S08.E13: Dominic's Story

[Tosia]

On 3/26/2020 at 11:02 AM, Giant Misfit said:

Yes, thank you. That the producers of this show thought that exploiting obese homeless people was a good plan was an absolute new low for this shit show. And basically, Dr Now was all, "What am I supposed to do for you until you get your life together?" Why didn't he put his foot down the second this case was presented to him? It's not like Dominic called and scheduled an appointment over the phone and happened to wander in with his own camera crew. They all knew they were homeless, had scant education, and zero coping skills in life. There was no way for this to go OTHER than badly.

This episode should have never aired. I'm ashamed to have watched it. 

I'm wondering if Dr. Now donates any $ to help his clients,  or subsidizes those apts., they live in while in Houston. 

With TLC $, I sincerely hope Dr. Now or TLC, goes beyond the weight loss surgery, to connect these people with  social worker who can hook them up and  regularly check in with basic life skills, or adulting 101, and therapy, so they can live like humans. Moral obligation, noblesse ob'lige.

In addition to their ineptness at everything, except buying/ingesting bad food into their "capacious maws" ( tm PepperMostly, thank you), I'm thinking chronic depression, addictions,  and self medicating.

Maybe agoraphobia as in avoiding people and "the man.".  Another psychosis among homeless folks is avoiding governmental control,  in their own minds, by living on the streets v.shelters. (I taught adults in homeless shelters, social justice centers,  plus public/private school special ed kids.) 

People think differently, or not--acting on animal instinct/impulse--so that it's truly hard to imagine their logic or lack thereof.  

Some folks don't have the brains they were born with or the wherewithal after trauma to self care.

Special ed but with emotional disabilities, not intellectual, because sometimes you know what you should do,  but don't.

Again, depression.

 

Edited March 28, 2020 by Tosia

[JJ1]

2 hours ago, Tosia said:

With TLC $, I sincerely hope Dr. Now or TLC, goes beyond the weight loss surgery, to connect these people with  social worker who can hook them up and  regularly check in with basic life skills, or adulting 101, and therapy, so they can live like humans. Moral obligation, noblesse ob'lige.

I was so shocked when it appeared that Dr. Now’s office didn’t step in to help them. I only go to my doctor for a check-up once a year or so, but among the routine health questions are several relating to the patient’s mental health and home situation. I asked them one time why those questions were asked and they said if a patient appears to need assistance, the office will make sure they get in contact with the appropriate agencies for help or intervention. When Dr. Now realized these two were in a strange town, homeless, jobless and clueless, I expected him to immediately connect them to a social services representative who could assist them and steer them through the maze of agencies and regulations designed to aid people in their situation. But it appeared that, other than giving them a couple of phone numbers, there was no help provided. As you said, maybe it wasn’t a medical obligation, but I believe it was a moral obligation. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

They don't show everything on the filmed episode.   I suspect that Dominic was given people to contact for assistance, but he just didn't do it for a long time.   When he finally filled out the income-based housing application at the end, he said something about his social worker.   He was in Houston for six months before he even tried to get housing.  

[Tosia]

1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

They don't show everything on the filmed episode.   I suspect that Dominic was given people to contact for assistance, but he just didn't do it for a long time.   When he finally filled out the income-based housing application at the end, he said something about his social worker.   He was in Houston for six months before he even tried to get housing.  

Why didn't social workers go to him? 

Ther are outreach workers who regularly contact homeless in my town letting them know of services, food, jobs, AA, NA, medical help, etc., although many homeless folks create their own network,  but there is outreach especially during cold snaps and now due to C19. 

I get it if help is refused... which it is sometimes, and that is hard to understand for us who cannot imagine that level of despair. Or independence as they would say of their "lifestyle."  (Yes, they call it independence even if they get assistance. Again, no intellectual logic.)

I fear there will be more Dominics and his brother in the coming months. 

 

 

[AZChristian]

3 minutes ago, Tosia said:

I get it if help is refused... which it is sometimes, and that is hard to understand for us who cannot imagine that level of despair. Or independence as they would say of their "lifestyle."  (Yes, they call it independence even if they get assistance. Again, no intellectual logic.)

Just conjecture on my part, based on the few minutes of Dominic's episode that I watched . . . 

Any social worker or other advisor would probably first point out to Dominic and his brother how MUCH money they are spending on food, on the assumption that anyone with a grain of sense would realize that their biggest controllable budget item is MASSIVE amounts of food.

I just don't think these two were willing to make the first step - eat less, bank the difference, and use the money for something like an apartment, which would give them a place to sleep, maintain hygiene, store HEALTHIER food options, etc.

