S06.E01: Life's A Pitch

[ScoobieDoobs]

I don't mean this post to be disrespectful, I really don't. But I have to ask . . . when you guys and your loved ones were suffering from Lyme, were you/they too fatigued to put on makeup yet simultaneously capable of mustering the energy to shoot hundreds of hours of tape/film; make not only the commitment necessary to participate in a full-time job but also enlist two of your/their friends to join you in said job; attend red carpets and other taxing social events; don cosmetics for your/their carefully curated social media presence; make transoceanic expeditions to farflung locales not just for treatment but also leisure; and undertake all the other ventures that Yolanda is while asserting that she's too weak to even process anything "beyond four white walls"?

 

From my perspective, the cognitive dissonance from Lisa and Kyle about Yolanda's self-presentation choices doesn't have as much to do with vanity or anti-feminist cultural ideas about a woman's obligation to wear cosmetics as much as it does with the, at this juncture, increasingly high mountain of contradictions between many of Yo's statements and conduct. (Although I do think Ken was intentionally making a dig; but, then, in my subjective opinion, Yo's efforts to malign him as a man who puts his hands aggressively on a woman is every bit as a bad as, say, a false accusation of racism.)

 

It is a valid point.  You are not being disrespectful to those who have had the disease.  Look, Yo has the dough to have a makeup artist on call & just do her up when she's going out, to look her best.  My first reaction when I saw Yo was I thought she was going for dramatics.  Maybe she wants people to see how she really looks & not the made-up best version of her.  Why?  Maybe to either elicit sympathy or to remind people she's sick, or because if she's made-up & looking healthy, she "fears" nobody would believe she's sick.  These are all possible theories, right?

 

When my mom had this disease, yes, it is true, whenever she would go out, she absolutely ALWAYS put on makeup.  The prob, my mom said, was getting the energy to get up & go out.  She said it was extremely difficult.  What my mom has a hard time understanding is how Yo has the energy to travel around the world chasing these alternative treatments & how in the heck she could possibly have the energy to participate in any way with this show.

 

I asked my mom if she thought Yo was being dramatic, wearing no makeup, and she said absolutely not.  Mom said, as was the case with her, whether you're wearing makeup or not, you can tell a person has this disease from their general demeanor.  My mom's theory is kinda simple.  She said Yo is a rich woman & rich women do whatever the fuck they feel like -- cuz usually they can.  My mom said she couldn't do that when she had LD.  If she went out, she believed she had to put on makeup cuz she felt she still had to put on the best face possible.  And yeah, even tho Mom barely had the energy to walk 2 steps, she did still put her makeup on.  Shrugging hard, but that was her.  Her friends, neighbors & family told her she looked great -- and it bugged the absolute hell outta her.  But I guess it's better than any of 'em saying she looked terrible to a TV camera broadcast to millions, eh?

[Vicky8675309]

I guess it would be really tacky to ask opinions on who is sicker (or more likely to die or become demented first), Kim vs Yolanda? I'm leaning toward Kim.

[SCS]

I don't understand what Yo being white has to do with her illness.  Is Lymes like Sickle Cell where it is more prevalent in one ethnicity?

Perhaps more prevalent by region rather than race or ethnicity, altho I suppose one could do a race-or-ethnicity-based demographix review of the high-risk areas to determine breakdowns. That one will not be me. ;)

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/06/lyme-disease-map-pinpoints-areas_n_1256859.html

[kokapetl]

Kim's brain is clearly fried from decades of drug abuse, I wonder how the rest of her has fared.

[Medicine Crow]

I don't mean this post to be disrespectful, I really don't. But I have to ask . . . when you guys and your loved ones were suffering from Lyme, were you/they too fatigued to put on makeup yet simultaneously capable of mustering the energy to shoot hundreds of hours of tape/film; make not only the commitment necessary to participate in a full-time job but also enlist two of your/their friends to join you in said job; attend red carpets and other taxing social events; don cosmetics for your/their carefully curated social media presence; make transoceanic expeditions to farflung locales not just for treatment but also leisure; and undertake all the other ventures that Yolanda is while asserting that she's too weak to even process anything "beyond four white walls"?

 

From my perspective, the cognitive dissonance from Lisa and Kyle about Yolanda's self-presentation choices doesn't have as much to do with vanity or anti-feminist cultural ideas about a woman's obligation to wear cosmetics as much as it does with the, at this juncture, increasingly high mountain of contradictions between many of Yo's statements and conduct. (Although I do think Ken was intentionally making a dig; but, then, in my subjective opinion, Yo's efforts to malign him as a man who puts his hands aggressively on a woman is every bit as a bad as, say, a false accusation of racism.)

Personally, I had to force myself to go to Doctor appointments (& may I say, I shouldn't have been driving, but I live alone), attend to the needs of my kitty & buy groceries & household items at a convenience store because I couldn't manage a grocery store.  When family/friends called I told them I had the flu & was so cranky with them, they hesitated to call again.  I stopped wearing make-up then because I couldn't focus on doing it & didn't care anyway.  I couldn't have worked or attended social events, so I'm not sure how Yo does it.  Just sayin'.

[nexxie]

My mother was a mommy dearest..... cruel, mean spirited, abusive, narcissistic and manipulative. I see at least two of these traits in YoYo.

Shame on her for bringing up her children as a reason for not killing herself..that is so typical of a narcissistic, manipulative mother. No kid or adult not should have THAT kind of burden on them.

I doubt she's all that sick...well, maybe mentally.

What better reason to stay alive than your kids, when you are in so much pain that death seems the only relief?

[Medicine Crow]

Lyme never starts out "chronic".  It must evolve and go undiagnosed before becoming systemic or chronic.

 

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering.  The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured.  Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue.  For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed.  I know that my experience was excruciating.  My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world.  It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work.  And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive.  Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier.  Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme.  Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience.  To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist)..  So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm.  It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized.  It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect".  You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients.  Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist.  It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness..

 

So, I conclude with a "shout out" to Yolanda.  Make up or no make up.  Alternative treatments or conventional.  Whether her children have it or not.  People are talking about this nonexistent disease.

 

Btw, unless one suffers from this disease they will not understand the pain and agony experienced.  You may argue with an SAT vocabulary; but I completely understand Yolanda's helplessness and feeling beyond depressed.  You can't escape your body and the pain...it's a feeling of claustrophobia that only one with terminal excruciating pain can understand.  When she muttered that she didn't want to live anymore.  I completely understood.  To judge her for exposing her weakness and vulnerability in this particular scene, when reality TV, in general is out of control, with violence, death and drugs is indeed the definition of myopic. 

EXACTLY & RIGHT ON!!!

