S03.E11: Laura's Story

[4leafclover]

A woman in a wheelchair who relies on an oxygen tank to breathe and depends on her husband and mother to survive struggles to turn her life around.

[non sequitur]

That was one of the most emotional episodes of the series.  Laura reminded me of Amber, she was very self aware of her problems, especially after the surgery.  

 

The best quote of the episode was " A new body won't matter if I still feel the same way".  Advice to live by.  

 

I hope she continues losing weight, it seems like she will.

[Armchair Critic]

Another person who was sexually abused as a child. And once again, where do these women find these husbands who take care of (enable) them like that? What was the big growth between her legs? If she loses weight do you think she would have that removed?

 

I was worried she wasn't going to do well because when she was talking about the surgery I felt like she thought she would be home free once she had it. Glad to see she got control of her eating, her family was supportive, and she was actually walking around without a wheelchair or cane.

[Cranky One]

I sure hope she was in Houston when she was rushed to the hospital, because San Antonio is a 3 hour+ drive from there. (I live in SA). It sounded like she was in SA before she got sick, but I wasn't paying close attention.

I was wondering about the growth also. She had thin legs from the calves down. And since she could actually wear shows and drive, she seemed to be a lot more mobile. I hope some dentist was watching and offers to give her some dental implants.

Edited March 19, 2015 by Cranky One

[Micks Picks]

Several struck me about the show.  Her legs were still good, btw.

• The idea that the doctor or whomever didn't help her (failure in the past to help herself)
• The therapist telling her she had to forgive--that failure to forgive hurt her, not the others involved
• Her resentment toward her mother
• Pretending her niece/nephew were her children
• The inability to know what a normal portion was

Her husband is an all right guy.  Best luck to her, and I like the dress shop aspect of the show now.

[aliya]

... and I like the dress shop aspect of the show now.

I'm so shallow. I kept waiting for the sales person to tell her she now wore a 1X. I wear a L or a 1X depending and just have to shake my head when they show these still large women getting a 1X blouse, No way.

 

So, she was molested and blames her mother, even though she didn't tell her mother about the abuse? I'm not sure I heard everything. Was her mother supposed to know/suspect? 

 

OK, not only am I shallow, but I guess I'm cold as well. She kept talking about leaving her family should she die on the table and how much her family meant to her, etc. If all this were true, why didn't she watch her food intake so she wouldn't get so big? This isn't cancer, it's not a car accident - she did this to herself (I don't care what her mental issues are). And as far as being afraid she wouldn't wake up, I would think she'd have that fear everyday, considering her weight and oxygen dependency. 

 

She looked like she was trying to work her plan, and she was certainly better than Pauline and Penny, but jeez. I guess I'm just getting tired of these sob stories. It's like watching some episodes of 'Intervention' - the parents divorce when the kid is 7 and at 20 the kid becomes a junkie and blames it on the parents. Sigh. I'm starting to feel less and less sympathetic for these people. 

[cheatincheetos]

A woman in a wheelchair who relies on an oxygen tank to breathe and depends on her husband and mother to survive struggles to turn her life around.

That was sounding like the Pegster until you got to the part about actually making effort.:)

[QueBueno]

Hey Cranky One, I also live in San Antonio. I kept looking closely to see if I could figure out what part of town Laura lives in. I think I know the general area but couldn't pin it down totally.

I was worried for awhile she wouldn't lose much, then BAM she'd lost almost 300 pounds! The pacing of the episode can be really weird. My shallow observation: her teeth. I would contribute to help get them fixed.

[Christina]

So, she was molested and blames her mother, even though she didn't tell her mother about the abuse? I'm not sure I heard everything. Was her mother supposed to know/suspect? 

I missed part of the episode, but I took it to be that she thought her mother should have known and protected her, but didn't.  During the conversation with her mom later, her mom kept talking about her understanding as she got older that the mom didn't know, but Laura didn't seem to be agreeing or nodding or anything. The editing was awful, though. The mom had food and Laura didn't, then neither had food, then the mom was bagging her food, then she was eating it. It was really distracting.

[Micks Picks]

Oh Aliya, another cranky one.  So nice most of us are tonight.  I think we are a pretty independent pick it up or put it down, but get on with your life, group.  I said on another post for another person that I think many of these abuse excuses aren't all they are made out to be, but focusing on what may not even have been abuse until it builds up in your mind and gives you a reason for whatever you are doing.  Like the kids whose parents divorced at 7, a bad thing yes, but not an excuse for drugs at 20.  With these people it seems to be depression, and for drugs, rebellion run amok.  Somebody wrote about never feeling full.  I usually feel full.  Don't eat a real meal but once a week maybe.  For me it was Monday afternoon and it was Wednesday before I mostly digested it.  Sometimes while I'm eating I can't take one more bite, suddenly.  But then I have a gastric & small intestine issue.  No, nothing to do with a gastric sleeve or bypass, but I used to think that was what they must feel like.  You just can't take that next bite.   Apparently not.

[purpleflowers]

I don't mean this as a remark about Laura's looks, just about the reality of her situation; but I really do hope she can get some dental work as she seemed to have very few teeth and I'm not sure how she was able to even chew with what she had. Wow, her situation was really depressing. I do feel bad about the emotional burden of her past that she has had to carry around, what happened to her was awful; but I can understand those posters here who are skeptical about the reasons people give for why they got so obese. At some point, they need to take personal responsibility.

I was floored when Laura said that tray full of desserts at the grocery store was just enough for only her.  

It was frightening to see the sores and purple skin under her stomach. This show continues to show some degrading scenes of these people and it does feel exploitative. I wish they would stop. 

Laura's mother seemed kind of checked out to me. I was getting an odd vibe from her. 

What's been baffling me about these patients week after week is the aspect of having a food addiction. I see the motivation to eat healthy right before the surgery because of the extra incentive of the gastric bypass (though it is still hard to understand given the power of an addiction) but how do they control it afterwards? It's amazing how they can just turn it around without something like Overeaters Anonymous or perhaps some other intervention. I guess the psychology of it puzzles me. 

I was glad to see how things turned out towards the end of the episode. That was sweet of her to spend time with her nieces out of the home. 

Edited March 19, 2015 by purpleflowers

[Armchair Critic]

This show continues to show some degrading scenes of these people and it does feel exploitative. I wish they would stop

 

I agree, I have to look away when they have the bathing and nude scenes, it makes me feel guilty watching it. We don't need to see that much of their bodies, it just feels wrong.

[notyrmomma]

 What's been baffling me about these patients week after week is the aspect of having a food addiction. I see the motivation to eat healthy right before the surgery because of the extra incentive of the gastric bypass (though it is still hard to understand given the power of an addiction) but how do they control it afterwards? It's amazing how they can just turn it around without something like Overeaters Anonymous or perhaps some other intervention. I guess the psychology of it puzzles me. 

 

I will answer this.  Because for regular fat people, maybe not nutsy 600 lb people, eating after surgery hurts like hell.  That's how they turn it around.  The sleeve and bypass take all the pleasure out of eating - that's the point of it.  I literally shrieked in pain when I saw her attempting to eat that PILE of what had to be 4 eggs right after her surgery (she was sharing with one of her nieces) and she put a big 'ole fork full in her mouth.  I am 6 months out of the sleeve operation and I can barely eat a whole scrambled egg.  I have said this before and I will say it again, how or why do they push through the pain for food???

 

My other observation...The risk that you can get pneumonia after surgery is very real and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often on this show.  They give you this breathing apparatus (I referred to it as a breathing game because I'm uber competitive) that you have to use every hour, but that hurts like hell too.  I bet she didn't use it.  She's lucky she survived. 

