S03.E07: Pauline's Story

[Darknight]

That sex article why did I read it. And Dillion is what 16/17 where is cps or relatives? This chick is self centered and selfish. She didn't deserve the surgery or freebies. And fast food isn't that bad if you eat it as a treat and burn it off. Pauline is just excuses. It's not that hard or expensive to eat cheap and healthy. Dillion needs to get some professional help and stop enabling his mother. She's toxic

[Oldernowiser]

I find people like Pauline and Penny really conflicting. On the one hand, I'm pretty okay with government money keeping them away from the workplace because can you imagine having either of them as a coworker? They'd never do anything, bitch nonstop, and have everybody hopping around doing errands for them. A nightmare.

On the other hand, being supermorbidly obese shouldn't be a cottage industry.

I say we put Penny and Pauline in the same apartment, free their captives, and then see which one of them survives.

[Pepper Mostly]

I think Dillon is 21 (the same age as my son--who is gregarious, hardworking, full of fun and charm--what a difference!). That poor kid was so beaten down. Tragic.

 

I also think Pauline is worse than Penny. The constant whimpering and whining and sniffling and insta-tears. I was amazed at how kind and cheerful the hospital workers were with her. Penny makes a big show of being outgoing, making jokes, acting like everything is normal even though she is an enormous behemoth who is tied to an oxygen tank. I can see her neighbors or people at her church telling each other how brave and cheerful she is in the face of all she endures. Pauline on the other hand just sighs and groans and cries and makes a huge show of how HARD everything is for her. When she asked for a chicken salad I thought "oh, here we go! She's trying to convince us all that she's really trying." Then she said "ranch dressing. And a coke". WTF? You don't have to know anything about nutrition to know that the first thing you cut is sugary soft drinks and creamy salad dressing. Sweet tapdancing Jesus. I found her utterly loathsome.

 

 

I say we put Penny and Pauline in the same apartment, free their captives, and then see which one of them survives.

Hahaha, I cosign this. Cage match! I would watch.

[NYCFree]

I would love to watching Penny and Pauline watching each other's episodes. Would they be like "yes! Dr. Now is so unsupportive!" Or "my goodness, what a complaining baby, of course she won't lose weight eating like that and not walking"

[Guest dutronc]

I would love to watching Penny and Pauline watching each other's episodes. Would they be like "yes! Dr. Now is so unsupportive!" Or "my goodness, what a complaining baby, of course she won't lose weight eating like that and not walking"

I think my brain just exploded. I think it would be a combination, although each would be so self-centered that they would say that, "well, *she's* not as badly off as *I* am, no one understands ME ME ME" and between the two of them, there would a serious competition to see who is the more tragic patient. Penny is probably jealous of Pauline's clot filter, and Pauline might covet an oxygen tank of her own, but is probably too vain to wear the cannula.

[brandyelf]

http://touch.bossip.com/all/random-ridiculousness-skinny-man-desperate-to-get-his-obese-wife-back-after-she-divorced-him-now-weighs-728lbs-i-miss-our-sex#1

"Alex, 46, just 140 lbs, said: “She can’t walk, dress herself or even go to the toilet on her own — but I’m desperate to be her lover and caretaker again."

I.... just can't wrap my brain around this.

[Grasonville]

 

I wonder how much she was being paid by Pauline for that service.

 

I can answer that. PAULINE ISN'T "PAYING" ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.

The US govt. with my tax dollars is supporting her and getting NOTHING in return.  I understand people being declared 100% disabled - people who have disability issues not of their own doing.

 

If we are calling food addiction the same as a drug addiction and therefore not a "weakness" or "lack of self control" then let's follow through with that.

 

We do not allow drug addicts to be considered "disabled" and give them money to stay home and buy more drugs - why are we paying for food addicts to use MY MONEY ro sit home - and buy more unhealthy food?

 

As we give recovering heroin addicts treatment and substitute methadone for heroin - we should give Pauline vouchers for food - healthy food - fruits - vegs - chicken - from a GROCERY store - not money for the fast food window.