[GreatKazu]

 

I don't understand what Yo being white has to do with her illness.  Is Lymes like Sickle Cell where it is more prevalent in one ethnicity?

 

Perhaps more prevalent by region rather than race or ethnicity, altho I suppose one could do a race-or-ethnicity-based demographix review of the high-risk areas to determine breakdowns.

 

There needs to be a map showing YoFo's house with a big, large "X" on it and the number 4 to represent the four cases of Lyme that has occurred.

 

Will she now go back to just Yolanda Mohamed? I need to know so I can now refer to her as YoMo. Or, will she retain the name "Foster"? If so, she will then be YoMoFo.

 

 

When she muttered that she didn't want to live anymore.  I completely understood.

So did I. What I don't understand is, WHY is she back doing this show?

 

 

To judge her for exposing her weakness and vulnerability in this particular scene,

The same could be said about Kim Richards, who is an addict. Judgments about her looks, her face, her ratty appearance, it all comes with the territory.  I ask the same thing about her as I do YoFo - WHY DO THIS DAMN SHOW? Get the hell off this show and tend to your lives in private. Stop with the instagram posts, stop with social media, stop sharing your lives if being judged or snarked on is too much for you.

Edited December 2, 2015 by GreatKazu

[zoeysmom]

This is EXACTLY what happened to my mom 25 years ago.  Treatment was very much trial & error and consisted of various combinations of antibiotics, which finally kicked it out of her system after 2 years and that was it.  These various alternate treatments Yo has sought makes me wince   I hope we don't see her calling Suzanne Somers for a cure.  Ugh.

 

Ken's comment about Yo looking terrible made me wince -- as did Lisa's & Kyle's comments about their "shock" of seeing her with no makeup.  I am a bit surprised at the lack of tact from Lisa, but maybe I shouldn't be.  And Kyle being a mean girl?  Oy, have we just met Kyle?

I am going to say it is probably pretty unusual to see middle aged women in Manhattan, San Francisco, Dallas in upscale eateries with no make-up and white jeans and hair pulled back.  It wasn't meant as a mean girl thing unless of course we are looking for the proverbial tits on an ant.  Kyle also said Yolanda looked good without make up.  Even though Ken can be a toad, I think they are affirming what Yolanda wants them to affirm she is sick.  She said as much in her blog.  Yolanda can't post dozens of pictures of her with an IV in her arm, looking half dead, surrounded by health care professionals and then expect people to think it impolite to discuss her illnesses or her appearance.

[ScoobieDoobs]

I am going to say it is probably pretty unusual to see middle aged women in Manhattan, San Francisco, Dallas in upscale eateries with no make-up and white jeans and hair pulled back.  It wasn't meant as a mean girl thing unless of course we are looking for the proverbial tits on an ant.  Kyle also said Yolanda looked good without make up.  Even though Ken can be a toad, I think they are affirming what Yolanda wants them to affirm she is sick.  She said as much in her blog.  Yolanda can't post dozens of pictures of her with an IV in her arm, looking half dead, surrounded by health care professionals and then expect people to think it impolite to discuss her illnesses or her appearance.

 

What you say totally makes sense and yet . . . would anyone here make disparaging comments on a sick person's looks?  And I don't mean someone who has the flu or a little cold.  Were they playing into what Yo wants them to think?  Could be.  I just know I wouldn't play into it.  Hey, I admit I can be as catty as Kyle in judging people's looks.  Well, I guess this is where I separate from phony-baloney Kyle (thankfully).

 

Me thinks Ken is still holding a grudge against Yo.  Let it go, Ken.  Man, whether on VR or here, he never seems like anything other than a cranky, nasty, befuddled old man.

Edited December 3, 2015 by ScoobieDoobs

[zoeysmom]

Lyme never starts out "chronic".  It must evolve and go undiagnosed before becoming systemic or chronic.

 

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering.  The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured.  Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue.  For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed.  I know that my experience was excruciating.  My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world.  It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work.  And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive.  Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier.  Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme.  Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience.  To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist)..  So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm.  It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized.  It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect".  You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients.  Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist.  It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness..

 

So, I conclude with a "shout out" to Yolanda.  Make up or no make up.  Alternative treatments or conventional.  Whether her children have it or not.  People are talking about this nonexistent disease.

 

Btw, unless one suffers from this disease they will not understand the pain and agony experienced.  You may argue with an SAT vocabulary; but I completely understand Yolanda's helplessness and feeling beyond depressed.  You can't escape your body and the pain...it's a feeling of claustrophobia that only one with terminal excruciating pain can understand.  When she muttered that she didn't want to live anymore.  I completely understood.  To judge her for exposing her weakness and vulnerability in this particular scene, when reality TV, in general is out of control, with violence, death and drugs is indeed the definition of myopic. 

Maybe it needs to be called by its correct name. According to the CDC it is called Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.  Oh boy, longer set of initials  PTLDS.  It would just seem to me that Yolanda would be calling it by the proper name-she rolls  the name of the Borrealia berdorfia off her tongue.

 

I think everyone felt bad for Yolanda when she said she wanted to throw herself off the balcony and could empathize with her pain-not just the terminally ill..

[WireWrap]

Kim's brain is clearly fried from decades of drug abuse, I wonder how the rest of her has fared.

Well, she, Kim, did tell Kyle, after they returned from Paris, that her Dr told her had she not gone into rehab THEN, she would have died soon. So.....I think it is safe to say that her body (brain/liver/kidneys) are not in very good shape for her age.

 

That's an easy answer.  

 

There is a lot of drug awareness, going back to Nancy Reagan's, "Just say no!" ;-).  I don't know of anyone that denies illegal drugs and addiction are epidemic.

 

However..

 

There is an argument whether Lyme Disease even exists.  Those suffering can't get insurance to pay due to its lack of existence....and it's a small fortune to treat.  Most can't afford it.  Yolanda is at least starting a dialog.  

She had already brought LD to the forefront last season and IMO, she could continue to keep it there via twitter/social media without coming back to the show.

[Kiss my mutt]

Didn't Yolanda say at one point that her Lyme disease was caused by contact with a cow when she was a kid in the Netherlands? If that's the case, then how would her kids have it?

[zulualpha]

I actually prefer Yolanda's "look" at the birthday luncheon to Lisa Rinna's.  LisaR looks like she's 99% plastic from the neck up and skin and bones from the neck down.  The fake hair, eyelashes, lips - no thanks.  And Lisa V has shown her ass in a big way and I'm not talking about the muffin top and shots of her booty in skin tight pants at the ball park either.  Throwing shade on Yolanda for not taking time to put on under eye concealer is low.  She's clearly ill, a classy person would not have mentioned her looks at all. 