[cheatincheetos]

I don't mean this as a remark about Laura's looks, just about the reality of her situation; but I really do hope she can get some dental work as she seemed to have very few teeth and I'm not sure how she was able to even chew with what she had.

There was that other patient a couple episodes back with missing teeth too. Tooth loss from sugar diet and bad hygiene probably compounds the poor food choices. Junk food is not just concentrated calories but easier to chew than a lot of real foods. The meat served in fast food lanes is practically 'pre chewed' for you.

[Guest dutronc]

My other observation...The risk that you can get pneumonia after surgery is very real and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often on this show.  They give you this breathing apparatus (I referred to it as a breathing game because I'm uber competitive) that you have to use every hour, but that hurts like hell too.  I bet she didn't use it.  She's lucky she survived. 

 

The breathing apparatus was right next to her plate of eggs. It's possible she didn't use it, but it wasn't hidden in the back of the closet.

 

Laura calling her nieces her babies was pretty typical--in a lot of close-knit families, a lot of relatives have car seats so they can share the kids. It also looked like the kids were living with the Laura et al, anyway, so if she was around, it's not unusual. At the risk of over-extending, it also seemed especially typical among the Mex-American families I know. Also, to cross over from Christina's thread, Laura referred to them as "babies" and also called them "Baby." 

 

 

I'm so shallow. I kept waiting for the sales person to tell her she now wore a 1X. I wear a L or a 1X depending and just have to shake my head when they show these still large women getting a 1X blouse, No way.

 

It was almost definitely from a company like Roamans, where 1X corresponds to a 22W/24W or so, and not a 14/16, depending on the manufacturer. Laura looked like she could definitely wear a stretchy 24W. 

 

I really liked Laura. She was bright and seemed to have a good sense of humor, and wasn't an angry narcissist like some others. I loved the discussion about forgiveness and moving on, and all the steps she took to make changes. Her edit job from the commercials was a list of "can't, don't, ouch" but she turned out so much better. 

Edited March 19, 2015 by dutronc

[Armchair Critic]

The only thing that bugged me about Laura calling those girls her babies is that her sister probably had to work while Laura was home and with her being immobile how much did she take care of them? But I do understand in that my nieces are special to me too, before I had my own child I really doted on them.

 

This season they really seem to be following the same pattern for each show with the bathing scenes, hoping for surgery, meeting with doc, having to lose weight first....etc.  The part that makes me laugh is when they show scenery and they do the "deep thoughts" segment of the show.

[Guest]

I really liked Laura. She was bright and seemed to have a good sense of humor, and wasn't an angry narcissist like some others.

I really liked Laura, too. She took pride in her appearance*, had a really positive attitude, and her husband, unlike the creepy feeders/fetishist/freeloader husbands I've seen in the past, seemed to sincerely care for and love Laura for who she was -- not for body she inhabited.

 

Oh, and yoo-hoo! Penny! Laura didn't need her oxygen supply after she, you know, lost weight. My thought is Laura couldn't wait to ditch that thing while Penny used it as another "hey, look at me! don't you feel sorry for me? I'm sooooo handicapped!" device.

 

This season they really seem to be following the same pattern for each show with the bathing scenes, hoping for surgery, meeting with doc, having to lose weight first....etc.

Don't forget the awkard trip to the grocery store!

 

*OK, the make up needed to be dialed back to 10, but hats off to her for trying.

[Bellalisa]

If she was so afraid to get the surgery, that it could kill her, right after she lost 50 pounds, why didn't she at least think about not getting it and trying more on her own? I get the reasons behind it but she was petrified. Also these bed bound people, who cry that no one will do the surgery on them, and that they will die without it, why don't their caregivers just bring them the same amount of food that they would eat after the surgery? I totally get it and all why over the long term it helps so much and helps you to eat less, but in the case where you are bedbound and 800 pounds? Remember the woman who was around 800 pounds, bed ridden- she could not find a doctor to perform the surgery on her. She kept saying she would die without it. Then finally she got the surgery and died 2 weeks later. They just needed to bring her less food. I dont care if she is going to scream and cry and whine and carry on. Shut the door, put on some loud music and drown them out.

[feetcuzzyfeefee]

Here's another woman who appeared to have classic signs of Cushing's.   Very large face, a lot of weight in upper back, relatively slim legs, and huge, pendulous stomach.   Although, I will temper that statement by saying that I think her sister was shaped pretty much the same, so it may be genetic.  One thing I wonder about Dr. Now is when the 600 lb. patient comes in with 300 lb. relatives, why does he not say something to the 300 lb. relative about possible ending up at 600 lbs. if things aren't kept in check?  I know he is only seeing one patient, but I don't understand why he would ignore the (hate to say it) elephant in the room and not say anything to a future potential 600 lb. patient.  I think that "growth" we saw in the beginning was her "lady area" which also gets very fat when you gain weight.  In some of these shows I have seen, the "lady area" is very visible when they are wearing some kind of pants due to the extra fat around it.   I think the camera stopped just shy of showing us what would constitute a pornographic shot.   I think she was rather unfortunate looking with her missing teeth and extremely low hairline, but after she lost some weight, at least she prided herself in getting fixed up (even though she could use a lighter hand with the make-up) and wearing nice clothes.  She seems to have such a big heart and loving nature, I really hope she goes all the way with her weight loss.  

[Guest dutronc]

I don't think it's unreasonable for someone to be scared of surgery regardless of one's weight. I am normally a calm, logical person, but when I found out I needed an appendectomy, I got terrified and begged for other options and started crying. Laura seemed pretty non-hysterical throughout, so I'll give her a pass for her nerves without hesitation. 

 

I don't know if Dr Now talks to the patients' family members or not, but I'm kind of glad he doesn't, or if he does, it's not shown. I prefer the implicit drama, and it's not really practical for a show about one person. If the show were called My 1800 lb family, about a morbidly obese family who were all getting bariatric surgery, then it might be relevant, and even interesting to see family dynamics.

Edited March 19, 2015 by dutronc

[poeticlicensed]

I did appreciate that even at her heaviest, Laura cared about her appearance. She wore makeup, jewelry and real shoes. I also was thinking Cushings. I wonder why Dr. Now never mentioned that with either patient who clearly had a medical condition. I'm hoping that Laura deals with some of her anger about what happened to her as a child. I also thought her mom was not very sympathetic. While parents may not know that abuse is taking place, I can certainly see why Laura felt that her mom didn't protect her. Mom needs to own that and not just say that she didn't know what was going on. 

Edited March 19, 2015 by poeticlicensed

[Momof2boyz]

Did anyone notice that she had a lot of hair loss?  This is a symptom of a thyroid condition.  Of course, she has food addiction too, but this could contribute to weight gain.

[lulu69]

My, the different body shapes we've seen. It's amazing how people could carry the same amt of weight & look so drastically different.

 

On the topic of Laura being another victim of childhood sexual abuse, I too wonder how some people could have the most horrific childhoods yet go on to lead happy productive lives while others just crumble. It seems a lot of the show particpants lack resiliency or just a fighting spirit. I have to wonder about Laura's sisters as they were quite heavy too; were they also abused? Also, not to pick on a small child, but the younger 'baby' was pretty chunky too. 

 

What drove me crazy was that many of the scenes with Laura interacting w/the babies involved her giving them treats like ice cream, cookies, etc...

[Taylorh2]

I am confused about the scene in the grocery store with the tray of pastries.  Her husband put the pastries on the tray like she was going to eat them right them in there. That was odd.

[Guest dutronc]

I am confused about the scene in the grocery store with the tray of pastries.  Her husband put the pastries on the tray like she was going to eat them right them in there. That was odd.

 

In Mexican stores and supermarkets, you pick your breads and rolls and put them on a tray, and then (usually) bring them to the cashier. It's only slightly different from bagging up individual muffins or doughnuts at the bakery counter. 

Edited March 19, 2015 by dutronc

[Ocean Chick]

I ended up rather liking Laura, though at some points she was testing my patience.  Started out with too many "I can't, I can't, I can't".  You could tell her husband really loved her, but he was literally loving her to death.  I can't judge the mother too harshly (some of you think she looked rather cold hearted), as some people just aren't demonstrative (especially with cameras in your face, recording everything).  And if she's had a life time of her daughter accusing her of not protecting her, when mom didn't know anything was wrong and daughter never told her, then I can see why she would be defensive - daughter trying to weigh her down with guilt that wasn't truly hers to carry.  But I think that at bottom level, they all really love each other, and that counts for a lot.

 

I'm hoping for a good follow up next year.  I hope she makes significant progress.  And has someone teach her how to apply makeup with a lighter hand.

[Taylorh2]

So the cashier weighs the tray ?  And then bags it up ?

[Guest dutronc]

The cashier usually just counts and puts it in a bag or box and sends you on your way. There's usually a wide variety of different breads, cookies and empanadas.

[Cherrio]

I agree, I have to look away when they have the bathing and nude scenes, it makes me feel guilty watching it. We don't need to see that much of their bodies, it just feels wrong.

Yes, one more shower and then sitting in nothing but a shirt and underpants scene.   Its wrong, but TLC has never cared and never will. They do it intentionally because as I have said before its a freak show that brings in the money. Those kind of scenes are what people talk about and still watch week after week.   Its nothing more than those old carnival attractions, just updated for tv by TLC who are the forerunners in exploitation.

[Peanutbuttercup]

I literally shrieked in pain when I saw her attempting to eat that PILE of what had to be 4 eggs right after her surgery (she was sharing with one of her nieces) and she put a big 'ole fork full in her mouth.  I am 6 months out of the sleeve operation and I can barely eat a whole scrambled egg.  I have said this before and I will say it again, how or why do they push through the pain for food???

 

 

I noticed that too! I am almost 2 years out from my surgery and I still max out at 1.5 scrambled eggs, or 1 egg + 1 egg white. I also saw that giant bowl of veggies and steak she had in front of her and was flabbergasted. That bowl would feed me for two days now and would have fed me for a week when I was six months post-sleeve. Hopefully she was planning to eat just a little bit and put the rest away for leftovers.

[Cherrio]

I will answer this.  Because for regular fat people, maybe not nutsy 600 lb people, eating after surgery hurts like hell.  That's how they turn it around.  The sleeve and bypass take all the pleasure out of eating - that's the point of it.  I literally shrieked in pain when I saw her attempting to eat that PILE of what had to be 4 eggs right after her surgery (she was sharing with one of her nieces) and she put a big 'ole fork full in her mouth.  I am 6 months out of the sleeve operation and I can barely eat a whole scrambled egg.  I have said this before and I will say it again, how or why do they push through the pain for food???

 

My other observation...The risk that you can get pneumonia after surgery is very real and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often on this show.  They give you this breathing apparatus (I referred to it as a breathing game because I'm uber competitive) that you have to use every hour, but that hurts like hell too.  I bet she didn't use it.  She's lucky she survived. 

I think the reason they try to eat more than they should after surgery is twofold.  One, instead or a last resort in my mind before surgery, they need to deal in depth and for as long as it takes with what made them do this.    This is an emotional/mental problem, the physical is the result of the former.

Two, if the behavior isnt dealt with, then it will continue after surgery. Some go right back to it , some will slowly eat more and more.     The surgery never fixes the real problems. In a lot of cases, it makes it much worse in that they now have more physical ailments, some potentially deadly to add to the list.

[Cherrio]

I can't be the only one who noticed this, which is TLC at its best which is exploitation and bullshit.

            Laura is at deaths door, the music gets dramatic then they cut to the church doors.    We are supposed to gasp and say, OMG she died!

             There are seconds of waiting for added dramatic effect, then cut to Laura alive and going to church.

[Guest dutronc]

Why would anyone watching think she died? She did the voice over.

Edited March 19, 2015 by dutronc

[brandyelf]

I can't be the only one who noticed this, which is TLC at its best which is exploitation and bullshit.

            Laura is at deaths door, the music gets dramatic then they cut to the church doors.    We are supposed to gasp and say, OMG she died!

             There are seconds of waiting for added dramatic effect, then cut to Laura alive and going to church.

I thought the same thing, for a second. I hope even TLC would never sink so low.

[Guest dutronc]

As far as TLC goes, it's a mix of possibilities. I read somewhere else that a decade ago when TLC was filming new episodes of a Baby Story, they didn't air the episodes with a negative or extra-stressful outcome. And Renee from 900 lb mom did die during the program, as did Ricky Naputi from 900 Lb Man, and Dominique from Half-Ton Mom. And there was a half-ton teen who died waiting for surgery (I think).

Edited March 19, 2015 by dutronc

[Cranky One]

Hey Cranky One, I also live in San Antonio. I kept looking closely to see if I could figure out what part of town Laura lives in. I think I know the general area but couldn't pin it down totally.

I was worried for awhile she wouldn't lose much, then BAM she'd lost almost 300 pounds! The pacing of the episode can be really weird. My shallow observation: her teeth. I would contribute to help get them fixed.

 

I was trying to figure out also, but the only place I recognized was the Riverwalk! lol  I live over by Helotes, so I am completely lost when I leave the NW side of town!

[CarolMK]

I am wondering if Dr. Now has had any 600 lb patients who live on their own, go to work, and don't have a caretaker/enabler to help take care of them. It seems as if the show is demonstrating that a person can't get to 600+ pounds by themselves, that they need a caretaker in order to do so and I wonder if that is the case.

 

I do think Laura did extremely well towards the end, after getting therapy and a heart to heart chat with her mom. It seems like she lost over 100 lbs the final two months , is that a lot more than patients normally lose or was the timing/editing off?

[LiveenLetLive]

"What was the big growth between her legs?"--->as mentioned above, her vagina (yes freakish, but fat migrates to every part of the body, it has to go somewhere.) The husband intrigues me, clearly there can be no sex in this relationship, and she wasn't small when they met so who knows if there ever was? Obviously there is something else going on there. Interestingly Laura's mother wasn't particularly big, but the daughters were, and sadly, the little nieces are going in the same direction. Here is my thing, I grew up as a fat child, my parents divorced and I grew up with my Dad's family none of whom had any weight issues (my mother was the obese one and was constantly fighting it) Looking back I can say that I was never a normal weight and I will say that I had a genetic predisposition for weight, and no, no molestation either, but it was not a forgone conclusion that I would be obese,  at the bottom of it all is the parent, the parent needs to take charge of the child's eating habits, food should never be used to quiet a willful child (which I assume was the issue in my case.) I love my family (all gone now) but they had no issue with food themselves and simply didn't understand that they needed to exert some control over my eating habits.

[DangerousMinds]

There was that other patient a couple episodes back with missing teeth too. Tooth loss from sugar diet and bad hygiene probably compounds the poor food choices. Junk food is not just concentrated calories but easier to chew than a lot of real foods. The meat served in fast food lanes is practically 'pre chewed' for you.

That and not having any money for expensive dental visits.

[DangerousMinds]

I think the reason they try to eat more than they should after surgery is twofold.  One, instead or a last resort in my mind before surgery, they need to deal in depth and for as long as it takes with what made them do this.    This is an emotional/mental problem, the physical is the result of the former.

Two, if the behavior isnt dealt with, then it will continue after surgery. Some go right back to it , some will slowly eat more and more.     The surgery never fixes the real problems. In a lot of cases, it makes it much worse in that they now have more physical ailments, some potentially deadly to add to the list.

Addiction is very hard to overcome. Especially food addiction, because while someone can make an effort to completely avoid using drugs, one has to eat to stay alive.

[Enjay]

I'm an obese person (not a 600 pounder) and if I had a healthy relationship with food I wouldn't be fat.  I think obesity is at leat 90% caused by psychological issues.

 

When I binge*, it's absolutely mindless.  I don't taste the food or pause long enough to even notice if my stomach hurts because I've eaten too much.  It's afterwards when you think, "geez, I didn't enjoy a second of that."  I imagine it's the same for some of the people who've had surgery.  They eat beyond the pain because they aren't even feeling it.

 

     *my binging is under control atm.  I'm learning to eat mindfully which is weird but working.

[LiveenLetLive]

I'm an obese person (not a 600 pounder) and if I had a healthy relationship with food I wouldn't be fat.  I think obesity is at leat 90% caused by psychological issues.

 

When I binge*, it's absolutely mindless.  I don't taste the food or pause long enough to even notice if my stomach hurts because I've eaten too much.  It's afterwards when you think, "geez, I didn't enjoy a second of that."  I imagine it's the same for some of the people who've had surgery.  They eat beyond the pain because they aren't even feeling it.

 

     *my binging is under control atm.  I'm learning to eat mindfully which is weird but working.

I think that research has shown that obesity has a strong genetic component, but that fact does NOT absolve the obese person from taking control of their eating habits--even more important I honestly think is exercise, the fact is that these super obese people stop moving and the weight piles on. I guess that one thing to sort of look forward to is that after menopause I basically lost that driving appetite and lost 40 pounds, I also have a dog that I walk at least once a day every day, exercise is key.

[flappa1016]

I literally shrieked in pain when I saw her attempting to eat that PILE of what had to be 4 eggs right after her surgery (she was sharing with one of her nieces) and she put a big 'ole fork full in her mouth.  I am 6 months out of the sleeve operation and I can barely eat a whole scrambled egg.  I have said this before and I will say it again, how or why do they push through the pain for food???

 

My other observation...The risk that you can get pneumonia after surgery is very real and I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often on this show.  They give you this breathing apparatus (I referred to it as a breathing game because I'm uber competitive) that you have to use every hour, but that hurts like hell too.  I bet she didn't use it.  She's lucky she survived. 

 

I was shocked when I saw that scene, as well.  I haven't had bypass surgery and wouldn't be able to eat that many eggs at one sitting!  But Dr. Now did say that the type of bypass that he used on her wouldn't have been as effective as the type he'd hoped to accomplish, and maybe the reason it doesn't work as well is that it can allow the patient to stretch the pouch over time.

 

My husband was in the room with me when I was watching this episode (I usually watch it when he's at work or already in bed).  When she mentioned that her lungs were hurting, the first thing he thought of was a blood clot, as he'd had the same symptoms when a blood clot in his leg had traveled to his lungs. 

[Cherrio]

Why would anyone watching think she died? She did the voice over.

There was no voice over during that time. It was just music and a shot of the church sans Laura.

[hawk09]

I've had an adrenal gland problem since I was born and not discovered until I was sixteen.  All of my weight is around my middle, yet I have very thin legs.  I once weighed close to 300 lbs. and I literally looked like Mr. Peanut.  I didn't have any weight loss surgery, but over the years I have lost a lot of weight and down to about 160.  The adrenal problem has me taking hydrocortisone daily (since I was 16, low dose 10 mg).  So, now my shape is, very thin legs, thinner arms, thin face and chest yet still have the friggin fat around the middle (less than I had before).

 

Perhaps Laura should have been advised to have medical issues checked out.  I was so happy that she mobile though, she really tried.

[Cherrio]

Addiction is very hard to overcome. Especially food addiction, because while someone can make an effort to completely avoid using drugs, one has to eat to stay alive.