 

 

[Hero]

http://touch.bossip.com/all/random-ridiculousness-skinny-man-desperate-to-get-his-obese-wife-back-after-she-divorced-him-now-weighs-728lbs-i-miss-our-sex#1

"Alex, 46, just 140 lbs, said: “She can’t walk, dress herself or even go to the toilet on her own — but I’m desperate to be her lover and caretaker again."

I.... just can't wrap my brain around this.

How can they have sex? I'm pretty sure he won't be able to reach her.

[poeticlicensed]

rom what I understood Pauline to say last night, her parents divorced and money was tight. She said there was no such thing as welfare at that time, which I do not understand because welfare has been around since the 1930's.

 

Welfare and other aid programs are only available to those who apply. It could be that her mom didn't know about what was available or if there was substance abuse  there and she didn't want to be scrutinized. Also, there was greater societal pressure and stigma surrounding welfare than there is today. I understanding that being hungry might make you have an unhealthy relationship with food, but her problems are way beyond not getting enough to eat as a kid. 

 

I also wonder what happened to Dillon's dad. She said Dillon had been her caregiver for years, and he probably started caring for her FT when he was a minor. So what happened to his dad. Like many of the stories, I feel like we are only hearing part of it

[Galloway Cave]

"Pauline is great in bed!" WTF????? How can a person who is basically a beached whale be great at sex?

[Cherrio]

"Pauline is great in bed!" WTF????? How can a person who is basically a beached whale be great at sex?

I now have a permanent grimace and I got into the bath as quick as I could after reading your post.

          Is ewwwie appropriate now?

           :)

http://touch.bossip.com/all/random-ridiculousness-skinny-man-desperate-to-get-his-obese-wife-back-after-she-divorced-him-now-weighs-728lbs-i-miss-our-sex#1

I.... just can't wrap my brain around this.

Whatever you do, don't forget to use bacon when wrapping.    

[gardendiva]

How can they have sex? I'm pretty sure he won't be able to reach her.

Ugh! I actually ran through options in my head before I could stop myself. I came up empty. What a mental image!

[Ocean Chick]

I have a feeling that Mr. Numbnuts there doesn't actually have to reach her vagina.  He probably uses whatever fold of fat he can find.

 

And I'll show myself out with that thought.  I know I have some brain bleach somewhere....

[Bellalisa]

Someone upthread (can't find it now) mentioned a "tipping point" where people hit bottom and know they have to put in the work to change. The point where it just gets to be too much.  I would think if you reach 400 pounds, then 500 pounds, then 600 pounds the tipping point theory really doesn't apply like it would for most of us. I mean if the person was not mortified with themselves at 500 pounds why is 600 pounds going to send them over the edge? If they become accustomed to living in a bed with those horrible lymphedema's legs and never did anything to fix it, why are they suddenly going to wake up and say "Ive had enough!". Obviously Olivia did it! So I dont know what I'm talking about! Watched her episode again after Paulines- yes when you weigh over 500 pound you CAN lost 40 pounds in a month, 150 pounds in 3 months! If you lose 6 pounds- that's NOTHING! It comes off fast at that size because you need to eat 7000 calories a day to maintain that weight. When I see someone lose over 100 pounds in a short amount of time- it makes me see Penny and Pauline are FULL of BALONEY (Literally and figuratively) when they say "any loss is a loss" and "Im doing it my way at my pace" PLEASE taking a dump you lose 6 pounds!

[Galloway Cave]

 

 

now have a permanent grimace and I got into the bath as quick as I could after reading your post.

          Is ewwwie appropriate now?

           :)

I'm so sorry.

But everyone else is making me click on those links, so I'm sharing the ick. Or ickie, as Pauline would say.

[gardendiva]

I have a feeling that Mr. Numbnuts there doesn't actually have to reach her vagina.  He probably uses whatever fold of fat he can find.

 

And I'll show myself out with that thought.  I know I have some brain bleach somewhere....

Hmmm...suspended upside down from her ankles, like a dressed deer, so that all the flesh falls out of the way, and he would need to be on a bungee/trapeze type setup. I need to stop now.

[ethalfrida]

Hmmm...suspended upside down from her ankles, like a dressed deer, so that all the flesh falls out of the way, and he would need to be on a bungee/trapeze type setup. I need to stop now.

Gardendiva, that's real kinky!!!!

[gardendiva]

Gardendiva, that's real kinky!!!!

Sorry...there is no "normal" way to do it, :-D

[ethalfrida]

I now have a permanent grimace and I got into the bath as quick as I could after reading your post.

          Is ewwwie appropriate now?

           :)

Whatever you do, don't forget to use bacon when wrapping.    

As an avid bacon supporter I thank all of you to keep bacon out of this grossness, lol.

[Hero]

Ugh! I actually ran through options in my head before I could stop myself. I came up empty. What a mental image!

lol! You and me both! I was studying her picture trying to figure out where he would go. I stopped and re-evaluated what I was doing at that moment and read a book.

[Morgalisa]

I remember her episode on Dr Phil. She was supposed to get counseling and Dillon was also. Guess Phil won't be doing a follow-up on her. She is sacrificing her son for her own selfish narcissistic desires. And she is a major fame whore.

[Cherrio]

Paulee Bombshell, that is her porn name.    You can pay to watch her have a "burger fest' or squash a tomato with her butt.

 She should of been arrested and put in prison for what she has done to her son.

    If an adult wants to go on television fine, but TLC seems to lead the pack in child exploitation.  

    They are just as bad as the participants, maybe worse because they have no excuse or reason. They just want to make money and dont give a shit who they hurt.

[notyrmomma]

For whatever reason, the ones who fail actually inspire me more.  I mentioned this in another thread, but I had the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) on 9/16/14.  When she said that she can eat anything she wants, and still lose weight, I nearly fainted because I made that same statement the day before!  I too was getting in the trap of eating crackers and well toasted bread, and that is bad bad bad (they are real easy to eat).  I am still losing 1 - 3 lbs a week, but how much quicker would it go if I didn't "cheat"? (I'm down 85 lbs in total and I was way less than half of her weight to start).  So I decided to give us bread/crackers for at least Lent!  I rewatched this show last night just to firm my resolve - I keep all these episodes on my DVR and watch them when I need a little encouragement - my husband thinks I'm crazy.

 

Mostly, Pauline has no interest in getting below 530 lbs, I think she is content riding around in "the monster" and using her son as her personal servant.  Not only that, but she has the most ungrateful attitude I have ever seen.  The best way to show gratitude is to just follow the doctor's orders!  I am angry that she got this done for free.

 

Contrasting Pauline with Penny - Penny is far worse, but for some unknown reason, I am obsessed with finding out what really makes her tick.  I think I am mostly interested in her blatant disregard for the theory of thermodynamics as she managed to gain weight during the whole process, at least Pauline lost a good chunk.  Now everyone who I have said this to is like, duh, she eats little bites of junk all day long...but I just don't see how physically she could do this.  She also had the VSG, which is very different from the bypass, as the portion of the stomach that they leave doesn't stretch as much, so there is real physical pain from eating.  I feel the pain right now because I tried and failed to eat a whole scrambled egg with cheese.  Someone with such a low threshold for pain puts up with that?  I just don't get it.

 

 

[Toaster Strudel]

OMG I made the mistake of googling "Paulee Bombshell" - I am going to have to spend the rest of the day trembling in the corner, in the fetal position.

[KarmaG]

Anyway, topic. I'm still kind of baffled by Pauline's existence. I don't think this article was posted. It's from Starcasm, so I don't know how true it was, but according to it, she was a fetish model and on various feeder sites. The article makes a good point: the show was very clear about Zsalynn's past as a supersized model, and totally obfuscated it in Pauline's episode, with no apparent explanation (although I suppose her brand of crazy might have been a buried lede). Assuming this is true, it's a really dramatic contrast between Zsalynn and Pauline.

 

I'm finding it interesting that Zsalynn, Penny and now Pauline, have all been in some kind of feeder/fat person porn AND featured on the show. I wonder which TLC producer has a thing for feeder porn and is now gleefully meeting the "stars" he's been secretly watching in private for years.

I agree with being frustrated with this show when it features wastes of skin like Pauline and Penny. I did actually find myself yelling at the TV in response to some comment she made, "he wants you to get your fat ass off the couch!" It's kind of too bad this show can't do a more nuanced look at these people and have experts speaking to some of their dysfunction. Might make it slightly easier not to want to slap them quite so hard.

 

Usually I watch my few reality shows alone, hate hearing my husband's critiques but this is one I watched while was around and I was making comments like yours above as well. I just couldn't hold it in.

[Rainny]

Hi all. Used to read over at TWOP and now here. 

 

This woman made me so mad. She's on youtube now do vlogs about how TLC edited her badly and she's claiming Dr. Now lied about the physical therapist. So many lies come out of this woman's mouth I don't think she knows what telling the truth is. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4W9AO-kOg

[Morgalisa]

Thanks for the link to the vlog.  She is a piece of work.  She talked for 28 minutes.  It was so sad that her son was feeding her lines.  Imagine what he has to listen to all day.  I'm glad her little dog is not overweight.

 

Why does she always have clothing/blankets or whatever draped on the back of her sofa or chair, on the back of her wheelchair?  I'm sure she is not able to do housekeeping at her weight, but it just seems in every scene that they are there.  Maybe since she is immobile, she keeps what she thinks she might need in a spot where she can reach it.

[Darknight]

Can she get any worse

[CarolMK]

What makes me mad is that it appears people like Pauline are not only making money from being on Social Security disability, she's also making money from her porn clips, too. Ugh. And I'm certain that she pays no taxes and doesn't report any of this income to the government. No wonder she can eat fast food all of the time. Some of the other patients were visibly poor, you could see that without doing this television show, there is no way they could afford gastric bypass surgery. But this woman has duped us all, including Dr. Now. 

[Oldernowiser]

How big a market can there possibly be for feeder porn?

[Cherrio]

What makes me mad is that it appears people like Pauline are not only making money from being on Social Security disability, she's also making money from her porn clips, too. Ugh. And I'm certain that she pays no taxes and doesn't report any of this income to the government. No wonder she can eat fast food all of the time. Some of the other patients were visibly poor, you could see that without doing this television show, there is no way they could afford gastric bypass surgery. But this woman has duped us all, including Dr. Now. 

Great post, except I am sure that TLC and the doctor knew her past.    They wanted another Penny for this season for ratings aka more money.    

[scowl]

If they become accustomed to living in a bed with those horrible lymphedema's legs and never did anything to fix it, why are they suddenly going to wake up and say "Ive had enough!". 

 

I don't understand how anyone could see lymphedema on their body and think "Oh, that's nothing to worry about." They look more like extremely aggressive fatty tumors. If one of us saw something like this on our bodies, we would rush to a doctor.

 

When I listened to Pauline talk and talk and talk about how food is the only thing that gave her happiness, I wonder about her just like I did with the addicts on Intervention: did they have any interests in life? Sometimes I'm so busy that I forget to eat a meal. 

[Toaster Strudel]

It's really shocking that she is alive at 50.

[mrsjoe]

I'm finding it interesting that Zsalynn, Penny and now Pauline, have all been in some kind of feeder/fat person porn AND featured on the show. I wonder which TLC producer has a thing for feeder porn and is now gleefully meeting the "stars" he's been secretly watching in private for years.

  

Or maybe we should be taking pity on some poor TLC intern who is being forced to search for the feeder porn, and track these people down to convince them to be on the show, knowing they are likely willing to do just about anything!! They are also likely to struggle immensely with losing weight and giving up their income source, so all the better for TLC.

I don't understand how anyone could see lymphedema on their body and think "Oh, that's nothing to worry about." They look more like extremely aggressive fatty tumors. If one of us saw something like this on our bodies, we would rush to a doctor.

My guess is they did use their Medicaid dollars and go to the doctor. The problem is that the doctor said, "the only cure is losing weight, so you're going to have to eat healthier and exercise". They all left the appointment having heard "doc says there is nothing I can do!"

[Guest dutronc]

I can answer that. PAULINE ISN'T "PAYING" ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.