 

As for Yolanda and her flailing around trying to get treatment, I get it.  Nothing was working so she pulled out all the stops to find a cure.  Have private jet, will travel I guess.  I have a sister who's a no wheat, vegan with a religion you've never heard of and lots of interesting opinions so Yolanda is not a mystery to me. 

 

 

[nexxie]

Lyme never starts out "chronic". It must evolve and go undiagnosed before becoming systemic or chronic.

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering. The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured. Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue. For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed. I know that my experience was excruciating. My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world. It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work. And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive. Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier. Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme. Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience. To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist).. So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm. It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect". You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients. Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist. It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness..

So, I conclude with a "shout out" to Yolanda. Make up or no make up. Alternative treatments or conventional. Whether her children have it or not. People are talking about this nonexistent disease.

Btw, unless one suffers from this disease they will not understand the pain and agony experienced. You may argue with an SAT vocabulary; but I completely understand Yolanda's helplessness and feeling beyond depressed. You can't escape your body and the pain...it's a feeling of claustrophobia that only one with terminal excruciating pain can understand. When she muttered that she didn't want to live anymore. I completely understood. To judge her for exposing her weakness and vulnerability in this particular scene, when reality TV, in general is out of control, with violence, death and drugs is indeed the definition of myopic.

Love this - thank you!

Somewhere I've told my story, but will just add here that chronic Lyme can happen even when a proper diagnosis is made right away, when a bullseye rash is present. Antibiotics do not always work, even very early - didn't work for me. Doxy might have worked but I couldn't keep it down so they used amoxicillin. Note to everyone here: demand iv doxycycline if you can't keep it down, even if you have to pay for it out of pocket.

Edited December 2, 2015 by nexxie

[WireWrap]

What you say totally makes sense and yet . . . would anyone here make disparaging comments on a sick person's looks?  And I don't mean someone who has the flu or a little cold.  Were they playing into what Yo wants them to think?  Could be.  I just know I wouldn't play into it.  Hey, I admit I can be as catty as Kyle in judging peoples looks.  Well, I guess this is where I separate from phony-baloney Kyle (thankfully).

 

Me thinks Ken is still holding a grudge against Yo.  Let it go, Ken.  Man, whether on VR or here, he never seems like anything other than a cranky, nasty, befuddled old man.

My mom has MS, she was diagnosed in her late 30's and people didn't know she was sick from looking at her most of the time. That said, when she had her bad days, she stayed home and if she HAD to go out and someone made a judgemental comment, she realized that they were uninformed about MS and let it go, she didn't get insulted/upset.

[zoeysmom]

What you say totally makes sense and yet . . . would anyone here make disparaging comments on a sick person's looks?  And I don't mean someone who has the flu or a little cold.  Were they playing into what Yo wants them to think?  Could be.  I just know I wouldn't play into it.  Hey, I admit I can be as catty as Kyle in judging peoples looks.  Well, I guess this is where I separate from phony-baloney Kyle (thankfully).

 

Me thinks Ken is still holding a grudge against Yo.  Let it go, Ken.  Man, whether on VR or here, he never seems like anything other than a cranky, nasty, befuddled old man.

Kyle did not make any disparaging remarks about Yolanda's looks.  Ken seemed to keen on describing her condition rather intently.  Kyle and Eileen are on the 100% I believe Yolanda tour.  Of course this is the same Kyle that believed her sister for three years regarding being sober.

 

Ken will never get over Yolanda's accusation of him touching her.  Ken and Lisa are proud grudge holders since 2010.  Yolanda just recently got an award from the Invisible Disabilities Association.   Apparently there are a large number of people that have chronic illnesses and just don't show outward signs of being ill by society standards. 

[Vicky8675309]

That's an easy answer.  

 

There is a lot of drug awareness, going back to Nancy Reagan's, "Just say no!" ;-).  I don't know of anyone that denies illegal drugs and addiction are epidemic.

 

However..

 

There is an argument whether Lyme Disease even exists.  Those suffering can't get insurance to pay due to its lack of existence....and it's a small fortune to treat.  Most can't afford it.  Yolanda is at least starting a dialog.  

 

That is not true. I think you are referring to CHRONIC Lyme Disease and not Lyme Disease (which does exist according to the CDC and traditional western medical practice)

 

we see how good prohibition worked with alcohol

Edited December 2, 2015 by Vicky8675309

[JennyMominFL]

Lyme never starts out "chronic".  It must evolve and go undiagnosed before becoming systemic or chronic.

 

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering.  The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured.  Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue.  For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed.  I know that my experience was excruciating.  My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world.  It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work.  And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive.  Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier.  Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme.  Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience.  To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist)..  So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm.  It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized.  It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect".  You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients.  Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist.  It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness..

 

So, I conclude with a "shout out" to Yolanda.  Make up or no make up.  Alternative treatments or conventional.  Whether her children have it or not.  

As an LTS of AIDS, I can tell you that I get and sympathize wth every word you speak. At least my diseases is recognized now.. But it's also a victim of Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome. The CDC is notoriously slow to recoginize things,  and then, to change their status etc. 

[GreatKazu]

That's an easy answer.  

There is a lot of drug awareness, going back to Nancy Reagan's, "Just say no!" ;-).  I don't know of anyone that denies illegal drugs and addiction are epidemic.

However..

There is an argument whether Lyme Disease even exists.  Those suffering can't get insurance to pay due to its lack of existence....and it's a small fortune to treat.  Most can't afford it.  Yolanda is at least starting a dialog.  

YoFo is making a mockery of it, not enlightening anyone about it, IMO.  This is like Taylor Armstrong all over again. Taylor was judged harshly for her claims and accusations. Now, it is happening to YoFo because what she is saying and doing is questionable.

 

I believe those here who have the disease, and just so you know, my heart goes out to you all. I cannot say enough to let you know how I feel for what you are all enduring.  I trust your opinions on this disease, not what YoFo has put out there. I remember watching Irene from Real World Seattle and reading up on her fight with Lyme Disease. She gave insight into this disease. YoFo? Not so much. YoFo made it worse with her claims of her children now having LD, and using LD as a means to excuse not only her shitty behavior, but the DUI her daughter was arrested for last year. All I have learned from YoFo is that she runs to Tijuana to try some voodoo treatment and when that didn't produce results fast enough, she ran over to China to acquire placebos.

