Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Miserable identity-card self

I am burried under loads and loads of paperwork, official applications for validating my diploma for another country and everything takes so long and these official translations with certification stamp from lawyer are SO expensive (--> no new books and coffee in next 3 weeks for me:/) and I didn't received some details about my thesis that I hoped I will have this week and and and... welcome panic attack. (It wasn't anything horrible, compared to what I used to experience it was like kindergarten panic, but I haven't been in the middle of proper panic attack for a long time and I haven't missed it.)

Mathias is doing somewhere between 5 and 11,5 (on Mum's scale 1 to 10). His (ex)roommate and all-time role model from school has visited in the weekend, because he is leaving for university in couple of days and for M. it was one of the best weekends food- and moodwise I think. School is M.'s motivation number one and although he won't be allowed to get back to boarding school in 3 weeks, he is working hard (as hard as Mum) to be able to go to local school and despite all anxieties and insecurities I believe every school will love to have him.

Grain of autumn is in the morning air. I got soaked at least three times last week (I am chronic no-umbrela person). I also saw the most massive and brightest rainbow ever. It was so strong and beautiful that it was almost scary.

I visited my Greatladies (Grandma and Great-aunt) for 3 days last week in our weekend house and it was good. I am glad Grandma took some holiday this year, because she is working like crazy despite she has problems with her spine and is constantly in pain. Greatladies are over eighty and every year less and less tolerant, constantly fighting over details (for example with what kind of rag I should clean windows - 15 minutes debate), they always know better (doctors, you know:) and they are cooking things I would never cook and eat at home, but they are awesome. You could see through their little fights how they love each other. And explaining my Grandma MicroRNA is the best:) I wish I was like them in my eighties!

Tiptoe has recently some good posts about getting rid of things that symbolize eating disorders in some ways and about loss of identity of eating disordered self.  I was thinking about it when I was discarding my old student card and identity card for hospital. These cards were made 6 years ago when I was not as physically sick and lost as when I was 15, but when I saw the face on the picture (I've seen it 6 years non-stop, but you kind of put your card on the white coat and don't care) it scared me. Deadened eyes and 1/3 of hair I used to have and unsuccessful attempt to smile a bit. I was freezing cold just from looking at that face. And at the same time I was/am jealous. Not that I like myself on the photo. I am sorry for my 20 years old ugly and miserable self in 2 pullovers. But I can feel the anesthesia, the I-have-no-power-to-care-or-freak effect of starvation, the relative simplicity of my ED rules at that time compared to all scary changes and responsibilities that are coming now. I am telling myself I don't want to be that girl every.single.day meal/exercise urge. I want to be like my Grandma, full of life and enthusiasm and ideas even at 84. I want my grandchildren to explain me something that will be new and exciting in medicine in 2069. But at the same time I wish I could escape of this life, escape of what everyone expect me to do and achieve and to look at the world with this disinterested, indifferent way whispering: I am not participating on this game anymore. I am not here. I live by another rules. 
I am not going there. The pictures on my new cards are healthy looking. But why does staying on the right path still cost me so much mental power and space? Why is this idea of feeling nothing and being emotionally flat so tempting?




3 comments:

  1. Hey Ola,

    wow, your grandma and great-aunt sound very nice and interesting. And it's great that they motivate you :-) And I'm glad your brother is doing well.

    Regarding the last paragraph of your post... I can definitely relate to the feeling of wishing to just escape the life, not having any responsibility for a while and not having to face the unknown and uncertain. And knowing that it's not the right thing to do because it ultimately leads to more unhappiness, problems and self-destruction.

    The good thing is that you know that you don't want to go there and you seem very determined in not going there. I think I can imagine how hard it is to go against what you've been used to and what many times brought you short-term relief. I've been there several times and still am there and often am hesitant about which way to go.

    Anyway... Wish you strength to stay on the right path now and hopefully it will take you less effort to do so soon :-)

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  2. 5 to 11,5??!?! Seriosusly?
    I'd give myself at least 3,14159 to 16. Fair enought.
    And if I had to grade you, it would be -7 for sense of self-worth, 94 for persistence and 98 for being you (on Momma's scale 0-10).
    I'd rather not rate the picture. You look like some extinct antarctic animal. Mrowls (verification word- sounds like sound of an extinct animal, doesn't it?)

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  3. Thank you, Zuzka! Probably things are bit better than as it seems from this post. I am much whinier (more whiny?) in this blog than in real life. But I need this outlet I think.

    O zvířatech si ještě promluvíme, až se vrátíš, bráško;) Mrowls zní jako mrožosova nebo tak něco. Mrowlsmrowls a díky!

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