
Lauren GreenfieldĮvery picture that I have from the past five years, I have a tube in my nose. She arrived with a PEG feeding tube that had been surgically implanted in her stomach. A psychiatric nurse, she admitted herself to Renfrew after 10 hospitalizations.

Shelly, 25, from Salt Lake City, Utah, on her first day of treatment. They finally figured out that I was diluting the formula with water or running it into a cup. I mean, it was a totally different color.

I would dump out most of the formula and replace it with water. They started watching me because I wasn’t gaining weight. In the hospital, I would manipulate my tube. Hoyt is my ex-boyfriend and we live together. I was supposed to get three cans of 500 calories a night, but I’d only do one can and run it really slowly in case people would come to check on me, like Hoyt. It’s kind of embarrassing to have a tube in your nose and go to school and to work. Please enable JavaScript before you proceed.When I came to Renfrew, I was so gone I didn’t know what a normal meal looked like. Your browser either doesn't support JavaScript or you have it turned off. If you'd like to join thousands of readers who help make independent journalism possible, consider joining Tyee Builders.

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