S12.E06 Shakyia's Journey

[CrazyInAlabama]

New, 4/10/2024, 

A woman's sister manages to convince her to go to Houston for help managing her weight, but her mother's declaration to leave throws a wrench in their plans.

[OoogleEyes]

Great. Mommy issues. 

[MsVixen]

Sounds like a really Snarkable Episode!!!  

[Scratches19]

Posted to wrong thread-deleted.

Edited April 4 by Scratches19
Wrong thread! Delete.

[Scratches19]

Also wrong thread - deleted. Sorry. 
 

 

Edited April 4 by Scratches19

[CrazyInAlabama]

I was so disappointed, Shakyia needed to change, and Dr. Now helped her as much as he could, but she just wouldn't do her part.   She needed therapy so much, but never would do that either.    She could have been such a success.  

[ams1001]

I really want to know what happened with her family and the friend who was willing to spend a week driving to Houston and back and then completely disappeared from the narrative.

[EtheltoTillie]

2 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I really want to know what happened with her family and the friend who was willing to spend a week driving to Houston and back and then completely disappeared from the narrative.

Everyone just abandoned her. Why no explanation.  How was she paying for that hotel?  She was so depressed. Sad. There’s no snark for this episode. 

[Chatty Cake]

8 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I really want to know what happened with her family and the friend who was willing to spend a week driving to Houston and back and then completely disappeared from the narrative.

There’s got to be so much more to the story. The sister disappeared too. I think she was lying about hospice while she was on the phone with Dr. Now. The background looked like the extended stay. I think her go to was to manipulate everyone which was probably a result of her dysfunctional childhood.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The camera crew showed the truth.  "Hospice" was the same exterior as the extended stay, and the bedroom was the same.   I find it bizarre that her sister, and friend dumped her so abruptly too.    Not surprised the mother did, she did that repeatedly before.    I'm afraid Dr. Now is right, she won't make 30.   

[libgirl2]

I could tell this was not going to be one of the "good ones" and gave up on it. 

[BAForever]

Agree that there's more to the story. What (if anything) did Shakyia do that resulted her losing her support system. Her mom, not so much- that comment about "50 pound titties" was heinous, but her sister and friend seemed in it for the long haul.

[Cementhead]

So nothing happened after her phone call with Dr. Now?  Last thing I saw before I turned it off was her standing up with her walker, talking about how it will be so much easier to 'get back' to the exercise program when she moves in with her friend but also asking herself how she is going to cover her part of the rent.  Then she sat back down and ate rice and chicken salad that she wrapped in tortillas. 

This one should never had made it to air.  Talk about a road to nowhere.  Should have been scrapped.

[EtheltoTillie]

1 hour ago, Cementhead said:

 

This one should never had made it to air.  Talk about a road to nowhere.  Should have been scrapped.

It was a terrible episode and very boring and dragged out.  Yet very sad.

I FF'd through a lot.  I had missed the live chat.  Two theories:  1) they have to fill air time so they can't just scrap a bad episode, or 2) they want a cautionary tale to show what happens when someone is so mentally damaged that she cannot even think of undergoing therapy--she'd rather eat the comfort food.  I wish, however, they had some way to explain the gaps in information, at least with title cards. 

This is actually the only episode I can remember where Dr. Now wanted therapy to start at the beginning!  He recognized the extreme need.  But she didn't accept it and missed all the appointments.  She will be dead at 30, as others suggested. 

[sempervivum]

At least she didn't have kids.

Amazing that someone could be so stubbornly self-deluding that she thought losing 12 lbs. in a year was pretty good.

[JunkFoodTV]

I wonder if they will fill in some blanks on the supersize episode. And I wonder if I will care enough to actually watch it. What a snoozefest.

[Cementhead]

The only thing even remotely interesting was watching the sister drive 15 hrs. over 3 days on the highway wearing a pair of flip flops.  The mind boggles.

[libgirl2]

38 minutes ago, JunkFoodTV said:

I wonder if they will fill in some blanks on the supersize episode. And I wonder if I will care enough to actually watch it. What a snoozefest.