The US govt. with my tax dollars is supporting her and getting NOTHING in return.  I understand people being declared 100% disabled - people who have disability issues not of their own doing.

 

If we are calling food addiction the same as a drug addiction and therefore not a "weakness" or "lack of self control" then let's follow through with that.

 

We do not allow drug addicts to be considered "disabled" and give them money to stay home and buy more drugs - why are we paying for food addicts to use MY MONEY ro sit home - and buy more unhealthy food?

 

As we give recovering heroin addicts treatment and substitute methadone for heroin - we should give Pauline vouchers for food - healthy food - fruits - vegs - chicken - from a GROCERY store - not money for the fast food window.

 

I'm not responding to anything specific that you said, but I think what I'm getting out of your post is kind of the catch-22 of the premise of the show. Pauline might have extra money from her side business, but is she (and more cynically, the society who contribute to her social welfare) better off getting the surgery or not? According to other weight loss surgery shows, surgery saves money in the long run, which was an interesting perspective to whether or not someone "deserves" surgery, or whether they can hack the aftercare. Unlike a transplanted organ, which is a very limited resource, weight loss surgery can be performed on almost anyone, leave alone a few physical conditions.

[AdorkableWitch]

I can answer that. PAULINE ISN'T "PAYING" ANYONE FOR ANYTHING.

The US govt. with my tax dollars is supporting her and getting NOTHING in return.  I understand people being declared 100% disabled - people who have disability issues not of their own doing.

 

If we are calling food addiction the same as a drug addiction and therefore not a "weakness" or "lack of self control" then let's follow through with that.

 

We do not allow drug addicts to be considered "disabled" and give them money to stay home and buy more drugs - why are we paying for food addicts to use MY MONEY ro sit home - and buy more unhealthy food?

 

As we give recovering heroin addicts treatment and substitute methadone for heroin - we should give Pauline vouchers for food - healthy food - fruits - vegs - chicken - from a GROCERY store - not money for the fast food window.

 

Actual addict here, chiming in.

 

If you don't solve the root of the addiction, all the methadone or whatever isn't going to solve anything.You have to fix the brain first. In an ideal world, we would have health care in place where someone can go through a treatment program for addiction, and for someone like Pauline, it would be an inpatient program where food is strictly monitored. There someone could receive psychiatric care, nutritional supervision, and probably some physical therapy.

 

This is why I am a fan of Overeaters Anonymous. It's a 12 step program that addressed more than just the food. It's not a "diet club." It seeks to heal whatever you are trying to dampen down with your addictions. 

[silverspoons]

I was shocked that the son was so young. I thought he was at least 25. He looked so defeated. I was so hoping when she checked in the hospital to lose weight before the surgery , he was at home posting an ad for a girlfriend. I know he must feel obligated but he is 19 or 20 now so he could leave. He might have had a crappy childhood, but nothing is stopping him for renting a room, getting a job(even if it is minimum wage) and taking a few community college classes and getting a life of his own. My husband has a cousin that is over 550lbs and she was put in a care center at age 33 after she was bedridden. Her son wanted to finish high school and go to college out of state and her mom couldn't drive anymore. We visited her a few times and I talked to the nurse and she said maybe 1 in 15-20 patients are in this long term care center are under 40 because of weight or weight related complications.

 

 

 

I wonder if Paulie saw that Penny was the most talked about episode last year and she wanted to be Penny 2.0 for the attention? I hope she didn't do this show and surgery for more publicity and waste so many resources. It is not really the $743 (or whatever SSI pays in 2015) a month. It is the FULL medical with NO deductibles, food stamps, paid housing and utilities, the durable medical supplies like the beds and wheelchair, transportation vouchers, the van that picks her up, and all the other extras that give her a better life then some full time working women. How many Americans after paying for housing, utilities, medical , food and transportation have $743 left over every month? Sadly there are many who don't.

[purpleflowers]

Hi all. Used to read over at TWOP and now here. 

