Love for an anorexic girl. An actress dying of anorexia can no longer be helped Stages of anorexia nervosa
Farrukh, with her height of 1.70 m, weighed only a little over 18 kg. The actress shared her ten-year struggle with anorexia with the whole world.
Rachel Farrukh's condition has deteriorated significantly in recent months, but none of the hospitals located near her home in San Clemente, Orange County, California, has agreed to admit the actress. It was said that she was responsible for her “dangerous” weight.
Her husband posted the following message on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe: “My beautiful wife, with whom I have lived together for over ten years, will not get out unless we take action! She is struggling with an illness that has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness disorders. My wife has a severe case of anorexia."
After Farrukh and her husband asked the public for help, nearly $200,000 in donations was collected within weeks. Part of the funds was used to pay for a team of doctors and other specialists who attended to Rachel at her hospital bed. AND
A victim of anorexia was admitted to the medical center at the University of California at San Diego (UC San Diego), considering it too risky to transport the patient to a hospital in Colorado (Colorado).
Rachel's devoted husband, Rod Edmondson, 41, quit his job as a personal trainer to provide 24-hour care for his wife as soon as she took a turn for the worse.
Some time after the public outcry, Edmondson made a statement: “Finally, we did it!” he said. “Thank you to everyone who sent their best wishes. We are so pleased to announce that we are now in business at the eating disorder center.” let's go uphill."
“There is still a lot of work ahead, but with your love and support we will fight to get better.”
It is still unknown what additional help Farrukh receives, in addition to his basic treatment. The medical staff is most likely trying to establish the process of nutrition absorption, gradually increasing
real number of calories. Edmondson was informed that switching to a nutritious diet too quickly could trigger a "metabolic increase" and cause even greater weight loss.
The husband uploaded several videos when Rachel was already in the hospital. One of them shows a Boston Terrier named Chopper, who came to visit a sick woman. Another shows the actress standing up using a special device. The patient clenches her teeth and seriously strains, overcoming her pain.
In a video posted on YouTube, Farrukh, looking like a mummy, tells her viewers: "Hi everyone. It's me, Rachel. I want to thank you all for everything you do for us. This means the world to us. To me "There's a real chance to survive. What you guys did is amazing."
doctor, nurse, therapist and a number of other specialists...
Rod Edmondson and Rachel Farrukh met when he was appointed as her personal trainer. Before her battle with anorexia, the actress was a real beauty. She maintained an active and healthy lifestyle.
"She was a really driven adult; she was a perfectionist," Edmondson says.
Speaking about how it all went downhill, Farrukh said: "It all started quite innocently. I wanted to lose a couple of kilos to define my abs."
However, the sudden loss of her job and painful memories from her past resulted in a serious eating problem. As the disorder spiraled out of control, the actress found herself slipping dangerously from her healthy 56kg mark. Over time, the weight dropped below 22 kg.
There is information that at her worst point Farrukh weighed just over 18 kg. She herself refused to disclose the exact data, but posted
YouTube videos speak louder than numbers. They show the bones of her chest protruding through the skin and the bones of her knee joint protruding from her legs.
Due to her serious condition, Farrukh suffered from heart and kidney failure, plus she required blood transfusions. Along with the decline of her body, a decline in mental abilities also appeared. With such a low body weight, the brain began to think a little slower than usual. Sometimes Rachel forgot what she was told just a few seconds ago.
Dr. Michael Strober, a professor of psychiatry at the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), said the process of re-feeding in people at "dangerous" weights should be closely monitored. Otherwise, the patient's health may be at risk.
Strober said: "Increasing calories too quickly can lead to metabolic adaptations that are associated with a number of dangerous
those that pose a threat to life."
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight and an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. Patients usually have a distorted perception of their body. They can deliberately limit themselves in food, cause a gag reflex and exhaust themselves with physical activity in an attempt to lose “extra” weight.
Symptoms of the disorder, in addition to weight loss itself, include abnormal blood counts, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, thinning or brittle hair, lack of menstruation in women, dry skin, etc.
Experts emphasize that anorexia is not only a “strained relationship” with food, as many still think. In reality, anorexia is a painful attempt to cope with emotional problems. A distorted view of your body is often provoked by low self-esteem. A person begins to stubbornly lose weight, without a sense of proportion, ignoring the consequences and cherishing delusional ideas.
Californian Rachel weighs about 18-19 kg and has been struggling with anorexia for about 10 years. She recorded this video to pity hearts and help her cope with her illness, and to raise money for treatment.
Rachel Farrokh and her husband Rod Edmonson raised more than $100,000 on GoFundMe to try to save her life.
And this is Rachel's video message for help:
After 10 years and several failed treatment attempts at specialized centers, Farrokh says he is now fighting for his life. According to her, only one center in Colorado is ready to work with her at this stage of anorexia.
