calories from his tics and then he can't eat that much for a

few reasons......his stomach has shrunk from the weight loss so he fills up

really quickly and he's afraid to eat too much because then he has a lot of tics

and it makes him nauseous. The other problem is that because the staff is trying

very hard to get him to eat, the whole weight loss/eating thing is now starting

to cause him a lot of anxiety, and it's becoming a vicious cycle for him. He'll

sit down and start eating, then he'll start thinking about it, get anxious and

stop. Totally crazy, I know, but unfortunately a reality! It doesn't take much

for him to fixate on something, which then becomes insurmountable.

>

> I spoke with the dietician there today and it dawned on me that he's probably

drinking a lot of water because of all the " excersize " he's getting from his

tics. She said that he is drinking a fair amount. So I then realized that this

is clearly part of the reason he can't eat that much because he probably fills

up on water a lot. They've included Ensure as part of his meal plan, but even

those are too filling for him. So.....I was asking her if they have any drinks

that he could have instead of water that would provide the electrolytes and

caloric intake, so he's not filling up on empty calories. They have Gatorade,

but he won't drink it because he's chemical-phobic. And Gatorade doesn't really

have that many calories as it's basically pure sugar.

>

> I know there are things like the Vitamin Water, but again, those have empty

calories as well. Wondering of anyone has any suggestions for a drink he could

have instead of water that is a healthy drink, caloric, not too filling, and has

electrolytes? I was thinking of coconut water, but aside from that I'm coming up

empty.

>

> Thanks!

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Along with what the others replied, I also think they should have him " snack "

throughout the day, rather than meals. Break it up to 5 or 6x a day, so he'll

get more over the entire day rather than the little he can manage at mealtimes.

And doing this it may not matter so much what he eats at each meal (keep Ensure

in and other) so that he could have a couple items during the day that he may

enjoy better and eat more of; whether they provide all the nutrients or not. I

mean, if he loves grapes, they may not provide weight but he'll eat them,

crackers, chips, peanut butter, bananas, ice cream, yogurt.... Not the most

diet healthy but eating something is better than nothing and if he's more likely

to eat more of a food he likes to snack on.... I think as he eats more (over

the entire day) he'll be able to manage to eat more at each meal eventually

(stretch that stomach). I've always thought vegetable soup was good for when

you feel nauseous from not eating, like you'll throw up if you eat, though with

his tics he may need soup in a cup rather than a bowl/spoon.

Quick thoughts.

>

> Hi all,

>

> You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

>

> First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

>

[Guest guest]

Along with what the others replied, I also think they should have him " snack "

throughout the day, rather than meals. Break it up to 5 or 6x a day, so he'll

get more over the entire day rather than the little he can manage at mealtimes.

And doing this it may not matter so much what he eats at each meal (keep Ensure

in and other) so that he could have a couple items during the day that he may

enjoy better and eat more of; whether they provide all the nutrients or not. I

mean, if he loves grapes, they may not provide weight but he'll eat them,

crackers, chips, peanut butter, bananas, ice cream, yogurt.... Not the most

diet healthy but eating something is better than nothing and if he's more likely

to eat more of a food he likes to snack on.... I think as he eats more (over

the entire day) he'll be able to manage to eat more at each meal eventually

(stretch that stomach). I've always thought vegetable soup was good for when

you feel nauseous from not eating, like you'll throw up if you eat, though with

his tics he may need soup in a cup rather than a bowl/spoon.

Quick thoughts.

>

> Hi all,

>

> You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

>

> First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

>

[Guest guest]

Along with what the others replied, I also think they should have him " snack "

throughout the day, rather than meals. Break it up to 5 or 6x a day, so he'll

get more over the entire day rather than the little he can manage at mealtimes.

And doing this it may not matter so much what he eats at each meal (keep Ensure

in and other) so that he could have a couple items during the day that he may

enjoy better and eat more of; whether they provide all the nutrients or not. I

mean, if he loves grapes, they may not provide weight but he'll eat them,

crackers, chips, peanut butter, bananas, ice cream, yogurt.... Not the most

diet healthy but eating something is better than nothing and if he's more likely

to eat more of a food he likes to snack on.... I think as he eats more (over

the entire day) he'll be able to manage to eat more at each meal eventually

(stretch that stomach). I've always thought vegetable soup was good for when

you feel nauseous from not eating, like you'll throw up if you eat, though with

his tics he may need soup in a cup rather than a bowl/spoon.