 

This woman made me so mad. She's on youtube now do vlogs about how TLC edited her badly and she's claiming Dr. Now lied about the physical therapist. So many lies come out of this woman's mouth I don't think she knows what telling the truth is. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr4W9AO-kOg

She says "I can't walk very far out of water".  I don't want to claim to know more about her physical problems than her, but this is very problematic for me. Walking is THE most basic exercise she can do. And GEEZ, this woman. She says she "ONLY" started needing Dillon's caretaking when he was 14 or 15. That kind of disgusted me. I will give her the benefit of the doubt that perhaps she is trying now with the physical therapist and maybe there is hope for her progress. I know TLC will edit things to their liking for ratings and I see her point with that but favorable editing would not have hidden Pauline's bad attitude and actions. I do wonder about her claim that Dr. Now said no to fruits and vegetables. Can anyone verify if this is something a doctor would recommend against for a gastric bypass patient? 

Edited February 22, 2015 by purpleflowers

[MrHufflepuff]

 I do wonder about her claim that Dr. Now said no to fruits and vegetables. Can anyone verify if this is something a doctor would recommend against for a gastric bypass patient? 

 

I can't speak specifically to the gastric bypass diet, but a lot of weight loss plans/diets restrict fruit, because they are basically the equivalent of sugar (although fruit is usually thought to be better than fruit juice).  As for vegetables, there are a lot of diets that restrict certain types of vegetables (such as potatoes), because they are very high-carb (or high glycemic).  But a lot of diets (except the more extreme ones) allow you to eat low-glycemic vegetables, such as broccoli, lettuce, celery, Brussels sprouts, etc.  I'd be surprised if Dr. Now's diet prevented her from eating, say, baked Brussels sprouts with a bit of seasoning or steamed broccoli, but I can't say for certain.  Restricting fruit, though, wouldn't surprise me.

Edited February 22, 2015 by MrHufflepuff

[DangerousMinds]

Fruits and veg are carbs.

[Guest dutronc]

adorkable witch, your post reminds me of discussion around hoarding shows. "Ugh, why doesn't the cleaning crew just throw everything away? It's just garbage!" Well, like the therapists say, it's because the root of the hoarding needs to be addressed. I've also read that forced clear-outs (the dumpster model) lead to suicide, which is not an ideal treatment outcome. 

 

Dillon needs to make a few calls to social workers, pack his shit in a bag and disappear until he can figure out who he is away from his mother. Trade schools and community colleges would be great places to start.

[Cherrio]

adorkable witch, your post reminds me of discussion around hoarding shows. "Ugh, why doesn't the cleaning crew just throw everything away? It's just garbage!" Well, like the therapists say, it's because the root of the hoarding needs to be addressed. I've also read that forced clear-outs (the dumpster model) lead to suicide, which is not an ideal treatment outcome. 

 

Dillon needs to make a few calls to social workers, pack his shit in a bag and disappear until he can figure out who he is away from his mother. Trade schools and community colleges would be great places to start.

I wish Dillon would do what you suggest.   The problem is he is a victim of his mother and has deep seated problems now that probably prevent him from doing anything.   He is suffering from the effects of being abused and enslaved to his mother. I am sure she has done an excellent job of making him believe that if he ever leaves she will die and it will be his fault. Also, he is filming her porn and he was probably doing it when he was still underage too. Again, why the hell didnt anyone help him?

            He will need massive therapy for any chance at a decent life.  

[Oldernowiser]

Please tell me we don't actually know he filmed her porn...please.

[Cherrio]

Please tell me we don't actually know he filmed her porn...please.

I definitely should of said, he might be or probably is .....my mistake.

 I was just assuming because he is doing everything else for her.

[Oldernowiser]

I definitely should of said, he might be or probably is .....my mistake.

 I was just assuming because he is doing everything else for her.

You're probably right...it just makes me violently ill to think about it so I'm choosing to think otherwise! La la la, happy place, happy place...

[Betweenyouandme]

Actual addict here, chiming in.

If you don't solve the root of the addiction, all the methadone or whatever isn't going to solve anything.You have to fix the brain first. In an ideal world, we would have health care in place where someone can go through a treatment program for addiction, and for someone like Pauline, it would be an inpatient program where food is strictly monitored. There someone could receive psychiatric care, nutritional supervision, and probably some physical therapy.

