Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory.
Description:
A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o’clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I found it fascinating. It is the true story of an Ohio girl, raised by mother who suffers from Münchhausen by Proxy Syndrome. I have always been interested in abnormal psychology and the completely whacked out things people do. The story is kind of like watching a train-wreck. I thought it was an easy book to read while still covering a very interesting and bizarre topic.
Ok. Im on my way to the library!
ReplyDeleteJust got this on the Kindle and started it. What an interesting syndrome...after the first two chapters, I agree like watching a train wreck. If anyone figures out what town she's from, I'm slightly interested in knowing.
ReplyDeleteIf I am remembering correctly, later on in the book it tells what town they are in. I remember when I read it that I looked it up online and was able to find the location. I can't remember what city it was now though.
ReplyDeleteSo, I finished the book last night. Wow. That's all I can say. I can't decide upon finishing the book, whether my final reaction is complete and utter horror at the specter of the Mother... or jaw dropping awe at the fact that the author survived, and resolved to make things better.I think I'll setting somewhere in between. This book was amazingly powerful.I would love to know, to have some insight into the mindset of the mom. Was she aware, or did the justification, double talk, and twisting take root in her brain like it did in all of her victims? It is astounding to me that someone can convince themselves and others so thoroughly that what their doing is right. She had to know right? She had to be aware of the pure evil that she wrought was of her own doing, and not the world conspiring against her as she so often claimed?That's the most frightening aspect to me.... that there's a possibility that she bought into the lies that she sold. Take the father's beating of Julie over the wrench. Did the mother remember that it was her that disposed of the wrench, working her family against each other to make herself feel loved? Or after a few days... did her mind allow her to remember it as her children being punished for losing one of her husbands tools?And that this all took place 40 minutes away ... in Lancaster! My stepmother worked at an elementary right next to Richenbacher AFB. This isn't a story of evil lurking out in the world... this happened here. Wow. I think those three letters sum up my complete reaction. Wow.
ReplyDelete**This isn't a spoiler, per say, but you may not want to read if you are not halfway through the book.
ReplyDeleteI'm about halfway through, Brandon, and I keep thinking the same thing. How does this mother do this? Is Munchausen by proxy considered a mental illness? Her brain obviously isn't wired properly for her to see that what she is doing is wrong; she has to have some serious mental illness. I have to think, as a teacher of parents that do some questionable things, (although not to this extreme, thank goodness) they do what they do because they believe it is for the best of their children. Then, sanity kicks in and says, or do they do what's best for themselves? (Disclaimer: I am not saying that any of my students' parents have brains that are not properly wired.) I do not want that to come back and kick me in the ass later! Anyway, how about the hiccup thing...when the brother got the hiccups she was up all night reading about what he could possibly have. I think she wanted them to be sick for the attention so badly, that she actually made herself believe they were.
I too am shocked that the author survived this. At the point I am in the book she is a freshman in high school and I'm rooting for her to tell someone or get the heck out! Easier said than done. I think it's interesting how she has this extreme love for her mother at times...she's really all that she has since her dad is even more mental.
As for the wrench...that seemed like complete desperation. I would love to know what was going on in her mind watching her children suffer because of her. Well, maybe I don't want to know. Just like the night she came into Julie's room with the gun in her mouth. To her, her kids are not kids. People in her house are not people, but objects to get her attention. Mental illnesses are strange things. I can't believe they let her care for people and children in her home...that's another one to list under "WOW".
And Dad....holy cow what a disaster.
Hats off to this author for surviving.
Oh, and you don't have to answer but I'm wondering if she will talk about any abuse from her brother. At that one point she says "wink wink"...I'll read to find the answer...but wanted to throw that out there!
I'll write more later.
I just finished the book. I won't repeat what has been said before me because I would just echo all of that. As a mother and a teacher it was mind boggling to think that no one else ever caught on, especially the counselors and other health professionals.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing the book, I wanted to find out if anything ever happened to her mother in Montana. I found this online: http://www.inthenews.co.uk/news/my-father-s-keeper-by-julie-gregory-$1232479.htm
Apparently there has been some controversery surrounding the book, whether it is all true or not. Some people claim Julie has faked the memories, but Sandy is so manipulative who knows? When googling her mother's name (Sandy Gregory-Parocai) I did come across Julie's parents' divorce decree through Fairfield County in Ohio. I was surprised to see that they didn't divorce (officially I guess) until 2005, after the book was published.
If some of you read the comments that were left at the link I posted I above I would be interested to hear your thoughts.
Either way - good book choice! It was an easy read and helps me to remember to be more aware and in tune with the children I come into contact with - and the adults.
P.S. One of the comments on the link says that the medical records that were provided in the book didn't prove MBP, that they were illnesses for which any child could be seen and that they did prove that Julie did have some sort of documented cardiac illness. I worked in the medical field for 10 years and I was much the same physical habitus as the author growing up (though I wasn't abused or starved, of course). I had a heart murmur at birth and would also have a rapid heart rate when I went from sitting to standing. It was considered benign and the doctors suggested I eat more iron, protein and get more exercise. As an adult I suffer from migraines and at one point (in my mid-20s) I was prescribed the same beta blocker (atenolol 25 mgs once a day, or "q.d." in medical terms). I then began taking it "b.i.d." or twice a day, making it 50 mgs of atenolol a day. I saw a cardiologist for some heart rate issues and possible mitral valve prolapse (sound familiar?) as an adult and he was shocked at how much atenolol I was taking. He said that for a person my age that was a whopping dose, albeit relatively harmless though he wanted to see me reduce it. How much more would it be for a 90 lb. 15 year-old girl? The cardiologist was prescribing it to shut the mom up. And I have seen that in the medical field as well - if a parent is particularly persistent a doctor will prescribe a harmless drug in order to alay fears.