She says that she needs financial support to get into this hospital; her husband was forced to quit his job to care for his wife.
“We need your support. Otherwise I don't have a chance. And I’m ready to be cured,” says Rachel.
Her husband Rod Edmonson wrote on the official page where they ask for help that hospitals refuse to treat Rachel because she is too low, they are afraid to take responsibility for her life. There is only one hospital in the States that treats patients with this condition.
“Rachel is a charming, kind and brilliant woman who always puts the interests of others before her own. Those who know her personally will confirm that she is wonderful, caring and with a heart of gold,” writes her husband.
The couple raised $100,000 needed for treatment in 23 days, and the total amount of donations has already exceeded $190,000.
Farrokh is already receiving the help he needs from doctors in California and is preparing to move to the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders at Denver Health Medical Center.
Doctors in California have not yet cleared her to travel to Colorado, “we are trying to improve the patient’s condition so that she can bear the journey,” says Dr. Rachel.
Dr. Jennifer L. Gaudiani from the same center in Colorado says that their hospital is designed specifically for patients like Rachel and offers both psychological and medical support: “Based on height and weight, Rachel has one of the highest levels of underweight, what I have encountered."
Rachel's husband believes his wife's case could be the start of a movement to prevent similar fatal diseases. The couple wants to pursue this direction (as we understand, if Rachel Farrokh survives).
“People think that all this is nonsense and is simply the result of a wild desire to be skinny. They think that all they need is to eat a little and everything will pass. But this is not so,” Rod and Rachel write on the Internet.
Stages of anorexia nervosa
- Dysmorphomanic- thoughts about one’s own inferiority and inferiority prevail, in connection with imaginary completeness. Characterized by depressed mood, anxiety, and prolonged examination of oneself in the mirror. During this period, the first attempts to limit oneself in food and the search for the ideal diet arise.
- Anorectic - occurs against the background of persistent starvation. A weight loss of 20–30% is achieved, which is accompanied by euphoria and a tightening of the diet, “to lose even more weight.” At the same time, the patient actively convinces himself and others that he has no appetite and exhausts himself with great physical exertion. Due to a distorted perception of his body, the patient underestimates the degree of weight loss. The volume of fluid circulating in the body decreases, which causes hypotension and bradycardia. This condition is accompanied by chilliness, dry skin and alopecia (baldness). Another clinical sign is the cessation of the menstrual cycle in women and a decrease in libido and spermatogenesis in men. The function of the adrenal glands is also impaired, leading to adrenal insufficiency. Due to active tissue breakdown, appetite is suppressed.
- Cachectic is a period of irreversible degeneration of internal organs. It occurs in 1.5–2 years. During this period, weight loss reaches 50% or more of its intended weight. In this case, protein-free edema occurs, the water-electrolyte balance is disturbed, and the level of potassium in the body sharply decreases. This stage is usually irreversible. Dystrophic changes lead to irreversible inhibition of the functions of all systems and organs and death.
Take care of your friends and loved ones, or at least don’t like photos of friends who are clearly overweight.
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USA News. Aspiring actress Rachel Farrokh, who was on the verge of death due to her critically low weight (about 20 kg), has changed incredibly, gaining almost everything that she lost during her illness.
But the girl is not going to stop there - this is only part of her plan to combat anorexia.
She told NBC4 that she was going to dedicate her life to helping other people suffering from this disease.
Photo. Rachel Farrokh now
Although Rachel is still frail and has difficulty getting around on her own, she is trying to use her public profile to help get insurance coverage for those receiving hospital treatment for eating disorders.
Rachel Farrokh:
Now so many people support me, so I can no longer stay away from this problem.
Photo. Rachel Farrokh before her recovery
The Farrokh couple were among hundreds of those who took part in the Second Annual March Against Digestive Diseases, where they spoke about why some treatments have not worked, The Daily Mail reports.
Rachel Farrokh:
My body did not accept any treatment, and the doctors did not understand that treatment of the body should go along with treatment of the brain.
The world first learned about Rachel Farrokh from San Clemente, California in May 2015.
Then the girl posted a video online in which she begged people to donate money for her treatment for anorexia.
Rachel Farrokh (text on video):
I have been suffering from this disease for quite a long time and now I weigh about 20 kg. There is one hospital that can help me, but the chances of getting there are very low. I need your help. To get to the hospital, I need your support, otherwise I have no chance.
Rachel's husband, Rod Edmondson, quit his job to care for his wife around the clock.
Photo. Rachel Farrokh and her husband Rod Edmondson
And people responded.
After voluntary donations in the amount of $200 thousand were collected for her treatment, she was able to pay for life-saving treatment.
Rachel visited various medical centers, but only treatment at a clinic in Portugal became a real breakthrough in her recovery process.
Photo. Rachel Farrokhbefore I got better
Dr. Duarte, who is responsible for Rachel's treatment, wrote on her Facebook page that Rachel walks for 15 minutes every day to gradually build muscle and improve her balance.
