COURTNEY'S JOURNEY

I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHEN MY EATING DISORDER STARTED. I KNOW IT WAS SOMETIME IN MY JUNIOR/SENIOR OF HIGH SCHOOL. I REMEMBER BRINGING A PB&J ON WHEAT BREAD FOR LUNCH EVERYDAY. I WOULD CUT IT INTO 9 LITTLE SQUARES AND MAKE MYSELF EAT SLOWLY. MY SENIOR YEAR, I JOINED A PE/WEIGHT LIFTING CLASS. I ENDED UP BEING THE ONLY PERSON IN THE CLASS WITH THE FOOTBALL COACH AS MY TEACHER. HE WAS GREAT! HE SAW POTENTIAL IN ME AND PUSHED ME INTO STRENGTH TRAINING. I WOULD GO TO HOMEROOM AFTER TRAINING AND BE EXHAUSTED! I ALWAYS CAME IN THERE TIRED AND FEELING SWOLLEN FROM LIFTING. AFTER SCHOOL, I RAN CROSS COUNTRY. THEN I WOULD RUN 3-5 MILES. I WOULD GET HOME AFTER CC AND ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS EAT EVERYTHING IN THE HOUSE. THIS WAS THE POINT IN TIME WHERE I STARTED GAINING WEIGHT. 

FAST FORWARD TO FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT PATH I WANTED TO PURSUE FOR MY CAREER. BECAUSE OF THAT, I DECIDED TO GO TO KASKASKIA COLLEGE AND GET MY GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSES OUT OF THE WAY. AT THIS TIME, I WAS LIVING AT HOME AND WORKING AT IGA (GROCERY STORE NEARBY). I STARTED GAINING MORE WEIGHT HAVING ACCESS TO TONS OF FOOD.

I GRADUATED FROM KC AND TRANSFERED TO MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY. FROM THERE, I JOINED THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM, WHICH IS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH. I LOVED MY MAJOR AND THE CLASSES INVOLVED. I WENT HOME ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND WHILE I WENT TO MSU, BECAUSE OF A GUY I WAS DATING. DURING THIS TIME, I STARTED REALLY BINGING ON FOOD. I ALSO FIGURED OUT THAT IF I WERE TO EAT TOO MUCH, I COULD ALSO THROW IT UP IN MY APARTMENT BATHROOM. 

I THOUGHT I WAS SUPER SECRETATIVE WITH MY ACTIONS. I KNOW NOW THAT I WASN'T. 

FAST FORWARD TO THE SUMMER BETWEEN JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I LIVED AWAY FROM HOME. I GOT AN INTERNSHIP IN WHICHITA, KANSAS. I DIDN'T KNOW ANYONE IN THE AREA BUT WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE I WAS GOING TO GET WORKING FOR THIS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY. I REMEMBER EATING THE SAME EXACT FOODS EVERY SINGLE DAY - OATMEAL WITH ALMONDS AND A BANANA, LUNCH WAS GOODSENTS ( SANDWICH PLACE) - TURKEY SANSWICH ON WHEAT BREAD WITH CHIPS, AND DINNER WAS A CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD.