FRIDAY
December 2, 2011
A division of
Vol. 26 No. 96
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COMOX VALLEY RECORD
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ANNIVERSARY
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www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
KICKERS UNBEATEN
Nobody could touch the Comox Valley Kickers. ■ B11
ALPINE OPENING
BEFORE AND AFTER photos show Amber Foster more than a year ago at left and the way she looks now after struggling with PHOTOS SUBMITTED anorexia nervosa.
Comox Valley woman just wasting away Scott Stanfield Record Staff
Amber Foster is dying. The 30-year-old Comox resident has struggled with anorexia nervosa since she was a teen. In and out of hospital too many times to count, she has suffered four heart attacks, three transient ischemic attacks (ministrokes) and numerous seizures. Every day, she has hypoglycemic episodes where her blood sugar drops to dangerously low levels. “One of the ambulance drivers actually pinned to my wall a salient bag with tubing,” said Foster, who also suffers arrhythmia,
re-feeding syndrome, and internal her, she’s sitting here watching bleeding, among other complica- her daughter die,” Foster said. tions. “My sister’s pregnant, too, and we The five-foot-three Foster used can’t even really enjoy that.” to weigh about Time is not 110 pounds. She on her side. is now down to Foster has My poor mom, I 76 pounds. been told she feel so bad for her, she’s At one time will die sooner she was a bar- sitting here watching her than later if tender and daughter die. she does not owned a restauproper Amber Foster receive rant in Coombs. medical attenThese days, tion. At any however, she is too weak to work time she could slip into a hypoglyor care for her 12-year-old son. cemic coma. Problem is, she said, Her mother, Laura Mitchell, has no medical professional will touch moved in to care for her. her because of her complications. “My poor mom, I feel so bad for Outpatient treatment is avail-
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able at St. Joseph’s General Hospital, but Foster’s file was closed because she missed appointments with a therapist and dietician. “Unfortunately our hospital here, they don’t have an eating disorder program, nor do they have a psychiatrist here for eating disorders,” she said, noting the affliction represents the highest mortality rate (20 per cent) among psychological disorders. Foster needs medical stabilization followed by a psychological program. She had hoped to tap into provincial funding to access out-of-province services, but said funds have not been available.
... see SUPPORT ■ A2
After years of planning and construction through snowy weather, which included last season’s recordbreaking snowfall, the new non-profit Vancouver Island Mountain Centre (VIMC) at Mount Washington is set to open its doors Dec. 8. “We are very excited to be providing accommodation, kitchen access and meeting space for the second annual First Nations snowboarding coaches clinic at Mount Washington Alpine Resort from Dec. 8 to 11,” says Andrew Scherck, manager.
...Full story on page ■ A3
FINDER ■ Weather
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■ Editorial
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■ Opinion
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■ Arts
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