True, addiction is a bitch and food addiction it could be said is trickier.      The argument or reasoning though is that even though one has to eat to stay alive, one does not have to overeat and eat very unhealthy. No one needs massive amounts or even a normal amount of McDonalds to live. No one needs candy and cake to survive.

 People with food addictions/weight problems can learn to eat less and find healthy alternatives. 

              I knew a woman struggling with her weight, while I had lost the weight I needed to and was successful in keeping it off.   She was eating a bolonga and mayo sandwich on cheap white bread while complaining about her lack of success. 

               I asked /suggested gently (as did others in the room) that she might think about making some changes in her choices of food. Her answer was, that she was from such and such a place/region and that sandwich was normal and she could never give it up.   I knew then she would probably always struggle.

               I had made decisions in my own choices and gave up most of what was unhealthy and bad.    I made the decision to say no.    I decided I could learn to live without things that were keeping me fat. After a time I no longer even craved that stuff.   Being healthy, looking and feeling good became my hamburger and fries.

[hawk09]

They never say on this show if they continue with therapy.  Even though Laura confronted her mother, either I missed something or they edited the conversation, but it wasn't clear about their discussion at lunch.

 

I found this post on a blog  https://cherished79.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/what-happened-next-when-you-told-someone-about-your-sexual-abuse/

Maybe this is what happened?

[Cherrio]

They never say on this show if they continue with therapy.  Even though Laura confronted her mother, either I missed something or they edited the conversation, but it wasn't clear about their discussion at lunch.

 

I found this post on a blog  https://cherished79.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/what-happened-next-when-you-told-someone-about-your-sexual-abuse/

Maybe this is what happened?

It was very choppy, that scene.    I came away from it thinking that her mother cut her off every time Laura tried to say what she wanted and needed to say.  It seemed the mother definitely did not want to talk about it at all.

[purpleflowers]

I will answer this.  Because for regular fat people, maybe not nutsy 600 lb people, eating after surgery hurts like hell.  That's how they turn it around.  The sleeve and bypass take all the pleasure out of eating - that's the point of it.  I literally shrieked in pain when I saw her attempting to eat that PILE of what had to be 4 eggs right after her surgery (she was sharing with one of her nieces) and she put a big 'ole fork full in her mouth.  I am 6 months out of the sleeve operation and I can barely eat a whole scrambled egg.  I have said this before and I will say it again, how or why do they push through the pain for food???

 

But I am referring to the 600 lb people who DON'T push through the pain to eat and only eat the proper amounts for a gastric bypass patient post-surgery (think Amber). I know none of the people on the show have been shown to be specifically diagnosed as an addict, but if some of them are, what puzzles me is that they are able to take control of the addiction on their own without the kind of help that other sorts of addicts utilize. 

[mrsjoe]

Also, not to pick on a small child, but the younger 'baby' was pretty chunky too. 

 

I thought this too. I think it was the juxtaposition of her stating that she never had a weight problem before the abuse and them showing a picture of her as a toddler who was clearly overweight already.

 

Why would anyone watching think she died? She did the voice over.

 

Some of us have watched a show called Fat Doctor that actually plugged along the episode like everything was fine. Then all of a sudden, they show him having problems post surgery and an announcement is made that he never made it out of a coma he fell into and died. I couldn't believe they showed his episode and it was quite the shock on first viewing, but his mom did an interview at the end and stated that she allowed it because it showed her son being brave and trying to live the best life he could. Also, I guess he had given her permission ahead of time. Anyway, I'm thinking I could totally see TLC showing someone die and then ending the episode with their voiceover.

 

The husband intrigues me, clearly there can be no sex in this relationship, and she wasn't small when they met so who knows if there ever was? Obviously there is something else going on there.

 

Yeah, the husband totally gave off a brother vibe, not spouse. There seemed to be very little affection between them, but maybe they felt that was a private thing, or the affection has morphed into caregiver relationships only?

Edited March 19, 2015 by mrsjoe