I won't, I didn't even watch the whole thing last night. I have a date to start Brokenwood Mysteries on Acorn. 

[ams1001]

6 hours ago, BAForever said:

Agree that there's more to the story. What (if anything) did Shakyia do that resulted her losing her support system. Her mom, not so much- that comment about "50 pound titties" was heinous, but her sister and friend seemed in it for the long haul.

The episode description just mentioned her mom bailing on her (which after hearing her back story wasn't surprising; she didn't sound like the most reliable parent), so I was surprised that everyone else seemed to as well. The exact wording was "she'll be in for a shock when her mom decides that caring for her is just too much." But we didn't even see that, just jumped to her being on her own in a hotel.

4 hours ago, EtheltoTillie said:

It was a terrible episode and very boring and dragged out.  Yet very sad.

I knew it was going nowhere when they showed us the entire trip to Houston. Way too much time filled with that (not sure what time they started the trip, but it wasn't too long into the episode, and it was almost an hour in before they actually got there). They obviously didn't have much else to use.

4 hours ago, JunkFoodTV said:

I wonder if they will fill in some blanks on the supersize episode. And I wonder if I will care enough to actually watch it. What a snoozefest.

I will assume someone else will watch and post if there is anything worth sharing. (I don't watch the supersize episodes, anyway. I have better things to watch on Thursday.)

[Texasmom1970]

17 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I really want to know what happened with her family and the friend who was willing to spend a week driving to Houston and back and then completely disappeared from the narrative.

I wonder as well. Was the friend just happy to go on a free road trip the disappear? Very slow and sad episode all around.

[libgirl2]

And now that she lives on her own, what will happen when she becomes immobile? I guess she can have in home care and order food delivery. How sad. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

22 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

The episode description just mentioned her mom bailing on her (which after hearing her back story wasn't surprising; she didn't sound like the most reliable parent), so I was surprised that everyone else seemed to as well. The exact wording was "she'll be in for a shock when her mom decides that caring for her is just too much." But we didn't even see that, just jumped to her being on her own in a hotel.

I knew it was going nowhere when they showed us the entire trip to Houston. Way too much time filled with that (not sure what time they started the trip, but it wasn't too long into the episode, and it was almost an hour in before they actually got there). They obviously didn't have much else to use.

I will assume someone else will watch and post if there is anything worth sharing. (I don't watch the supersize episodes, anyway. I have better things to watch on Thursday.)

I'm going to watch the Supersized edition tonight.    Not much else on Thursday nights.   Hoping there are bonus scenes that explain a few things. 

[ams1001]

2 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm going to watch the Supersized edition tonight.    Not much else on Thursday nights.   Hoping there are bonus scenes that explain a few things. 

I have Young Sheldon and Ghosts and Grey's Anatomy (which is probably not any better but I've come this far I gotta watch to the end). Also The Conners from last night but 600 lb chat takes precedence over that. ;)

[libgirl2]

4 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I'm going to watch the Supersized edition tonight.    Not much else on Thursday nights.   Hoping there are bonus scenes that explain a few things. 

Let us know if you find out  more. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

50 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

Let us know if you find out  more. 

I will.

[Elizzikra]

7 hours ago, BAForever said:

Agree that there's more to the story. What (if anything) did Shakyia do that resulted her losing her support system. Her mom, not so much- that comment about "50 pound titties" was heinous, but her sister and friend seemed in it for the long haul.

I hypothesized on the live chat that she might be addicted to painkillers. There was a lingering shot of her pulling a pill from a prescription bottle and she seemed to have some cognitive impairments at the hotel that she didn't have at the start of the episode. She was really drowsy and a little nonsensical during the call with Dr. Now (the first one at the extended stay hotel). Being totally cut off by her support system would be consistent with some sort of addiction treatment intervention.

Then again, I suppose they could just as reasonably decided that the substance she is addicted to is food (which it is) and decided to cut her off for that reason. 