Edited December 3, 2015 by GreatKazu

[straightshooter]

I have Systemic Lyme Disease.  Diagnosed in '09.  Anyway, Yolanda didn't look bad simply because she wasn't wearing make-up.  She seems to be experiencing the classic swelling and inflammation caused by the bacteria. Her face and body looked bloated.  I had the same thing.  It was awful and I was unrecognizable.  But when you're that sick, you really don't care what you look like.  I couldn't drive either and only went to my Lyme doctor.  So I lived in either sweats or pajamas the entire 2013 (when I began treatment).  Many will question why Yolanda chose to do this show.  I, on the other hand, applaud her.  It must be difficult for so many reasons; but I know she's determined to keep raising awareness (especially since her two children have been diagnosed as well).

THANK YOU!

[HumblePi]

My brother-in-law's uncle contracted Lyme Disease in the late 1980's. He lived in Norwich, Ct. which is less than 20 miles from Lyme, Ct. At that time, there was absolutely nothing known of the disease and it didn't even have a name yet. He had multiple symptoms including increasing memory loss and dementia. A few years after becoming ill, he had to be placed in a nursing home. He was one of the first cases of Lyme disease. After more cases in the Northeast appeared and doctors started treating it as a pathogenic transmitted by ticks, he was treated with a host of different antibiotics and slowly recovered. He was released from the nursing home eventually and returned home to his family. He's in his 90's today and mentally sharp.

 

This disease can be very difficult to diagnose and there are more than 16 different strains of Lyme disease. Many people with Lyme Disease are using both conventional and holistic means in order to achieve remission.  In doing so, many forget, underestimate, or simply brush off the true power of holistic medicine. This carelessness can really cost a person on a holistic and conventional treatment both time and patience simply because some holistic medicine such as herbs have the ability to interfere with the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics.

Antibiotics are the main catalyst for remission and if a person in any way is unknowingly obstructing their effectiveness, this could hinder critical recovery time or lead doctors to believe that you simply don't have Lyme Disease.

 

I believe Yolanda and the symptoms that she's presenting with. I think her leaking silicone may have complicated her treatment to a great extent.

 

This is an article that I would recommend anyone interested in the comparison of Yolanda's complaints with those of another woman, should read. The two stories are nearly identical.  https://www.amytan.net/lyme-disease.html

[Lura]

I finally had a chance to watch the new show today.  I should call it the non-show.  Other than getting a flash peek of the new HWs, which didn't exactly raise the hair on my arms, not much was happening. Yolanda's "condition" seemed to be the topic of conversation.  I can't speak for you, but I found the topic to be tiresome after five minutes.  As for Yo herself, she proved that you don't have to be made up or coiffed to the nines in order to appear on a prime time soap.

 

Oh, I forgot!  There was a moment worth watching!  His name was C.J., I think, and he was a cutie!  I would gladly practice how to throw a baseball to him any day of the week!  I have an idea for improving this show.  Dump LisaR with her double middle fingers while using the F word, and dump the bimbo with her nudie performances, and hire CJ, balls and all.  I wouldn't miss an episode!

[FanOfTheFans]

It is a valid point.  You are not being disrespectful to those who have had the disease.  Look, Yo has the dough to have a makeup artist on call & just do her up when she's going out, to look her best.  My first reaction when I saw Yo was I thought she was going for dramatics.  Maybe she wants people to see how she really looks & not the made-up best version of her.  Why?  Maybe to either elicit sympathy or to remind people she's sick, or because if she's made-up & looking healthy, she "fears" nobody would believe she's sick.  These are all possible theories, right?

 

When my mom had this disease, yes, it is true, whenever she would go out, she absolutely ALWAYS put on makeup.  The prob, my mom said, was getting the energy to get up & go out.  She said it was extremely difficult.  What my mom has a hard time understanding is how Yo has the energy to travel around the world chasing these alternative treatments & how in the heck she could possibly have the energy to participate in any way with this show.

 

I asked my mom if she thought Yo was being dramatic, wearing no makeup, and she said absolutely not.  Mom said, as was the case with her, whether you're wearing makeup or not, you can tell a person has this disease from their general demeanor.  My mom's theory is kinda simple.  She said Yo is a rich woman & rich women do whatever the fuck they feel like -- cuz usually they can.  My mom said she couldn't do that when she had LD.  If she went out, she believed she had to put on makeup cuz she felt she still had to put on the best face possible.  And yeah, even tho Mom barely had the energy to walk 2 steps, she did still put her makeup on.  Shrugging hard, but that was her.  Her friends, neighbors & family told her she looked great -- and it bugged the absolute hell outta her.  But I guess it's better than any of 'em saying she looked terrible to a TV camera broadcast to millions, eh?

I can so identify with your Mom. I have the autoimmune disease sarcoidosis and the disease has devastated my life in many ways. But I always made myself put makeup on before going out. In a weird way it helped me feel better about myself and made it easier to walk out the door if that makes sense. I was at my primary doctor appt. one day and he said you look good. Reality is I felt like crap but said to him "oh you men are so easily fooled, slap on a little makeup and abracadabra I'm looking good." I had worked with this doctor so I could freely be a smart ass with him and he laughed. It can be irritating to have people think because you look good in their eyes, therefore you must feel good. No not always. On some level it feels dismissive for what you are truly going through. But I was just raised to always put on the best face emotionally and literally when facing hardships. So people tell me I look good now and I use it to empower me. Makes me wonder if Yo's no makeup is for the publics' opinion more than herself. Just a theory.

[WireWrap]

My brother-in-law's uncle contracted Lyme Disease in the late 1980's. He lived in Norwich, Ct. which is less than 20 miles from Lyme, Ct. At that time, there was absolutely nothing known of the disease and it didn't even have a name yet. He had multiple symptoms including increasing memory loss and dementia. A few years after becoming ill, he had to be placed in a nursing home. He was one of the first cases of Lyme disease. After more cases in the Northeast appeared and doctors started treating it as a pathogenic transmitted by ticks, he was treated with a host of different antibiotics and slowly recovered. He was released from the nursing home eventually and returned home to his family. He's in his 90's today and mentally sharp.

 

This disease can be very difficult to diagnose and there are more than 16 different strains of Lyme disease. Many people with Lyme Disease are using both conventional and holistic means in order to achieve remission.  In doing so, many forget, underestimate, or simply brush off the true power of holistic medicine. This carelessness can really cost a person on a holistic and conventional treatment both time and patience simply because some holistic medicine such as herbs have the ability to interfere with the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics.

Antibiotics are the main catalyst for remission and if a person in any way is unknowingly obstructing their effectiveness, this could hinder critical recovery time or lead doctors to believe that you simply don't have Lyme Disease.

 

I believe Yolanda and the symptoms that she's presenting with. I think her leaking silicone may have complicated her treatment to a great extent.