ReplyDeleteThat's just my two cents.
So... the book was posted on the 15th. I requested in from the library on the 16th and you guys are done on the 20th it before I even have it! Even when I try to keep up I can't. I know if I don't want to know the details of the book I shouldn’t read the postings but as a nurse I can imagine the majority of the story line of the book. This syndrome or variations of it is more common than many of you think. It not only happens in Ohio, but here is Columbus!
ReplyDeleteAs far as how the medical system responds to such situations, specifically the medication Atenolol. The “normal” dose is between 25 mg and 200 mg per day. It is not just age and weight based, there are many additional factors considered, like patient’s symptoms and when the patent is a child those are often reported by parents. Your doctor may have wanted to decrease the dose for other reasons. It’s hard for me to speculate and I am not trying too. BUT for us to debate the practice of medicine and infer that we know more about this than the physicians seems a little silly.
With that said, Atenolol is very commonly prescribed to young patients. Believe it or not I also saw a pediatric cardiologist as a child and was prescribed 150 mg of Atenolol a day when I was about 11 years old and less than 100 pounds. This is a totally normal dose! In my 20s (closer to 30) I currently take 200 mg per day and weight about 150 pounds. Also, I am a currently a cardiac electrophysiology nurse and have seen this drug used at higher and lower levels than listed above and for reasons not mentioned here.
As far as MDs altering doses (prescribing tests and treatments) to allay fears… you are exactly right. That is the practice of medicine! A patient presents with a set of circumstances and the patient (and their family) collaborate to determine what the best plan of care would be. There are very few cut and dry absolutes in medicine… as a patient population we expect the medical team to have yes and no answers. To have things to be done and not done, well… those are determined on an individualized basis, based on the needs of the patient. It is the doctor’s best guess as what to do. It is different for every patient and to infer that the doctor’s practice was inappropriate in a book that has such controversially reliable content… I just don’t know?
Wow! Who do I think I am that I can post on a book that I haven’t even read!? I hope next time we can get a little more notice in advance so I can participate appropriately. ; )
Jo, it's understood that not everyone on here has the time to read at the same pace. There are several members (my fiancee being one of them) that haven't even started. I have a lot of time to read, particularly when I'm at work on night shift and there's not any storms in the area. A lot of the folks on here are teachers (Namely the other two who have also finished the book) and are on summer break... and therefor have the time now to read at a faster pace. I'm sure, come September the pace will slow back down.
ReplyDeleteI also know I'm at a slight advantage, knowing the book the day of the post... and I just go to Barnes & Nibbles the next day. Don't worry about not having started when others are finished... that's why we wait a month to post the next one.
Also, great insight, even without having read it... that's a really valuable perspective to have available for these types of discussion.
That was an interesting website regarding comments on the book. I really do believe the author in this case. Of course mom is going to deny it to the hills...as for the adopted daughter's comment, her mom could have written that too. At any rate, this author's childhood was not normal! I find it hard to believe that anyone could make up all of this.
ReplyDeleteBefore I go on, note that I have no medical background and have gone to a doctor for an illness zero times in my entire life...that said and knock on wood, please...wouldn't medical records be hard to use to judge whether someone was sick or not. Wouldn't the doctor write the record to go along with what they were seeing, hearing from the mother and observing from the patient. Jo, that was a good point about how folks have to work together to decide the best route for the patient. It is a lot like the teacher/student/parent relationship. False information from either party can do a lot of damage leading to an unsuccessful "route" to the betterment of the child. I can't imagine a Dr. writing a perfect report on Julie if her mom was saying all of these symptoms, as that could come back to bite him/her if something was actually wrong. We all have to cover our bases.
And, Jo, I admit, I have a Kindle, so I don't even have to get off my butt to get the book :) This being such a good one, I couldn't wait to comment on it! I have a feeling we'll still be talking about by the time you and Mel and the others finish!!
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/22/drugged.children.parenting/index.html
ReplyDeleteHOT topic! This is the whole point of a book club! Thumbs up to Brandon for making this happen!
ReplyDeleteHmmm... posting a year and a bit late - just found and read this book second hand in a junk shop.
ReplyDeleteI don't know... I found parts of it hard to believe, and it's published by a publisher that publishes all sorts of abuse survival stories.
There seem to be (imo) many questions - Gregory closes the book saying she was heading back to ohio to prosecute her mom and rescue the kid...
Whatever happened to that prosecution? Why is there no record of it that I can find?
Why did Melissa seemingly abandon her instead of not keeping a closer eye on the family?
I dunno... I know that there are some very sick people out there, and that in the US especaily it's very easy to isolate yourself from the community in rural areas, but... I dunno...