Joanna y Clare: historia de anorexia, amistad y recuperación

What dis Joanna do Tom...: Tom and his friends were playing in the garden. Joanna decided to have a bit of fun and make Tom cross, so she managed to get them into the living-room and then she punished Tom by putting him out and closing the door. He was very angry, he ran at the door and he broke the glass. He landed on the floor but, fortunately, he only had a small cut.

How did Joanna protest...: Joanna protested about her punishment by stopping eating for days, so her parents were so worried that they stopped the punishment.

What did Joanna look like...: Joanna was small and stocky and she had blonde hair and blue eyes, and Clare was tall and slim, she had dark hair and black eyes.

Why wasn't Joanna nervous...: She wasn't nervous because she was more concerned with the fact that David Green, her love interest that week, was doing the exam too.

What was Clare and...: Their first mission was to be kissed by one of the boys in their class who they had chosen as possible candidates for boyfriends.

What special quality did Clare...: Making a lot of new friends without effort was the special quality Clare had.

Why was Joanna really...: Joanna was really jealous of her friend a year later because Clare had found a boyfriend, Jan, a blonde and good-looking boy whom all the girls liked. They were the perfect couple and Joanna hadn't managed to have a successful conversation with a boy and, of course, a boyfriend, either.

What did Clare think about...: Clare thought that she couldn't be in love with an old man and she fantasised about a smelly pensioner, because Mr. McCarthy was their brilliant English teacher with a great sense of humour, but he was a bearded giant who had smoker's breath and always wore the same trousers.

Which two parts...: Joanna was obsessed about her bottom and her face; she felt they were both too big.

Why did Joanna stop going...: She stopped going out with Nick because during one of their typical evening embraces in the park, he tried to undo her bra but couldn't, so he made the stupid comment that he would try the other end, her bottom, which was easier to find than her lips. So she got too angry and it was the end of their relationship.

Dieta y obsesión

What did Joanna decide to...: After finishing the relationship with Nick, she only tried to lose a little bit of weight. She started to miss lunch at school and at home she secretly spat out mouthfuls into a serviette and hid it in her pocket. She also started to go running every night to help her burn off calories.

After three months,...: After three months, Joanna's typical day consisted of fruit, vitamin tablets and Diet Coke.

What did Joanna's parents...: Her parents wanted her to go to a doctor because they and Clare were very worried, as she got thinner and thinner.

Tratamiento y recuperación

Did Joanna have to...: No, she didn't have to stay in hospital during her treatment because Dr. Parker said that her anorexia hadn't reached such a critical stage, so she was an outpatient and had three weekly sessions with him.

What was Dr. Parker like?: Dr. Parker was an honest person. He didn't talk at her or talk around subjects; he got to the point and said what he thought. They got on very well, he made her laugh and he seemed as if he could read her thoughts.

Why didn't Joanna have to stop...: She had to stop exercising at least until she had recovered some weight. The way she exercised was part of the illness. It was too much for her and she had to try to break that obsession, as it was the reason she was very ill.

What was Joanna's best...: Her best quality to help her overcome anorexia was the same strength she had used to do everything: to get great marks at school, to dance, to learn French and German, and to survive on fruit and Diet Coke.

What happened to Joanna six...: Six months later, she met Billy, who was another of Dr. Parker's outpatients. They began to meet at weekends until they became very close and she started getting better.