 

This is an article that I would recommend anyone interested in the comparison of Yolanda's complaints with those of another woman, should read. The two stories are nearly identical.  https://www.amytan.net/lyme-disease.html

Again, as many of us here have stated, no one is saying that Yolanda doesn't have LD but are really questioning her treatment choices. As you have stated, many "holistic" TREATMENTS can interfere with Western MEDICATIONS known to work in treating/combatting LD. Some holistic treatments taken at the same time as other holistic treatments or  western medications can cause death in a patient. IMO, Yolanda has crossed over into dangerous territory with all the holistic treatments she gets and IMO, her condition/illness is being made worse by all of them as well. She blames her dental fillings for her heavy metal toxicty when IMO, it was most likely caused by these treatments she sought/bought out of the country.

[nexxie]

Didn't Yolanda say at one point that her Lyme disease was caused by contact with a cow when she was a kid in the Netherlands? If that's the case, then how would her kids have it?

I think she said her condtion was complicated by something she caught from letting a cow lick her face, not that she got Lyme from the cow. Edited December 3, 2015 by nexxie

[JennyMominFL]

My brother-in-law's uncle contracted Lyme Disease in the late 1980's. He lived in Norwich, Ct. which is less than 20 miles from Lyme, Ct. 

 

So that's why they  call it Lyme. Duh  

I can so identify with your Mom. I have the autoimmune disease sarcoidosis

 

My brother has Sarcoidosis. Vile Disease. I'm sorry

[FanOfTheFans]

So that's why they  call it Lyme. Duh  

My brother has Sarcoidosis. Vile Disease. I'm sorry

Thanks JennyMominFL. I appreciate that.

[Feline Queen]

For someone so skinny, Lisa R sure how some major armpit fat in her TH where she's wearing with the sleeveless dress.

 

I loved Lisa V's statement necklace in her TH.  In some of the ariel shots of Villa Rosa, it seems as if they don't have any neighbors - but in the scenes in the backyard when the ballplayer was practicing with Lisa, you can clearly see houses to the right and below.   

[Vicky8675309]

I wish Yolanda was off the show or demoted to "friend of" status for purely selfish reasons on my part. I worry that these episode discussions will mainly be about Yo's constellation of symptoms (aka syndrome) and lyme dz vs other ("nos"). I've found everyone's comments interesting but if the entire season is just this then it may get repetitive. I haven't made it past episode 1 or 2 of the most recent RHOC but it sounds like a season of crook's cancer vs non-cancer was debated a lot.

Maybe it is just personal preference since the endless debating about Kim's alcohol/drug addiction and co-morbid personality disorder (narcissistic pd) didn't seem to get old. I've never been a big fan of Yolanda (cliquish behavior, poor treatment of Joyce [with bg as the main instigator], and so much more). Also, I watch tv during limited free time to distract from health issues (unfortunately when not at work, I need to do something to keep my mind busy otherwise I tend to dwell on negatives [physical deterioration, health issues] rather than appreciate life as it is). See, now I am all whiney. lol, it's my fault (I am responsible for myself and my reactions) and you all keep posting about Yo :-) Enjoy!

Edited December 3, 2015 by Vicky8675309

[lunastartron]

Tone is often difficult to communicate in text so I'm prefacing this post with a note that my intent is to communicate all of the subjective perspectives that follow respectfully.

 

Many in the Lyme Community are equating their current situation to Aids in the '90s and early '00s.  The CDC took decades to recognize, focus on AIDs and take it seriously.  

 

Edited to add that thank God, through pressure,  the CDC finally put $$ into HIV/ Aids research and made huge strides into containing the disease and slowing its progress.

 

While it's true that the crisis was largely ignored by government agencies and an apathetic general public throughout much of the '80s, AZT was approved for adults by the early '90s at the very latest. The most important anti-retroviral breakthrough occurred circa '96-'98, at which point life-saving drugs that remain in wide use were starting to be administered to patients. Pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis were dispensed in not insignificant amounts by 2007. I just want to point this out because it means that the CDC was taking this particular affliction seriously by the mid-'90s.

 

I agree and was directing that part of my comment to the original poster.  The OP who stated their disgust for Yo announcing her hopelessness and finding it difficult to continue living, if it weren't for her children.  The OP expressed their disgust with "American Cable" for allowing her to express her feelings..(????)..I was perplexed. 

I addressed this misreading in previous post. I couldn't quote on my handheld at the time so I'm quoting herein because the summarization of my statements is inaccurate.

 

I never wrote that fantasizing about one's death on national television was irresponsible conduct *for* American cable; I wrote that it is, in my subjective opinion, a gasp-worthily reprehensible transgression as a parent to state that one's suffering is so intense that one's obligations to their children is the only reason one is making the effort to struggle through said pain *on* American cable. It is, at best, a narcissistically myopic and self-involve formulation that burdens those children with the implied responsibility of their mother's continuing agony - agony that was explicitly articulated as worse than death. This is certainly not the worst incident or assertion that has cropped up across the franchise over the years (Gretchen's sexual battery may never be topped, though the Brooks saga came close) or even this particular city (the exploitation of Russell's suicide and the collective malignment of his name postmortem was a nadir as well as Taylor's efforts to demonize Camille that year) but immortalizing a sentiment of the fashion that did is sicker than falsely accusing Ken of mandhandling her - it's on par with Phaedra Parks fantasizing with her own mother about her husband slaughtering their sons

 

Lyme never starts out "chronic".  It must evolve and go undiagnosed before becoming systemic or chronic.

 

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering.  The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured.  Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue.  For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed.  I know that my experience was excruciating.  My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world.  It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work.  And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive.  Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier.  Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme.  Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience.  To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist)..  So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm.  It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized.  It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect".  You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients.  Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist.  It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness..

 

So, I conclude with a "shout out" to Yolanda.  Make up or no make up.  Alternative treatments or conventional.  Whether her children have it or not.  People are talking about this nonexistent disease.

 

Btw, unless one suffers from this disease they will not understand the pain and agony experienced.  You may argue with an SAT vocabulary; but I completely understand Yolanda's helplessness and feeling beyond depressed.  You can't escape your body and the pain...it's a feeling of claustrophobia that only one with terminal excruciating pain can understand.  When she muttered that she didn't want to live anymore.  I completely understood.  To judge her for exposing her weakness and vulnerability in this particular scene, when reality TV, in general is out of control, with violence, death and drugs is indeed the definition of myopic. 

 

My articulation may not have been a clear as it should have been, but that Lyme never originates as chronic or systemic seems like an irrelevant detail in the context of Yolanda's mercurial narrative. Lyme doesn't cause teenagers to drink and drive but that hasn't stopped her and her daughter from suggesting that there was a link between chronic Lyme's and Bella's decision to get behind the wheel of her SUV after downing enough alcohol to near twice the legal limit. "Eighteen months" and three months are discrete spans of time within one specific metric; that hasn't deterred Yolanda from conflating the two. Ergo, my point was that I couldn't recall if, within Yolanda's narrative, she originally self-identified as a sufferer of chronic Lyme or, simply, "regular" Lyme.

 

"Whether her children have it or not" is not a small question with respect to Yolanda's account and her credibility. You applaud her for raising awareness - that's your prerogative. In my own subjective opinion, not all attention is ultimately constructive, especially when one has leveraged the illness that one is ostensibly experiencing to revisionistically whitewash the literally criminal behavior of one's children. Ascribing poor choices and immaturity to a disease that demonstrably has nothing whatsoever to do with said choices is not illuminating - rather it clouds the issue, sews confusion and misinformation, and undermines not only one's own personal believability but also potentially the general public regard for the condition in question.

 

I have no idea or personal investment whether or not chronic Lyme exists. I shared the general contemporary consensus of the medical community and the CDC. In my own personal subjective opinion, I think medical taxonomies can be nebulous and arbitrary; syndromes, from my perspective, are essentially collections of symptoms and I've encountered medical professionals who were quite literal in their diagnostic practices (ie refraining from treating a patient unless they had a minimum number of symptoms off of a list). But, again, if the legitimacy of chronic Lyme is presently in doubt, a public spokesman connecting DUIs to the affliction does a considerable disservice to solidifying its authenticity in my own subjective opinion.

 

The experiences of those posters who have kindly shared their own experience with the suffering that Yolanda describes does not necessarily or automatically have anything to do with Yolanda unless said posters have contended with the delineated symptoms while also indulging in the seeming contradictions on Yo's part that have been enumerated at length in the previous pages of this thread.

[bravofan27]

It's weird. You hide your illness and everyone wants to expose you (Kim) or you are honest about your illness and everyone doubts you (Yolanda). The truth always comes out though. 

[JennyMominFL]

Tone is often difficult to communicate in text so I'm prefacing this post with a note that my intent is to communicate all of the subjective perspectives that follow respectfully.

 

 

While it's true that the crisis was largely ignored by government agencies and an apathetic general public throughout much of the '80s, AZT was approved for adults by the early '90s at the very latest. The most important anti-retroviral breakthrough occurred circa '96-'98, at which point life-saving drugs that remain in wide use were starting to be administered to patients. Pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis were dispensed in not insignificant amounts by 2007. I just want to point this out because it means that the CDC was taking this particular affliction seriously by the mid-'90s.

 

 We are way off topic. You are correct, though. The tide started to turn with Ryan White. I was given AZT  when diagnosed in 1990. DDI was either available or just about available.   I started on PI's in 1998, and they were not brand new. I was just afraid they were another set of miracle drugs that wouldn't work. 

INcidentally, the dosages of AZT that they were given were ridiculous. It made me sick, and I refused it, aside of my pregnancy But it was all there was. It's still in use but in much lower doses. When I had my son in 1995, I was part of the original AZT trial in pregnant women

Edited December 3, 2015 by JennyMominFL

[lunastartron]

Really, it's not all that weird. If you want to lie about your alcoholism, don't stumble onto the set of a nationally televised show on multiple occasions so incapacitated you can't talk and then subsequently claim you haven't touched alcohol in years. If you want people to believe you're sick, don't blame your daughter's DUI on the same illness and make assertions that are completely countered by your behavior.

[Silo]

The argument that Chronic Lyme does not exist is beyond insulting to those suffering. The CDC has it's reasons for declaring Lyme easily cured. Then, they backtrack and say that Lyme needs to be discovered within a certain period before it gets into deep tissue. For most, it's too late by the time they are finally diagnosed. I know that my experience was excruciating. My Pedantic Primary Care Physician was resistant to testing me for Lyme, though I live in the most endemic area in the world. It took multiple visits to get the script for blood work. And indeed, the blood work came back, CDC positive. Well, gosh, thanks PCP, because now the Lyme has burrowed into deep tissue and broken the blood brain barrier. Now I have advanced Neurological Lyme. Had I been tested immediately, as requested, we could've curtailed this medical inconvenience. To make matters worse, this Disease isn't recognized and my costly Insurance won't pay a penny for treatment (Because, of course, it doesn't exist).. So, imagine the frustration, while my brain swells and my heart is under attack and the spirochete is adept at alluding antibiotic by morphing into a biofilm. It's not easy having the disease that clearly exists; yet not recognized. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases...."No respect". You can imagine the frustration of suffering patients. Imagine coming close to death to a disease that doesn't exist. It's a crime to humanity and the CDC will eventually be forced to admit their ignorance or their stubbornness.

PREACH! I'm glad you're feeling better. Edited December 3, 2015 by Silo

[lunastartron]

Back on handheld so can't quote but JennyMominFLA: you're right, we were getting off-topic but I think that so much misinformation already abounds about your affliction and its history that I thought it important to establish correct details in general and vis-a-vis the timeline. Thank you, as well, for sharing parts of your personal story in this thread and others! As a PSA, for anyone interested in a readable intro to the topic, I recommend Regan Hoffman's memoir.

[Silo]

Didn't Yolanda say at one point that her Lyme disease was caused by contact with a cow when she was a kid in the Netherlands? If that's the case, then how would her kids have it?

The theory is that it lived in her body and then was passed onto her children when she was pregnant just like HIV, syphillis, hepatitis, etc.

The CDC denies this happens. But, if you were to google individual cases, you'll find mothers who swear they passed their Lyme onto their kids. The difference is the Lyme shows up really early on in these supposed cases.

I don't know if Yolanda has Lyme, but in my experience of being close with someone who has Lyme, she certainly has all the same symptoms as my friend. I think for sure *Yolanda* thinks she has Lyme. I think she wore no/minimal makeup bc she just doesn't GAF right now.

And all she is about to encounter with her "friends" and the viewers not believing her and her frustration with the treatments not working is *exactly* what most suffers go through when they have chronic Lyme. I think she's still on the show because she thinks she is the face of Lyme, and it doing a PSA for its symptoms, devastating effects, and how one is treated by others and the medical community when they have this disease. You have to remember that Yolanda thinks she's awesome and is totally willing to martyr herself on TV for this cause. "Look at all I put myself through so that others may have a chance at being treated better than I was." That's totally Yolanda.

[MatildaMoody]

What's bothering me is the lack of tact, let alone the incredible & enormous lack of empathy & sympathy, to say on camera that a sick person looks terrible.  Says quite a lot about who Ken is -- and Lisa & Kyle too,  Ew, yuck, ick, feh & blech to this bunch.