Quick thoughts.

>

> Hi all,

>

> You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

>

> First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and I

mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much Chris. I agree with the more frequent meals, I think they are

trying to do that and are offering him just about whatever he asks for if they

have it. I can't recall if I posted this or not, but I was googling appetite

stimulants and up popped Marinol. It is used for chemotherapy patients to help

reduce nausea/vomiting and to increase appetite. Well it just so happens, that a

gal on my Tourette's list has a daughter with VERY severe TS, my son's age. She

tried every medication under the sun with little to no results and horrendous

side effects.......until she tried Marinol! It has helped her a lot with her

tics as well as reduction in anxiety.

I shot an email off to my son's therapist at 's to explain about the

Marinol and see if it's something we may be able to try with my son. I also

spoke with his MD here about it and he said he was actually thinking of it

himself before speaking with me and thinks it is absolutely worth trying.

I'm crossing my fingers that they will be willing to try it, I'll keep you

posted.......

> Along with what the others replied, I also think they should have him " snack "

throughout the day, rather than meals. Break it up to 5 or 6x a day, so he'll

get more over the entire day rather than the little he can manage at mealtimes.

>

> And doing this it may not matter so much what he eats at each meal (keep

Ensure in and other) so that he could have a couple items during the day that he

may enjoy better and eat more of; whether they provide all the nutrients or not.

I mean, if he loves grapes, they may not provide weight but he'll eat them,

crackers, chips, peanut butter, bananas, ice cream, yogurt.... Not the most diet

healthy but eating something is better than nothing and if he's more likely to

eat more of a food he likes to snack on.... I think as he eats more (over the

entire day) he'll be able to manage to eat more at each meal eventually (stretch

that stomach). I've always thought vegetable soup was good for when you feel

nauseous from not eating, like you'll throw up if you eat, though with his tics

he may need soup in a cup rather than a bowl/spoon.

>

> Quick thoughts.

>

>

>

>

> >

> > Hi all,

> >

> > You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured I'd

put this out there to the list........

> >

> > First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps (and

I mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to participate

in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open up more

about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really doesn't

understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least he's

opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

> >

>

>

[Guest guest]

Oh, hope the Marinol proves to be the winner!

I know when my mom was in the nursing center, and really underweight with

dementia, they gave her an appetite stimulant and I wonder if that is what it

was....

>

> Thanks so much Chris. I agree with the more frequent meals, I think they are

trying to do that and are offering him just about whatever he asks for if they

have it. I can't recall if I posted this or not, but I was googling appetite

stimulants and up popped Marinol. It is used for chemotherapy patients to help

reduce nausea/vomiting and to increase appetite. Well it just so happens, that a

gal on my

[Guest guest]

Oh, hope the Marinol proves to be the winner!

I know when my mom was in the nursing center, and really underweight with

dementia, they gave her an appetite stimulant and I wonder if that is what it

was....

>

> Thanks so much Chris. I agree with the more frequent meals, I think they are

trying to do that and are offering him just about whatever he asks for if they

have it. I can't recall if I posted this or not, but I was googling appetite

stimulants and up popped Marinol. It is used for chemotherapy patients to help

reduce nausea/vomiting and to increase appetite. Well it just so happens, that a

gal on my

[Guest guest]

Thank you so much for posting this .

My daughter is for all intents and purposes, anorexic. We tried Cyproheptadine

to stimulate her appetite and it didn't work. I never heard of Marinol, but I

am going to ask her doctor about it. She is 13 years old, 58 inches tall and

only weighs 60lbs.

> > >

> > > Hi all,

> > >

> > > You just never know where the right solution will come from so I figured

I'd put this out there to the list........

> > >

> > > First, the good news.......my son is starting to take little baby steps

(and I mean little!) with his progress at 's. He's still not able to

participate in group therapy or any of the activities, but he's starting to open

up more about his OCD to the psychiatrist. It's confusing for him and he really

doesn't understand it, so it's difficult for him to articulate, but at least

he's opening the door and giving them something to grab onto.

> > >

> >

> >

>

>

>

>