Park City High School senior Kevin Whiting has felt pain in his lower abdomen all his life.

He felt it each time his body hit a growth spurt, and by the time he was 13 and a student at Treasure Mountain Middle School, the pain was so severe, he couldn’t eat, let alone function as a normal teenager.

His parents Vicki and Jeff took him to doctors and specialists but were told the same thing.

Kevin was anorexic.

The problem was, he wasn’t. Kevin had been misdiagnosed and was actually suffering from Wilkes Syndrome, an ailment where the Superior Mesenteric Artery cut off his small intestines so food couldn’t pass through.

The symptoms were severe weight loss and pain, said his mother Vicki Whiting during a joint interview she and Kevin had with The Park Record.

“Kevin was treated with anti-anxiety medication and anti depressants to cure his anorexia,” Vicki Whiting said. “That was when Kevin became suicidal because he was taking medicines he shouldn’t have been on.”

Unfortunately, once her son was labeled as anorexic, it became the de facto diagnosis.

“It precluded Kevin from getting the diagnostics he should have received, and to get the medical system to move past the short-hand explanation was one of the hardest things we had to go through,” she said.

After going to four or five specialists, the Whitings went to a family friend who was a colorectal surgeon.

“He knew me well enough to run the diagnostics that needed to be done, and the remedy was surgery,” Kevin said.

The Whitings’ plight is documented in a new book called “In Pain we Trust: A Conversation Between Mother and Son on the Journey from Sickness to Health.” The book will be released on Oct. 10.

The idea for the book came after Kevin’s duodenojejunostomy, which is an operation that forms a passage between the beginning and middle of the small intestine.

“The last time the surgery had been done at Primary Children’s Hospital was 10 years ago but at that point, Kevin was taller than five feet and weighed only 65 pounds,” Vicki said.

After the surgery, Kevin still was being nourished through a pick line that ran through his veins, said Vicki Whiting.

“We spent a lot of time in the car going from doctor appointments to school,” she said. “Usually his spirits were high, but one particular day, they weren’t and he said, maybe there was some way we could make it so someone didn’t have to go through what he did.”

The idea stuck with Vicki, who is a professor at Westminster College, and she decided to write a book.

“Since I do write as part of my occupation and my articles are meant to inform and share ideas, it was the only thing I had to share from my skill set,” she said.

The book was different than writing about mentorships, global leaderships and social entrepreneurship articles she was used to writing, but in some ways easier.

“Kevin and I both felt we had an important story to share,” she said. “We felt it could make a difference for other kids who may be suffering through chronic, complex illnesses, or who were having trouble having their voices heard as they worked through the medical system.”

At other times, it was more difficult.

“Going back through and reliving the painful story and realizing at many junctures, the outcome could have been much different, was hard for us,” Vicki said. “My husband Jeff would come home and know we had been writing because of the heaviness in the air.”

Kevin had a difficult time writing because it brought back scary events that he had tried to block out of his mind.

“It did help therapeutically, though,” he said. “It also put forward memories that I didn’t recall, because sometimes when something happened I was trying to distract myself form the pain or I was so drugged up that I didn’t remember.”

However, the writing sessions were important to both, so they continued.

“Because the book is chronological, I would write my section and tell Kevin what I was writing about and ask him about his takes on the events,” Vicki said. “He would give me his story or essay and I would transcribe it or edit it. to have Kevin’s voice in the book is brilliant and I think is a contribution that I haven’t found anywhere else.”

Another challenge was knowing when not to open the door too wide on the family’s privacy.

“I tend to live my life pretty open, so it wasn’t hard for me to write my part, but the tricky part of it all is the fact that it’s the story of our family,” Vicki said. “My husband tends to be the one who makes it through a problem and march forward, and still it’s hard for him to see the pictures. My oldest son, Philip is a private person, and then we have our youngest daughter Katie, so we had to make sure we weren’t bringing in aspects of our private life that others would feel uncomfortable having out in the public.”

Book publishers had different ideas of how to distribute the book.

“McGraw-Hill publishers saw it playing a role in nursing school as a comprehensive case to go along with a nursing fundamentals text,” Vicki said. “So we ultimately left it up to Kevin to choose.”

“I thought the book meant more as a story than as a text,” he said. “As a text, no one would attach to the characters as much.”

So the family chose to publish through Blooming Twig Books, which will release it as a story.

Having the book published helped Vicki deal with some of the uncertainties she faced during the crisis.

