Red Tears and Rib Bones: A True Story of Anorexia, Sexual Abuse, and Self-Mutilation

State of Arizona, County of Maricopa, Affidavit: “Patient is a thirty-six-year-old Caucasian female admitted on a court-ordered evaluation secondary to her refusal to eat or drink and having to be fed by a feeding tube. Patient’s admit weight is sixty-five pounds. She is 5' 7". Her glucose level is life threatening at forty. Her electrolyte levels are abnormal. She is clearly in a compromised medical situation. In spite of being emaciated and malnourished, patient considered herself as “medium or over-medium” in size. Patient also admitted frequent nightmares and flashbacks related to sexual abuse that happened to her during her pre-teen years, admits being very concerned about symmetry and perfection, and counts in equal series of threes to calm herself down. The calorie count for the last twenty-four hours was zero.”