I can't imagine how she was paying for that hotel. My guesses:

1. Family paid for it. 

2. She was a guest of the state, through some sort of homeless shelter type program.

3. The show paid for it so that she would continue filming which would mean that she didn't completely ghost Dr. Now and his crew for quite as long as the show portrayed.

Either way, I felt badly for her. I think she genuinely believed she was making progress, which would only be true in the strict mathematical sense of the word. She had a complex trauma history and it's very difficult to get people with that sort of history into treatment - because therapy is going to be really hard and emotional. Plenty of people eke out a life never confronting a traumatic past because it's just too hard to relive all that shit again. And finally, she is so young to be so sick. 

Quote

"50 pound titties"

Not to be picky, but her mom actually referred to them as "150 pound titties". That might be more accurate.

[BAForever]

1 hour ago, Elizzikra said:

I hypothesized on the live chat that she might be addicted to painkillers. There was a lingering shot of her pulling a pill from a prescription bottle and she seemed to have some cognitive impairments at the hotel that she didn't have at the start of the episode. She was really drowsy and a little nonsensical during the call with Dr. Now (the first one at the extended stay hotel). Being totally cut off by her support system would be consistent with some sort of addiction treatment intervention.

Then again, I suppose they could just as reasonably decided that the substance she is addicted to is food (which it is) and decided to cut her off for that reason. 

I can't imagine how she was paying for that hotel. My guesses:

1. Family paid for it. 

2. She was a guest of the state, through some sort of homeless shelter type program.

3. The show paid for it so that she would continue filming which would mean that she didn't completely ghost Dr. Now and his crew for quite as long as the show portrayed.

Either way, I felt badly for her. I think she genuinely believed she was making progress, which would only be true in the strict mathematical sense of the word. She had a complex trauma history and it's very difficult to get people with that sort of history into treatment - because therapy is going to be really hard and emotional. Plenty of people eke out a life never confronting a traumatic past because it's just too hard to relive all that shit again. And finally, she is so young to be so sick. 

Not to be picky, but her mom actually referred to them as "150 pound titties". That might be more accurate.

Thanks for the catch @Elizzikra I usually watch folding laundry, so not surprising I missed it. Mom is even worse than I originally thought. I know she thought it was clever as she snickered while saying it. 

Edited April 11 by BAForever

[Snarkastikate]

I've been thinking about this episode since last night.  I think Shakyia has a big truth problem.  Fairly obvious she was lying about being in hospice & likely about the entire medical emergency/ventilator also.  If she told the hospital to call Dr Now like she claimed, they would have. And she said she wasn't allowed visitors?  All lies. I'm going to give her family some benefit of the doubt here because they really did seem to be supportive.  I suspect she never even tried & maybe that angered them as she got less mobile & mom & sister decided they did not want to be her bedbound caretakers God forbid & made her a ward of the state before it happened.  Family looked active & I can imagine how frustrated they were to see her eating all day not trying to help herself. She needs that place where Tammy Slaton stayed!

Along with the successes, I think it's good to show these episodes too, it shows how hard obesity is to overcome for some folks & that's just reality.  Sometimes we can be surprised too, like Dr Now says....there's always hope. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm watching the Supersized episode, and those biscuits look delicious.  

Her mother does say that she's at the end of her rope, and can't support Shakyia eating herself to death any longer, and that her daughter is an adult and she can't do anything but offer to diet with her.    Bonus scene was kind of pointless, and added nothing. 

So, month 1-655 (she expected mid 500's).  The sister's pink top is a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen, I'm guessing sister didn't realize how stretchy that top was.  I had high hopes for her after this visit. Then, she never contacted Dr. Now in 5 months. 

Month 7-Office finally contacts Shakyia, this is when she spins her story about being in hospice after her family threw her out.  Amazing how the headboard on the hospice bed, and the exterior of the hospice looks exactly like the extended stay hotel she stays in for the rest of the show. 

Amazing her headboard and motel exterior are the same as her 'hospice' bed.  The bandage on her leg scares me.  Infection can be so bad. 