They seemed to be all about where their next huge meal was coming from . . . and it wasn't going to be at a salad bar restaurant.  Any option that involved changing their food habits wasn't going to fly with them.

[auntjess]

7 hours ago, Tosia said:

I'm wondering if Dr. Now donates any $ to help his clients,  or subsidizes those apts., they live in while in Houston. 

With TLC $, I sincerely hope Dr. Now or TLC, goes beyond the weight loss surgery, to connect these people with  social worker who can hook them up and  regularly check in with basic life skills, or adulting 101, and therapy, so they can live like humans. Moral obligation, noblesse ob'lige.

I think Dr. Now covers thousands of dollars, when he puts people in the hospital for weeks, just to control their diet, or in rehab for weeks, so I don't think he is stingy.

I don't know what was up with this strange episode.

[Sparger Springs]

44 minutes ago, auntjess said:

I think Dr. Now covers thousands of dollars, when he puts people in the hospital for weeks, just to control their diet, or in rehab for weeks, so I don't think he is stingy.

I don't know what was up with this strange episode.

I think TLC must cover the hospital costs that aren't covered by the patients that have insurance. No way Who could afford those hospital costs. He would be broke.

[Otter]

I moved out of Seattle a couple of years ago and Seattle is ranked #3 in homelessness in the country after LA and NYC.  For years volunteered hands on and learned a lot.  

1.  It's complicated
2.  It evolves into a preferred lifestyle because it's complicated.

Dominic and his brother aren't vagrants nor druggies or drinkers as far as I know.  But they have out of lethargy find it easier to keep living in a van.  Not because they like it, but to do more is HARD.  I don't know about Texas, but in Washington state unless a person is so unable to care for him/herself one still has to take the initiative to get into housing.  Sanctioned encampments, including living in a vehicle are a bit more lax, but still require paperwork with, if needed the help of a social worker.  

His brother began working and is on a better path.  If he can keep it up he could be a much better help to Dominic unless Dominic brings him down again.  

The majority of homeless I worked with, even clean and saying they want better had become so used to living "rough" that any rules were too much to comply with.  Even in sanctioned tent camps or safe parking the rules were so simple and so little asked of you, but *something* was asked of you to contribute to the community.  

Sorry for the long post, but Dominic and his brother are like so many other homeless I've met over 3 decades.  Some make it out and hope they do too.  

 

[El maestro]

11 hours ago, cynicat said:

Based on watching Live PD, apparently NO one has insurance, registration, or even a license these days.

In Texas usually when cars have paper plates forever it is bad sign.

[Tosia]

How do these 600 pounders not fall more often due to the overly long pants hems? 

That's a broken hip waiting to happen. 

[IvySpice]

It wouldn't make sense to me for Dr. Now to reject a candidate like Dominic just because he's homeless. He's in a medical crisis and could die of his disease at any time; he needs treatment whether he seeks/accepts help for his homelessness or not.

The idea that you need a kitchen/groceries to eat better than you do at McDonald's is silly. You live in a van. You can park near a supermarket and get a roast chicken or a cup of yogurt. He'd lose a lot of weight if he even just ate normal amounts at McDonald's, but he clearly is too much of an addict to manage that.

[GoldaVining]

I'm obviously alone in my opinion here but I really like Dominic. James meanwhile, gross, no thank you. While I was watching the show I was thinking, "I've got a spare room for this guy". I'm kind of surprised that he doesn't have one of those enabler wives who overfeeds him just because he is gentle and kind and doesn't beat her. I'm kind of surprised it isn't me. I don't know how I ended up with the husband I've got who goes to work everyday cuz I so easily could have had a Dominic sitting around my house 😉  . I love to cook and I love people to enjoy eating what I cook. Me and Dom would be quite the match.

He really is living in slow motion though. Every thought or motion or impulse to action seems to take months to bubble to the surface. It is all based in depression I think.

I really loved his blue and black buffalo check shirt. Nice! He looked really good in that. I'm not snarking, I thought he looked really good.

I did spend most of this episode wondering how bad that van smelled.

Edited March 31, 2020 by GoldaVining
clarity

[JunkFoodTV]

7 hours ago, GoldaVining said:

I'm obviously alone in my opinion here but I really like Dominic. James meanwhile, gross, no thank you. While I was watching the show I was thinking, "I've got a spare room for this guy". I'm kind of surprised that he doesn't have one of those enabler wives who overfeeds him just because he is gentle and kind and doesn't beat her. I'm kind of surprised it isn't me. I don't know how I ended up with the husband I've got who goes to work everyday cuz I so easily could have had a Dominic sitting around my house 😉  . I love to cook and I love people to enjoy eating what I cook. Me and Dom would be quite the match.