I guess I just don't understand why it would be wrong to say that a sick person looked terrible as long as they didn't tell the sick person that. They didn't tell her she looked terrible. They were simply reacting to the fact that she looked nothing like the way they are used to seeing her. If anything, they are confirming that they believe she is truly sick. I mean this is perfect Yolanda, of the spotless white pants and carefully arranged mullet of blond hair. It's Yolanda, the former model who most likely never appeared in a social setting with out the perfectly tailored outfit and makeup. Of course they would be shocked and comment on it - especially if asked directly in a talking head. 

 

And this is nothing against anyone who thought that the cast was in the wrong for saying anything about how shocked they were at Yolanda's appearance. I just think that when someone is ill and they look it, people are going to remark on it among themselves, or in this case when asked about it in a talking head. Yolanda herself said that people had trouble believing she was ill because she didn't show it physically. Why would it now be an issue that her coworkers notice that she does not look like her normal amazonian self? 

 

It's also quite possible that I am simply a horrible person who thought it was fucked up of Yolanda to show up at a filmed event as though she were purposely trying to pull focus from the guest of honor. I get the idea of her being contractually obligated and/or too sick to care about her appearance. But, I also think that that Yolanda had a choice about whether or not she wanted to attend the party. I get it, filming, it's her job, blah blah blah. But, Yolanda has missed filming in the past due to her illness, I doubt her job was on the line if she missed this one event. I mean, she got to leave the reunion early because of her illness. She didn't have to participate in a lot of the filming during her own trip to Holland last year. She has had no problems skipping or curtailing her scenes due to her illness before, I don't think it would have been a big deal if she had done it for this one event. 

 

Just to be clear, I don't think that ANY woman is obligated to wear makeup or perfectly tailored clothing or any of what is considered the "hot woman" uniform. I just think that Yolanda has relished doing exactly that for a long time, and she knew that she would get a reaction if she showed up at this event looking worn out and tired. Which is why I think it is messed up that she didn't simply decline with a note and a gift and simply let LisaR have her moment. She wanted to make sure that everyone was aware of how she was struggling. I wonder if she had even seen any of the women since the reunion last year. I wouldn't be surprised if Production convinced her that she needed to "show" the women that she was indeed too ill to see them in between filming and she used this event as her opportunity to do that.  But, again, I am not a nice person when it comes to the housewives. 

[WireWrap]

The theory is that it lived in her body and then was passed onto her children when she was pregnant just like HIV, syphillis, hepatitis, etc.

The CDC denies this happens. But, if you were to google individual cases, you'll find mothers who swear they passed their Lyme onto their kids. The difference is the Lyme shows up really early on in these supposed cases.

I don't know if Yolanda has Lyme, but in my experience of being close with someone who has Lyme, she certainly has all the same symptoms as my friend. I think for sure *Yolanda* thinks she has Lyme. I think she wore no/minimal makeup bc she just doesn't GAF right now.

And all she is about to encounter with her "friends" and the viewers not believing her and her frustration with the treatments not working is *exactly* what most suffers go through when they have chronic Lyme. I think she's still on the show because she thinks she is the face of Lyme, and it doing a PSA for its symptoms, devastating effects, and how one is treated by others and the medical community when they have this disease. You have to remember that Yolanda thinks she's awesome and is totally willing to martyr herself on TV for this cause. "Look at all I put myself through so that others may have a chance at being treated better than I was." That's totally Yolanda.

Yolanda, herself, claims Bella/Anwar got/developed NLD at the SAME time she did, they were teens when it happened.

[JennyMominFL]

The theory is that it lived in her body and then was passed onto her children when she was pregnant just like HIV, syphillis, hepatitis, etc.

 

Aren't her kids like, 18-19 years old. Wouldn't that be a long time for Yo to have hidden Lyme disease?

 

I guess I just don't understand why it would be wrong to say that a sick person looked terrible as long as they didn't tell the sick person that. They didn't tell her she looked terrible. 

Normally, no. But they were being filmed, so they must have known  that she would see it.

[Silo]

Yolanda, herself, claims Bella/Anwar got/developed NLD at the SAME time she did, they were teens when it happened.

Yeah, I dunno. It's plausible she could be wrong about her kids but right about everything else. I would say that just because she's wrong about one thing, it doesn't mean that she wrong about everything. The issue with her kids, and the timeline in which their Lyme presented, is the only thing that doesn't fit in with eveything I've researched/know about Lyme. But I'm no expert. So I dunno.

[MatildaMoody]

 

Normally, no. But they were being filmed, so they must have known  that she would see it.

 

Well of course they knew there was a chance she would see it, but when you consider how many hours of footage is filmed versus what actually makes it to air, why wouldn't they answer honestly when asked about Yolanda's appearance by a producer? Especially, if all it does is back up the notion that Yolanda is ill and not the same Yolanda they have interacted with in the past? 

 

Of course, to be fair, I also was shocked at Yolanda's appearance at a filmed social gathering, so I can understand how they were shocked as well. And since Yolanda doesn't appear to hang out with any of her cast mates when filming ends, the shock would have probably been even greater than what mine was. I guess for me, and again, I am probably an awful human being, they were reacting the same way I would have. 

 

None of the women ever seemed to doubt that Yolanda was sick. But to see her show up in a way that they had never seen her appear at a social event before, had to be a shock that would be worth talking honestly about - especially when asked to talk about it by a producer. 

[notnowimbusy]

I have no doubt that Yolanda is suffering from something, BUT I do find it a touch hypocritical of her to take offense at people commenting on how she looks (with or without make up), when her daughters earn their living, the living she touts at every opportunity, solely on their looks.    I agree that it probably came as a shock that 1) she showed up at all, and 2) she chose to do so without pulling herself together as she has always done. 

[GreatKazu]

 

What's bothering me is the lack of tact, let alone the incredible & enormous lack of empathy & sympathy, to say on camera that a sick person looks terrible.  Says quite a lot about who Ken is -- and Lisa & Kyle too,  Ew, yuck, ick, feh & blech to this bunch.

Yeah, it is right up there with accusing a man of assaulting a woman when he clearly didn't.

 

I could be wrong, but I think Kyle said YoFo looked rather pretty without make-up. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

The truth is YoFo does look sick and terrible. Being sick or having a disease usually makes people not look their best. How much of that is due to her around-the-world-treatments, who knows.  A close family member of mine suffered from a muscular disease for years. We heard things over the years about how our loved one looked so sick and other similar comments. Yes, he did look terrible. It was the truth. Not gonna lie. This went on for years until he finally passed.

 

 

BUT I do find it a touch hypocritical of her to take offense at people commenting on how she looks (with or without make up), when her daughters earn their living, the living she touts at every opportunity, solely on their looks.

