Cori's new trick

****Not for those with a weak stomach****You have been warned!****

Cori's family has a huge history of faking/forcing themselves to have medical problems to gain attention. There was a time in her life when she was at the doctor's office/walk-in clinic/ER 28 times in 25 days. No actual medical problem was diagnosed in any of those visits. Granted, she was just a child so it wasn't her fault. She was removed permanently from her mom at age 9 (actually a couple of months from turning 10) and remembers most of that. (Ironically, she did break her arm once and was supposed to go back in 3 weeks to have the cast removed. No one ever took her back. The cast stayed on for almost 10 weeks. Yuck!) Anyway, off and on the whole time I've had her, she's come up with imaginary medical complaints. I've told her caseworkers she may very well die from some illness because I just ignore all her complaints now.

Once, she went to a church-sponsored overnight camp out. My sister-in-law, who had taken her there, got a very angry phone call from one of the chaperones about 3 hours after dropping her off. They wanted to know why in the world her permission slip didn't include the fact that she was diabetic. SIL said, because she's not. Cori had very dramatically staggered into the medical tent and, with what appeared to be her last breath, said her blood sugar was low and she was about to pass out. I understand why the chaperone freaked, but I had filled out the required paperwork and written "none" in the part that asked about ongoing illnesses requiring treatment.

She pulled a very similar stunt at a psychiatrist appointment. I'd had an emergency come up at work (sub called in sick) and Cori's case workers said she could take her to the appointment. As the doctor and Cori were walking down the hall, Cori suddenly started staggering and bumping into the walls. Doctor asked what was wrong and Cori announced that the Adderall (which she'd been on for almost a year) was affecting her blood sugar and making her dizzy. This time, I received the panicked phone call.

There are numerous other events like this in our years together. You'd think she would know by now that I know she's faking and I'm not falling for it. And, I guess she has come to some awareness of it, as she doesn't tell me about her new trick. I just find the evidence of it later...much to my shock and horror.

She's started throwing up. Randomly. She's NOT sick, physically anyway. She's just doing it. (She's always had the talent to vomit at will.) However, it's when no one is around this time. TWICE this week, someone has gone to get in the shower only to discover puke in the tub. Hello, the toilet is right beside the tub. She's thrown up in her bedroom. She washed the towels/clothes she threw up on in her room without throwing away the...solids. The washer can't dispose of those. I don't know how to react to this. Obviously, I make her clean up the mess. That is not stopping this behavior. I try to let her see very little reaction from me because I think she is doing it for the reaction. I just matter-of-factly tell her to clean it up.

In truth, I'm very angry. She's been back with me for 6 months. In these 6 months, she's done nothing but the exact opposite of anything anyone has asked of her. She's perfected the art of opposition. I know the reason for the behavior but am just becoming weary in dealing with it. Yes, her childhood sucked. There is no better way to put it. However, she'll soon be 16 and she can't go on forever whining about how bad things were when she was 6. Future employers and teachers aren't going to care. It's time to grow up and start looking forward. If not, I fear she's going to go down the exact path her bio mom did - welfare, drugs, and DCS. I hate it for her but I can't change her. She's the one who has to do it. She has to want to do it and I think that is the problem.

However, if I step into a tubful of vomit again, she may not live to be an adult....(just kidding)!