He really is living in slow motion though. Every thought or motion or impulse to action seems to take months to bubble to the surface. It is all based in depression I think.

I really loved his blue and black buffalo check shirt. Nice! He looked really good in that. I'm not snarking, I thought he looked really good.

I did spend most of this episode wondering how bad that van smelled.

Were you surprised to see a beautiful full head of hair? 😘 And it's ok, the heart wants what the heart wants. I kept wanting to adopt Tommy! Such a sweetheart. 😍

[GoldaVining]

36 minutes ago, JunkFoodTV said:

Were you surprised to see a beautiful full head of hair? 😘 And it's ok, the heart wants what the heart wants. I kept wanting to adopt Tommy! Such a sweetheart. 😍

Yeah, that was a big beautiful head of hair! Salt n pepper, yes, thank you. Beard, good. Glasses, good. Chubbbby, good. Sweet and kind....I like it a lot. Back in the day I probably would have brought this one home 🙂

[Lemons]

On 3/25/2020 at 10:19 PM, edie3 said:

Part of the blame should go to Dr Now for taking him as a patient with his life so unsettled. How can you eat healthy living in a van?

You can eat a whole lot less living in a van.  Even if, as they claim, there are no healthy options at the fast food place, they can have juice, coffee, a muffin in the morning, eat a plain cheeseburger and diet coke for lunch, chicken sandwich and water for dinner.  There's a whole lot missing from that diet but I would think they need to get used to eating only a fraction of what they are used to before they can be successful with the "healthy" part. 

They had a temporary place with a kitchen for a month and that didn't help at all, so it wasn't the van that was the problem.  

[Otter]

I watched the episode again (know idea why) and this is one thing that sunk in the second time.  I mentioned upthread that I counseled as a trained volunteer homeless folks in Seattle..  And just like Dominic and James, folks had an expectation that they would get housing on demand,

Doesn't happen.  There's hotel vouchers and other short-term options, but for permanent long-term housing?  That's one long wait list.  Houston is probably still dealing with housing Katrina refugees.  And no way could Dominic have surgery if he lives in a van.  

Such a sad episode.  

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Supersized episode of Dominic's "Journey" is tonight, at 7 p.m. Central.   I had a hard time getting through the first showing, so I'm skipping this one. 

[JunkFoodTV]

The only bonus scene I found while fast forwarding through was a session with Dr. Paradise. And it was as boring as the original episode. 😐

[mamadrama]

On 3/25/2020 at 10:22 PM, Ivylady said:

Watching this on demand because I missed the original viewing. What a sad sack. You can tell he really is a mess emotionally. 

Also, really love how the brother is talking about Dominic dying from food when he's just as big. 🙄

How trifling are they that they couldn't work enough during the year or get enough assistance payments to pay the taxes? You know they have some income coming in with that McDonald's order he made. Maybe, just maybe, he should have eaten less food and paid the taxes. 

"I want a family"? Please, whatever deities are listening, don't let that happen. No one deserves to be saddled with his inertia. 

I think the McDonald's meal was paid for by production. We always get a scene of them ordering fast food and I think that's show driven and funded. I'm sure they eat there a lot anyway, but that particular scene...

 

[Ralphster]

On 3/28/2020 at 5:23 PM, auntjess said:

I think Dr. Now covers thousands of dollars, when he puts people in the hospital for weeks, just to control their diet, or in rehab for weeks, so I don't think he is stingy.

There is zero evidence that this is true. Given his divorce, where it came to light that he tried to hide half of his assets, he seems very stingy to me. Anyway, he couldn't cover those hospital bills. Months in the hospital is many hundreds of thousands of dollars for just one patient. While we're on the subject, I find it asinine and the very definition of ridiculous that some of his patients are put in the hospital just because they can't stop eating. What the fuck. That is a complete waste of resources. Then they are released from the pen and waddle off to continue grazing.

Edited July 30, 2020 by Ralphster

[LuvMyShows]

I could not believe it when Dominic's brother, who kept getting so resentful about any discussion of his own weight, emphatically told Dr Now that he had lost 50 pounds, but then when Dr Now asked about it, he admitted that it was just speculation.  Stunning. 

[Ralphster]

On 8/5/2020 at 2:05 PM, LuvMyShows said:

I could not believe it when Dominic's brother, who kept getting so resentful about any discussion of his own weight, emphatically told Dr Now that he had lost 50 pounds, but then when Dr Now asked about it, he admitted that it was just speculation.  Stunning. 

I was shocked, too. The sheer denial and self-delusion said a lot about who he is. He and Dominic were both abhorrent to me.