YoFo is a hypocrite. Remember her comment about a drunken Taylor and how a drunk woman is not attractive? But, Brandi being drunk with her tampon string hanging out didn't garner any similar comment.

 

Speaking of Brandi, I wonder how much she knew about the Fosters' marriage coming to an end? Is this why YoFo kept her bestie by her side so that she wouldn't run to the tabloids for some quick cash?

Edited December 3, 2015 by GreatKazu

[FanOfTheFans]

I was kind of bummed to hear Kyle talking so much about Kim. I was hoping Kyle would have a season with a different storyline, one that didn't concern Kim. I guess we will see how that plays out.

I am hoping the new ladies bring some lighter subject matter.

Also I am very curious who Lisa R. is talking to when she talks about taking someone down with her. (As was shown in the previews last night)

[link417]

Can't go back and quote on my phone, but to someone who asked about this season's fabulous trip: It's Dubai! (I think someone said they're taking another trip somewhere else?). I can't wait, it's sure to deliver more rich bitchness of the $75k sunglasses variety.

Count me in as one of the millions not surprised about YoFo's divorce and praying that The Lyme Disease is not a threadjacker this season.

[Kiss my mutt]

Hopefully, with Yolanda's various treatments she might stumble on something that works that might streamline the process for others. I didn't think she looked that bad overall.

I loved Kyle's striped peplum top she wore to lunch with Lisa. Anyone recognize it? I was sorry the subject turned to Kim as it tends to do. She's an overdose waiting to happen and I just can't watch another season of her lies and half-assed attempt to get her shit together.

Lisa R is just a weird looking lady. Lisa V looks way older than 55. I thought she was closer to Ken's age.

[AnnA]

I still haven't watched the episode.  My plan was to watch it tonight but I'm glued to the news about the mass shooting in San Bernadino. There are over 300 posts in this thread now.  I doubt I'll ever get through reading them all.   I also doubt that the episode was that interesting.  I'm not up for another round of "Disease or No Disease" and I definitely do not want to read about or discuss anything about Kim or Brandi.

[ryebread]

Lisa R is just a weird looking lady.

 

Lisa Rinna and Jax Taylor from Vanderpump Rules are the 2 reality stars I have a hard time looking at directly. It's not that I think they're unattractive, but they each have features that remind me of something unpleasant. Rinna's lips = a shiny butthole.  Jax's hairy jawline = a set of greasy, hairy, low hanging balls.  Sorry.

 

I have to watch both of them with my head turned to the side and I frequently catch myself grimacing. LOL.

[Vicky8675309]

I'm mystified about why Yolanda is believed to be correct despite the fact she contradicts herself, says unbelievable statements (bella's DUI was due to lyme and some many other examples), has herself said she was brain dead or something to that effect, multiple specialist (didn't see even go to Mayo) said that they couldn't explain the etiology of her constellation of symptoms despite extensive testing, has been unreliable and misleading in the past, pours who knows what into her body trying to find a cure yet didn't heed respectable doctors advice (IIRC) and give an antidepressant treatment an adequate treatment trial (not sure), and so much more.

 

Who knows what David and her's relationship was like when she became symptomatic…we don't. Depression can cause profound fatigue, psychomotor retardation, sleep to much or insomnia, increased or decreased appetite, apathy, chronic pain, etc. To be fair, chronic pain and chronic health ailments can cause depression (vicious cycle). I tend to be skeptical when patients diagnoses themselves especially when it goes against established medical practice. Maybe she felt fatigued and a doctor mentioned possible lyme disease and she unconsciously ran with it. I also find it suspicious that she posts (or instagrams) so much of her health information yet I have seen her post any CSF testing results from lumbar punctures.

 

I don't know Yo personally and don't have access to her health records. I keep thinking of somatoform disorders and more importantly the following (from aafp):

"Two related disorders, factitious disorder and malingering, must be excluded before diagnosing a somatoform disorder. In factitious disorder, patients adopt physical symptoms for unconscious internal gain (i.e., the patient desires to take on the role of being sick), whereas malingering involves the purposeful feigning of physical symptoms for external gain (e.g., financial or legal benefit, avoidance of undesirable situations). In somatoform disorders, there are no obvious gains or incentives for the patient, and the physical symptoms are not willfully adopted or feigned; rather, anxiety and fear facilitate the initiation, exacerbation, and maintenance of these disorders."

 

I don't think she is malingering and she could have some post-infectious syndrome, depression (Her "my king/my love" never seemed reciprocated and I bet she saw the writing on the wall long about so maybe depression started long ago) and/or factitious disorder. I have no idea of what if any unconscious internal gains she has but maybe public sympathy or something else). Also depression can be so severe that people appear to be severely demented. Also all these toxins and who know what she takes as "treatment" maybe causing symptoms. I don't understand why she doesn't just do one at a time and then give it a decent trial before determine effectiveness rather then doing several treatments of different substances all at once or sequentially. I have no idea what she has but I don't take her word as fact based on her history. Especially when she says her kids have it and when respected medical professional at academic centers (like Mayo and like The Cleveland Clinic) say her symptoms are not from lyme. Maybe she had lyme and now she has symptoms due to adverse effects of nontraditional "treatments" or leaky silicone breasts.

 

She may or may not have some infectious or post-infectious illness or autoimmune disease or other etiology of her symptoms. However I do not consider Yolanda a reliable doctor who can diagnose herself when the academic physicians (less financial motivation, more up to date on new diagnoses or rare presentations/variations of rare diseases) say she doesn't have it (IIRC). I have seen reports/clinic notes from a "lyme expert" on a few patients and basically if you could pay cash (a lot) then it seemed like any and all symptoms were diagnosed as lyme disease despite negative testing and lack of response to treatments. It raised a lot of red flags for me. The financial motivation on the part of that physician and the documentation/tests/etc made me briefly consider reporting him to the state medical boards but I decided not for a variety of reasons.

 

I'm not saying she didn't have Lyme Disease or Lyme Disease affecting her central nervous system. However I do not find her to be reliable…plus she is "brain dead" (not really but she says it herself). I do believe the posters on this site about there own health struggles and I wish everyone the best, including Yolanda. Yolanda decided to use her health as her storyline so I do not feel any qualms about questioning her claims/diagnosis/treatment/etc despite not having seen her medical records (just going by what she says).

 

Everyone has their own experiences, knowledge, biases, opinions, etc but I think we all wish her well. I do agree that that health care providers have lots to learn and there is much we don't know about many diseases/conditions/etc. Lyme and syphilis are two great mimickers of neurological disease (can present, neurologically, very diversely and basically you can put them on the differential diagnosis for most neurological symptoms.