Imagine a world where if you turn your eyes away from your 8 year for the 1 minute it takes to change a load of laundry you return to find your child eating a used menstrual pad. That is our life and why our trash cans now have locks.
That is the brutally honest but difficult truth of one of the most common questions we get asked about Brantley: “What is Pica?”
Pica is an eating disorder in which someone craves non-edible items. Or to put it more candidly, for a family like ours pica is hell.
Some individuals with pica crave a specific type of item, but some like Brantley will eat anything they can. That makes pica our biggest challenge. Unfortunately, not all pica instances are just gag worthy but instead deadly.
The risk of choking, poisoning and internal damage make pica a life threatening condition. Batteries, magnets, detergent pods, bleach, electrical cords … the list of my fears goes on. All of those we have experienced to some extent already and all of them could be deadly for our sweet boy.
Brantley is a scavenger and he is always on the hunt. If a cupboard is left unlocked he instantly knows and is chewing on a bottle of cleaner. If a guest leaves their bag unzipped he will slyly slide his hand around inside until his fleshy little fingers grip something hard. He sees those AirPods as a crunchy jackpot when he quietly pulls them out. He will hop off to his room with the case gripped tightly in his hand and the first AirPod tucked securely in the back of his cheek. He managed to eat one and a half AirPods before we found them. That one was obviously a hospital worthy instance.
While Pica can be the result of a mental disorder or a mineral deficiency it’s commonly diagnosed in people with developmental disabilities and pregnant women. In Brantley’s case, it is a mental disorder, which seems to be driven by his sensory needs. Treatment is limited, but we have tried occupational therapy, intensive complex behavior treatment programs, sensory support’s such as chew cords and chew tubes along with redirection and blocking.
Despite the ongoing treatment, we still end up with pica related vomiting and emergency room trips. My worst fear is not catching something soon enough. Brantley is quick and he is sly, which is a dangerous combination in the world of Pica.
I pray every day for a new treatment - for a safe way to satisfy Brantley’s craving for oral sensation. Until then, I am vigilant to keep him safe, which often means eyes on Brantley 24 hours a day and a house that is locked down in every sense. I dream of a world where pica is no longer hell for families like ours — but a treatable disorder that no longer threatens the life and spirit of Brantley and children like him.
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