Our daughter, Guzzy, was weight restored from anorexia (ana) the winter of 2013, was back to school full-time, and was regaining more age-appropriate independence with her eating. This was all fabulous progress! At the same time, we were struggling to get over the final hump to full recovery. Ana’s grip on Guzzy had weakened; it was a mere ghost of its present self, but Ana was still there tugging at the corners of Guzzy’s recovery.
It turns out that a trip to Hawaii was just the ticket! We had a some extra money that year and I was looking to take a fancy trip for spring break. Tentative plans with a friend to join her and her girls in Jamaica fell through, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to visit an exotic location that I have longed to see: Hawaii!! So, I booked the trip for the March spring break.
It was wonderful in every possible way. I spent the extra money for a 2 BR condo right on the beach — which was a terrific investment. My husband had the foresight to bring binoculours. We watched whales off the coast while drinking our morning coffee on the condo deck.
One of many great memories was the first day; Guzzy plopped herself onto her towel and grabbed a bag of chips and just started eating them. It was the most natural thing in the world. Guzzy had not allowed Ana to join us in Hawaii; Ana was left shivering in the cold and alone in Wisconsin – YAY!!
From there on, I loosened the mama bear reins on eating, and it simply worked. We had yummy food like fresh pineapple, macadamia nut pancakes, mangos, fresh bananas, etc., and ate one (large) meal a day in a restaurant. Eating in a restaurant was something we hadn’t been able to do for a very long time. It was a much-needed and appreciated break from the stress of the past year, and provided a glimpse into what post-ED life would be like.
Guzzy turned 17 on our vacation and we went to a luau. It was absolutely fabulous. She and I were pleasantly surprised that there were many male dancers in traditional attire. Hubba Hubba! As I tell her: I may be old and married, but I’m not blind!
We were very sad to leave Hawaii, particularly since there were still several weeks of polar vortex weather awaiting us. Ana was also waiting, but Guzzy did not let her back in. I suspect Guzzy still has her moments of missing Ana, but she doesn’t show it at all.
Guzzy’s therapists and her parents all agree that she is an incredible and incredibly strong young woman. Given what she has gone through, she can face anything else that life throws her way.
Now – can I deduct the Hawaii trip as a medical expense???