Duarte, doctor Rachel Farrokh:
Rachel's condition is much better now, but there is still a lot to be done.
Rachel Farrokh:
The treatment is based on love and care, a sense of security, which I have not seen in other clinics where reward and punishment methods are used. A sense of security and safety is essential to recovery.
The Farrokh family kept regular records of the results of their treatment, and later they even uploaded some of these videos to the Internet.
One of them showed Rachel using a special device to stand up on her own, something she had not done for about 10 years. A special bandage was placed around her body, and a nurse was on duty nearby.
Rod Edmondson, husbandRachel Farrokh:
Even though she was in great pain every day, she kept her promise and continued to fight. I would like to thank all our friends who have always supported us.
Rachel also thanked those who voluntarily donated money for her treatment, because it helped her survive.
Rachel Farrokh:
They treated me with respect, but I didn’t even think I deserved it.
Photo. Rachel Farrokh before illness
Rachel Farrokh:
It all started innocently enough, I just wanted to lose a couple of kilos to look better. However, the sudden loss of a job and bad memories of the past spurred the development of anorexia.
Recall that when her illness got out of control, the girl discovered that her weight had dropped from her normal 60 kg to less than 30 kg.
Rachel Farrokh:
I have a big family and it means everything to me.
Photo. Rachel Farrokh and her husband Rod Edmondson before their family tragedy
Rachel Farrokh met her future husband at the gym.
He worked as a coach, she regularly attended classes. At that time she was a beautiful, active and healthy woman.
Translation: Liliya Solomenkova
“At some point I just felt that I wanted nothing more than to die thin.” Confession of an anorexic sufferer
Not long ago, this brave girl defeated a disease that threatened her with irreversible consequences incompatible with life.
It all started with a simple desire to lose weight.
There is support in society when you lose weight, everyone says: “What a great guy. I would like that. This is willpower." You lose 15-25 kilograms and there are irreversible consequences for the body. I can’t say that according to medical indicators, I was much below the norm, just a little.
I'm lucky. I was treated for only 6 years for this.
For only 2 years it was an anorectic stage. Some go to such a disadvantage that there is no return. 
When on the site for anorexia sufferers, where Katya spent a lot of time, people suddenly simply dropped out of communication, no one was interested in what could happen to them.
Meanwhile, this disease is among the first in terms of fatal outcomes.
And all because it is very difficult to admit that you are sick. 
Katerina Kovalenok-Glukhovskaya:
It seemed to me that doctors were my enemies. Doctors, parents, everyone who is trying to direct me to gain weight. They themselves are just complete, they don’t know what they are asking for.
It even seemed to me that they envied me.
Because my mother was always more beautiful than me, and then I suddenly became beautiful. This is such a teenage mindset that cannot be explained - now I have difficulty understanding where such thoughts came from in general.
When the fattest girl in the class suddenly became the thinnest, life got better. The boys began to pay attention, and the girls stopped criticizing. 
Katerina Kovalenok-Glukhovskaya:
I tried to eat, then worked it off with sports.
It came to this: pump the abs 800 times until a bloody callus or ulcer appeared on my back.
And I thought that this was normal, this was great, this was right. And everyone on the sites is supportive. Everyone says that I’m great, that’s how it should be. Someone else with better results, conditionally, better. But at some point I just woke up and felt that I wanted nothing more than to die thin.
But I didn’t want to die at all! 
Katerina Kovalenok-Glukhovskaya:
Before that, I volunteered in animal shelters - I helped care for dogs and cats, I dreamed of working with children with disabilities, helping them socialize, I wrote poems, books, participated in shows, sang. It was always active somewhere. It all collapsed.
I had no energy for anything, I even stopped studying well.
Previously, I was an excellent student, but then I realized that I was simply losing consciousness over an English textbook, and I had no strength. My energy went into counting calories and counting the exercises I did that day.
Katya made a firm decision not to contradict her nature and return to normal weight, giving up self-torture and starvation. 
Katerina Kovalenok-Glukhovskaya:
I met a man who is now my husband. And for him it didn’t matter at all how much I weigh, because we communicated as individuals.
He remembered me from the Lyceum, when I read my poems there.
He came to the circle, and then we met a few years later. We started communicating like people. Not as objects with certain shapes. We started traveling together and playing mind games.
Katya trained as a psychologist. Today she helps a girl in whom she recognizes herself and her once unsolvable problems. Katya is fighting for her return to normal life, without fears, without not accepting yourself as you are.
Katerina Kovalenok-Glukhovskaya:
Sunny, you can do it. I really believe in you. And, in fact, most of my motivation to come today and talk about myself was to support you. You are a very creative person, wonderful.
And I hope that your dreams never come down to just losing weight.
Hold on! You can get through this and be happy. I hope it stays that way for you.
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