This is why I am a fan of Overeaters Anonymous. It's a 12 step program that addressed more than just the food. It's not a "diet club." It seeks to heal whatever you are trying to dampen down with your addictions.

I agree overall. However, fixing the brain first isn't going to be the course of action for someone who could die any time due to what they've done to their body.

It's great for someone with any type of ED to get counseling if it helps them. However, if someone is an extreme weight, you need to get that under control first. Just like a 55 lb anorexic person. He or she needs to put on weight and try to get their labs under control as the very first thing. Then, the counseling can start. It doesn't mean a person has to wait until they're at the goal weight, but the emergency of the situation needs to be taken care of first.

Now, for the people who go home for a month or so to lose weight on their own, they could certainly be doing counseling, too, but who is going to pay for it? They can be proactive and take a look to see what's available but no one can make them unless they need to be committed if they've shown to be a harm to one's self or others.

The difference between being too overweight versus too underweight is there's no surgery to help severely underweight people gain weight. It's tube feedings or self feedings. That's it. So, for the critically emaciated people, they need to be inpatient until they're stable. That's very emotionally difficult and some treatment facilities have more mental health treatment than others. But, for those at state, publicly funded facilties? You're probably going to be tube fed and then sent home maybe with a couple of resources on places to call. At least where I am in the US.

If Pauline has no medical emergency or severe untreated schizophrenia or plan to kill herself or others, at the end of the day, it's Pauline who has to choose to handle her eating. Eating is something she's got to do to stay alive, and it is a choice to eat so as not to die. Is it hard? Is it an emotional/mental disorder? Yes. But unless there's a medical problem or emergency, it's her choice to get it under control. Part of it being her choice is to contact resources, but she's choosing not to do it. She didn't attend PT. That's not because her addiction to food was so strong that she had no choice in the matter. Pauline wasn't doing her best.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Betweenyouandme

[CarolMK]

Pauline was married in 2005 til around 2011, I think. Hopefully it was her ex-husband who filmed her porn clips, not her son. It might be that her son became her caretaker after

her husband left her. Whoever posted the wedding pictures upthread, I was surprised to see how normal she looked 10 years ago, despite being about 400 lbs and 40 years old. I  guess she got really out of control after her divorce and then gained up to approximately 700 lbs. No mention anywhere as to who Dillon's father is. Though if he was in Dillon's life at all, we probably would have heard about it on the show. 

[Toaster Strudel]

Please tell me we don't actually know he filmed her porn...please.

 

Sorry, but who else held the camera?

[SnarkKitty]

Anyway, topic. I'm still kind of baffled by Pauline's existence. I don't think this article was posted. It's from Starcasm, so I don't know how true it was, but according to it, she was a fetish model and on various feeder sites. The article makes a good point: the show was very clear about Zsalynn's past as a supersized model, and totally obfuscated it in Pauline's episode, with no apparent explanation (although I suppose her brand of crazy might have been a buried lede). Assuming this is true, it's a really dramatic contrast between Zsalynn and Pauline.

 

My recollection is that they did NOT mention Zsalynn's porn fetish past in the original showing; I posted and linked following the show wondering why they never touched on it.

 

And am I the only one who heard the dog whine when they came back to the van after the first appointment with Dr. Now? It sounded to me like they left the dog in the van while they went to the appointment.

 

 

No, I heard it also - I rewound and looked into the car to see where it was, and also thought "why did they take the dog and leave it locked in the van??"

[Cherrio]

My recollection is that they did NOT mention Zsalynn's porn fetish past in the original showing; I posted and linked following the show wondering why they never touched on it.

 

 

No, I heard it also - I rewound and looked into the car to see where it was, and also thought "why did they take the dog and leave it locked in the van??"

I think Zsalynn kind of explained how she was a very popular extreme size model/pinup/fetish ?    I remember them showing pics of her in a swimsuit and maybe in a hot tub?     Please correct me if I am wrong, but that is what I remember.     Also, isnt that how she met her asshole husband?

 

 People who leave animals in a car should be shot.