Dr Oz Anorexia; Bryan Bixler Suffering Extreme Anorexia – Dr. Oz checks in on former anorexic Bryan Blixer, he has been in treatment for 10 months. see Bryan’s amazing progress and hear about his recovery. his immune system was failing and at risk for a heart attack and a prisoner in his own body. 40 year old Bryan was suffering from Anorexia he was at deaths door and desperately needed help.
Eating disorders were thought to be for women only, but today Dr Oz talks with a man with severe anorexia that is killing him.
Bryan is 40 years old and has suffered with severe anorexia for 20 years now. Bryan used to be a runner, and very athletic. his coach from years ago got him started on a healthy nutrition lifestyle that has gone beyond being healthy.
This man that was once a runner now can hardly climb the stairs. Bryan is a perfectionist, and he eliminated all fats from his diet, which is a no no!
Bryan went to the truth tube and his weight today is 76 pounds, his body fat was less than 4%, the truth tube numbers stop at 4%, so there was no way of telling how low his body fat really was. his triglycerides were 20 – which should be 150, his glucose levels were 32 – 30 and below means he would start to pass out. Bryan’s white blood cell count was 1.4. Dr Oz went on to listen to his heart which was very faint and slow.
Dr Oz explained to Bryan that he doesn’t have the basic nutrients in his body, and this is going to cause him to die. Bryan has a masters in Science, and knows the ramifications of what is happening to him from being anorexic, and goes on to say to Dr Oz this disease has no logic.
Bryan’s Mom Jean and sister Kim says watching him for the last twenty years has been so heartbreaking watching him starving himself to death, it’s unexplainable. there is somedays he can’t get out of bed, he doesn’t socialize, there is food in his cupboards but he just can’t bring himself to eat it. he eats a very small portion of proteins, a bunch of lettuce and he will eat popcorn and that will be all he will eat for an entire day. he looks in the mirror and see a human skeleton, something that belongs in a coffin.
Bryan said he asks himself if all I have to do is live is to start eating, why don’t I start eating. if my choice is eating a meal versus dying, it’s a no brainer. But something in his head stops him from doing what he needs to do to survive. Bryan has gone to doctors over the years in search of help – One doctor he went to see told him he looked a little thin!
Dr Oz asked Bryan if he wanted to die and Bryan said certainly not. Dr Oz had Dr Tom Hilderbrandt join them onstage today. he explained there are some differences between men and women symptoms of Anorexia. Dr Hilderbrandt said he is alomost certain Bryan’s life can improve. Immediately after the show Bryan was taken to Rosewood for treatment.
Bryan was on deaths door and when he arrived he battled them quite a bit. One thing about bryan was he really wanted to get well. Bryan told Dr Oz Rosewood was a gift from God and that he was finally where he needed to be in order to save his life. he said he feels as though he has a new beginning.
Bryan came out on stage and looked fantastic and healthy everyone in the studio audience stood with loud cheers and applause for him. Dr Oz asked him how does it feel and with a big smile Bryan said it feels incredible.
Bryan as Dr Oz said looked like a someone who belongs to a tombstone, he was a skeleton and now who is healthy and strong. Bryan told Dr Oz he had not seen any of those photo’s since coming to the show the first time. Dr Oz asked Bryan what was the hardest part physically and Bryan responded that about the 3rd week in treatment he had to get a transfusion and honestly felt worse than he ever did and thought he was going to die. he realized things had to get worse before they get better!
Bryan had severe edema for about 6 months and just week he did yoga and could actually sit indian style which he couldn’t do before.
Bryan’s biggest challenge emotionally through the recovery of his battle with anorexia was getting emotions back, prior to this time he wasn’t feeling a whole lot. When all the emotions came back and looking back to that period of his life he had a great deal of pain come back up. for about month he was just about in tears thinking about his life when he was in that condition. Thinking back to pleading for help and unable to get help for anorexia. all this came back to him once he was getting healthier.
Bryan’s Mom and Sister were there with him today and said it was a miracle to watch him now. Dr Oz admitted he didn’t know much about anorexia before Bryan appeared on his show the first time, didn’t know much about men’s eating disorders period. What shocked Dr Oz the most was when Bryan said he wasn’t sure if anorexia was slow form of suicide that was completely out of his control.
Bryan says it is a long slow process and Rosewood is absolutely amazing, it was a step by step concept of letting go of that control and trusting the treatment team and do what they suggested he do and it was a very difficult process for him.
Michelle Klinedinst Director of Rosewood Center Eating Disorders said when Bryan first arrived they were very worried he was so medically compromised and malnourished he was lucky to be alive. with his weight restoration they had to help him to increase his food intake over time and that was difficult but he stuck with it and did a very good job.
Dr Oz would not give Bryan’s weight but said it is in a healthy range the first time in two decades. his past numbers told DR Oz he was going to die soon
Triglycerides before: 20Triglycerides after: 122
Glucose Before: 32Glucose after: 81
White Blood Cell Count Before: 1.4White Blood Cell Count after: 2.8
Bryan has a healthy heart beat now as well!
Bryan said the first time he was treatment his parents pretty much forced me to go and he relapsed. This time around getting treatment for anorexia was a matter of life and death for Bryan and he really didn’t have a choice so he doesn’t feel he will relapse this time.
Bryan is currently in the Rosewood Outpatient Program and living in a transitional living house and his future looks very bright says Michelle Klinedinst. he will probably discharged in a few months and it will be very important for him to continue out patient counselling it is a process, and her hope would be after several years of successful recovery that Bryan will come back and be part of the staff at Rosewood.
Anorexia Nervosa in Males: Anorexia is a life-threatening disorder that is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
1. Food rituals2. Compulsive exercise and/or preoccupation with body mass, muscles, etc.3. Preoccupation with food4. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age, height, body type, and activity level5. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight6. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced7. Undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of current low body weight8. Lying about eating or difficulty eating around others9. Depression, isolation, loneliness10. Unrealistic and perfectionistic standards11. Difficulty expressing feelings12. Low self-esteem13. need for control14. possible sexual orientation and gender identity issues15. Decreased interest in sex, anxiety surrounding sexual activity16. Fatigue and muscle weakness17. Low blood pressure and body temperature18. Thinning hair or hair loss, lanugo19. Heart arrhythmia and electrolyte disturbances
Dr Oz introduced Bryan to Michelle Klinedinst from the Rosewood Center. Dr oz had another quest that was sent to Clarion Health Rehab on a previous show – 3 Ways Aspirin can Save Your Life and Tina Battles Anorexia. Tina, a single mom battling anorexia weighs under 90 pounds, has lost her teeth and the function of one kidney.
Bryan said he is willing to do what ever he is told to do, all the while looking through empty hollow eyes, that has absolutely no emotion in them. maybe the next time we hear news about Bryan it will be good news. Dr Klinedinst says is a very slow process to start to increase his food intake.
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