“I realize now that I did make the best choices I could have at the time,” she said. “Even if people don’t buy the book, it’s documented so people like Kevin’s kids and his grandkids can know who he is.”

Kevin still hopes the book will help parents, doctors and children listen to each other.

“I’d like it to helps a doctor be more compassionate with a patient or help with a parent navigate the medical system or have a kid deal with their own pains,” he said.

“In Pain we Trust” will be available Oct. 10 at amazon.com and by visiting vickiwhiting.com.

I don't want to eat, even if I smell something I don't want to eat it. I drink water and don't really eat. I'm obsessed with losing weight.
It all really started when my mom said I looked big in some of my clothes, and to be careful I might gain weight. now I try to avoid mirrors and when I look in a mirror I feel like crying..or do cry.
I'm not sure if this is anorexia. what are the symptoms of anorexia?

Yupp, that's anorexia.

I know some like you can develop osteoporosis, and you can loose your period.

But what are all of them?

There are countless mental and health problems associated with anorexia.
Hair loss or brittleness/drying of the hair, brittle nails, dry skin. This is due to lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Solution- take a multiple vitamin every day (a calorie-free way to put some good stuff in to your system) and apply shea butter to face and skin once a day.
Weakened thyroid. This will cause extreme fatigue. Solution- take thyroid pills.
Poor blood circulation. This will result in feeling cold all the time and/or discolored skin, particularly in the feet (they may turn blue or purple).
Weakened vision and potential blindness, due to lack of essential vitamins and minerals. Solution- eat a lot of carrots. They are a negative calorie and contain Beta Carotene which improves vision.
Lowered metabolism from lack of nutrition.
Weight loss (that's an obvious one!)

That's all I can think of at the moment. if you're anorexic and are experiencing period problems, take iron supplements. Anorexics commonly lose periods because their bodies are retaining iron.

The biggest one is death!!! Anorexia severely weakens your heart. the one of the biggest causes of death in anorexic patience is heart related. your organs shut down. your hair falls out. Many many things.

I ask because I see a lot of incorrect answers about, mostly, bulimia.

I've been studying both disorders fairly extensively in my psychology class. Most people with bulimia aren't extremely skinny. Once they do reach a certain low body weight, they in the binging and purging subtype of anorexia. a person, diagnostically, cannot be both anorexic and bulimic.

I had anorexia about 4 years ago, and I think I am still suffering from some of the effects of it. anyone that HAD anorexia is welcome to answer…

How can you tell if someone has that or bulemia?

anorexia=never ever eats, stopped period, doesnt eer go out to eat or anything, always talks about food, they dont know they have a problem

bulemia=eats ALOT(normaly alone), then throws up. they know they have a problem. some ppl do this 20 times a day. crazy.

Is there also symptoms relating to psychological problems too? do you know someone who has suffered and recovered from one of these?? Which one? Is there a way to help them to encourage them to really want to work at it?

its more dangerous. its one thing to not put food in your body but another to put it in there and take it out.

when you throw up, you are damaging your esphogaus. you are also bringing up the acid in your stomach and it will deteriate your throat. you are having your body take in food and fool it into thinking you ate but you body catches on too fast.

you need to get help if you have an eating disorder. just for the quality of life sake. you rather die then be healthy and not ugly thin? i dont understand.

Bulimia is just as dangerous as anorexia, but it is often charcterized as less dangerous because it is less rare, and there are fewer bulimia-related deaths. but bulimia really is dangerous: throat cancer, stomach cancer, rotted teeth, sores on the hands and around the mouth, weakened heart, dehydration, serious electrolyte imbalance, malnutrition . . .it's all there, and you really can die.

I have had bulimia for four years. I am semi-recovered at this point. Recovery is very, very, hard for anyone with an eating disorder. They define themselves by their disorders, they arrange their life around food and controlling their appetites. Letting go of the disease means confronting the issues behind the disease, and that process is never easy.

It's hard to force someone into recovering, because we eating-disordered types are a creative bunch. the person has to want it for themselves, or they will just fall back into the same behavioral patterns. Therapy along with meds like Prozac are usually most helpful to get the person to realize their worth.

Whenever someone told me to eat I would do the opposite. so dont yell or nag at the person.

it is worse because the violent actions that you are doing to your system. For example you can get esophageal cancer or esophageal hernia from the stomach acids, not a good thing.

I was anorexic for four years and almost died.

I have been bulimic for 3 years and have almost died.