Month 10-same motel, same decor, same headboard, and exterior is the same.  

Month 11-same as month 7 through 10. This is where Dr. Now tells her not to move to Houston, and will set up her visit to the clinic in Charlotte. She might want to stick that bottle of Ranch dressing in the fridge.  Down to 643, so 12 lbs in a year.   Dr. Now lays it on the line about her lack of progress, and that she should have lost 300 lbs, not 12.   It's so sad seeing her final visit to the clinic for a weigh in Year 1 and month 1. She did lose 8 more lbs. but that's not even a decent effort.  

1 year and 4 months-Nothing changed.  

She never did therapy, lost virtually no weight, and sabotaged her chance to change her life and health.    I really had hopes for her at the beginning, but Dr. Now can't help someone who won't help themselves. 

Edited April 12 by CrazyInAlabama

[Elizzikra]

Quote

And she said she wasn't allowed visitors?

She said she wasn't allowed visitors in the hospice, which was different from the hospital (at least, according to her story). Either way, it doesn't make sense. Except during COVID, hospice is usually very accommodating of visitors. 

[BAForever]

Shakyia was one of those poundticipants who was  "too busy" to do therapy. I scream at my TV- "Busy doing what? You don't work or cook or clean. You don't leave the house. Is eating, sleeping, watching TV, playing on internet all you do?"

Sadly, the answer is yes.

[Tipsymcstagger]

Just catching this now but was there any follow up on the rape accusation while she was working at a convenience store? I’m only asking because this was presented as a trigger but I didn’t see anything after the claim. If it was something so life altering I don’t get why there wasn’t some kind of follow up of some kind.

[Pondlass1]

5 hours ago, BAForever said:

Shakyia was one of those poundticipants who was  "too busy" to do therapy. I scream at my TV-

‘
“But I’ve been working so hard’ is the terminology that makes me scream at my TV.  Watching what you eat cannot be considered working.  Getting out of bed and going to a job day after day is working surely. Yet they all say the same thing.  It just annoys me.

End of rant 

[Elizzikra]

2 hours ago, Tipsymcstagger said:

Just catching this now but was there any follow up on the rape accusation while she was working at a convenience store? I’m only asking because this was presented as a trigger but I didn’t see anything after the claim. If it was something so life altering I don’t get why there wasn’t some kind of follow up of some kind.

 I don't think it was ever really mentioned again unless the Supersized episode discussed it further.

[babyhouseman]

18 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

 I don't think it was ever really mentioned again unless the Supersized episode discussed it further.

Dr. Now offered therapy, but she didn't take it.

[CrazyInAlabama]

18 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

 I don't think it was ever really mentioned again unless the Supersized episode discussed it further.

Nothing was really added to the Supersized episode with the bonus scenes.   Since she refused therapy, nothing was discussed about her traumas, except what she mentioned.  

[ChristmasJones]

This case exemplifies the concept of ACES - Adverse Childhood Experiences.  This woman is deeply troubled and sadly may never be able to get herself onto a better trajectory from here.  While there are resources available to her, her ability to engage with them is impaired, which is a core factor in people with the types of problems she has.   She probably would benefit from being in a group home at this point. 

 

Quote

ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, wellbeing in childhood and life opportunities, such as education and job potential, well into adulthood. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems (including teen pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and fetal death), involvement in sex trafficking, and a wide range of chronic diseases and leading causes of death, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and suicide.

ACEs and associated social determinants of health, such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighborhoods, can cause toxic stress (extended or prolonged stress). Toxic stress from ACEs can negatively affect children’s brain development, immune systems, and stress-response systems. These changes can affect children’s attention, decision-making, and learning.

Children growing up with toxic stress may have difficulty forming healthy and stable relationships. They may also have unstable work histories as adults and struggle with finances, jobs, and depression throughout life. These effects can also be passed on to their own children. Some children may face further exposure to toxic stress from historical and ongoing traumas due to systemic racism or the impacts of poverty resulting from limited educational and economic opportunities.

source: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html