Bulimia is worse because its effects are immediate as well as its inherent dangers. You can be 80 lbs for awhile and not even have terrible health, but you cannot puke up everything, everyday and avoid electrolyte imbalance, amylase imbalance, faintness, the body immediately adjusting metabolism and the entire digestive process to a binge/purge cycle.

And this sounds crazy but anorexia made me happier. even though it was irrational and false, the sense of power and control plus the physical skinniness that people love made me sooo much happier than bulimia ever did…bulimia in fact only made me feel OUT of control, disgusting, inferior, no physical perks and much more medically unstable.

it is a living hell of hells.

My friend is not eating lunch's at school and I don't think she eats breakfast, but once at my house I made her a nice diner and later I heard her in my bathroom trowing up. I also found some laxatives in her bag, what does she have bulimia, anorexia, EDNOS, or something else? I really want to help her, but I don't know what she has yet… can someone help me? Thanks

Maybe you're jumping to conclusions.
She could have thrown up because she felt sick?
But since you found the laxatives, maybe not, but you also said she does not eat at school, normally people with bulimia binge eat, then throw it all up, and people with anorexia eat only minimal amounts.
(this is just my understanding of it)
I think the best thing to do is confront her about your concerns, she might be resistant to talk about it, but let her know you're only asking because you care, and if you do get solid information that she is anorexic/bulimic or if she has admitted it contact someone, a doctor, her parents, the school.. etc immediately, before it can get any worse (even she begs you not to tell anyone) because it is a mental issue and she will probably need advice and solutions from a professional.

You have to be careful how you handle this, she may withdraw from you if you just try to intervene. the best possible way to help her is to talk to her and gradually bring the conversation around – very gently to talk about how we manage stress and how people do unusual things. Some people drink, some go shopping and some binge. and then ask her if she's ever experienced anything like that.

You can find a lot of information on this on my website – which I hope you will get her to look at eventually. there is some good help out there – and some really bad help too. Just getting someone to not vomit is not what it's about. Bulimia is part of one's nature. She probably is quite a hard worker, work hard play hard – and has many aspects of her life very organised. However, she is statistically likely to have parents whose marriage is struggling, someone in her family (parents or grandparents) alcoholic, and may have had bouts of depression. So this is a fragile landscape and you need to tread very lightly.

If there is anything I can do let me know.
RH
vancouverhypnotherapy.org/hyp…

that is bulimia, not anorexia. that sucks especially since bulimia can make you really sick. your teeth will rot out.

you should tell a family member of her's if they are supportive people .

usually eating disorders occur when the person feels they dont have control. are her parents splitting? did she break up with a boyfriend? did she have to move away? any big events?

Yes, those are all "symptoms" of bulimia, at least. If she also thinks she's fat even being thin or skinny, than she has anorexia too.

Talk to her, the sooner she goes to the doctor, the better.

xxx.

She could have bulimia or anorexia. It's for herself to sort out, don't go to help her unless she is trying to bring up the topic. Comment on her looks too.

If she eats then purges (make herself sick, use laxative or exercise) the I believe she's bulimic, if she doesn't eat at all than she's anorexic.
It's going to be hard to help her.

if her head is starting to wobble cause her small stick-like body can't hold it up, well thats a huge clue

any way you look at it. it's a eating disorder

.. if the person was normal weight, and overweight/obese at the start?

Any info appreciated, thanks.

well there ain't that many difference's in anorexia in men and women

CHICAGO — More than half a million U.S. teens have had an eating disorder but few have sought treatment for the problem, government research shows. the study is billed as the largest and most comprehensive analysis of eating disorders. it involved nationally representative data on more than 10,000 teens aged 13 to 18. Binge-eating disorder was the most common, affecting more than 1.5 percent of kids studied. Just under 1 percent had experienced bulimia, and 0.3 percent had had anorexia. overall, 3 percent had a lifetime prevalence of one of the disorders. Another 3 percent of kids questioned had troubling symptoms but not full-fledged eating disorders. the study was released online Monday in Archives of General Psychiatry. the rates are slightly higher than in other studies. and the study is based on kids and parents interviewed over two years ending in 2004. but co-author and researcher Kathleen Merikangas of the National Institute of Mental Health says similar rates likely exist today. More than half the affected teens had depression, anxiety or some other mental disorder. Sizeable numbers also reported suicide thoughts or attempts. Merikangas said the results underscore the seriousness of eating disorders. ___ Online: NIH: health.nih.gov/topic/EatingDisorders Journal: archpsyc.ama-assn.org/