S04.E03: Chad's Story

[HalcyonDays]

Episode synopsis: After gastric bypass surgery, Chad quickly sheds his dangerous weight but faces a medical crisis when he does not follow the doctor's orders.

[HalcyonDays]

Just a reminder to everyone to please keep the discussion considerate and respectful, and to limit the unnecessarily body shaming and general shaming overall. This Mod Note explains in a little more detail. Thank you.

[aliya]

Nobody posting yet?  I admit to having a tear in my eye when this one was done. Instead of just talking about his family (Penny), he did something. He worked out, he got a job, he did more around the house. His children loved him and his wife was willing to put the past behind them as long as she could see him working on his weight. I loved the bowling scene at the end. Bless all of them.

 

Gotta stop typing now... can't see monitor...

Edited January 21, 2016 by aliya

[4leafclover]

That was a great episode!  Chad took responsibility for his weight--didn't blame anyone or anything else, he worked hard and didn't give up or have pity parties.  Very inspirational.  I wish him and his family happiness.

[EtheltoTillie]

Great episode. No snark possible. Except for that one misstep he was a model patient. What a turnaround.

[Pdxblonde]

Chad was very likable and I was rooting for him throughout the episode. He took responsibility for his actions, too, unlike others (cough, cough, Penny). I wish Chad and his sweet family the best!

[Noirprncess]

Awwww what a cute episode. I'm thankful for this season of likeable candidates. I hope he reaches his goal weight soon and be able to maintain it.

[non sequitur]

Chad was great, he really turned his life around after the surgery.  It was sweet to see how much he loved his children.  What a difference this season has been.

[Miracle Maxie]

We've had three very likeable individuals this season. I wonder if it will go the other way - will any un-likeable patients be even worse than Penny and Paulie?  Is such a thing even possible?

[closer2fine]

Another great episode!  Chad and his family were really sweet and supportive. (I'm digging this theme, TLC. Keep it up.)

 

And props to Dr. Now for calling him out on not following the instructions and medications. 

 

Loved that Chad went out and got a job as soon as he was able. And when he had the initial disappointment with the truck, he reinvested himself and worked hard enough to get a job that he enjoyed and also helped him stay away from his old bad habits.  The bowling scene at the end was wonderful. 

 

Still waiting for the other penny.....

[Noirprncess]

I'm waiting for another Penny as well BUT.... I've wondered if they have improved the screening process for candidates. It's a complete waste of money, time and resources to have Penny-like folks on the show.

[junemeatcleaver]

I found it weird that Chad's medication wasn't automatically paid for.  In exchange for putting their obese, oftentimes naked, bodies, neuroses and various problems on display for a year, I think it would be fair for TLC to pay for the majority of the costs for said year.

 

I'm waiting for another Penny as well BUT.... I've wondered if they have improved the screening process for candidates. It's a complete waste of money, time and resources to have Penny-like folks on the show.

 

TLC is freakshow central, they probably went looking for the most damaged, non-compliant participants they could find.  If anyone put a their foot down about it it was probably Dr. Now.  I can't imagine he and his team would have approved some of the more unresponsive patients if it weren't for TLC.

Edited January 21, 2016 by junemeatcleaver

[Ocean Chick]

Another really likeable patient!  How very refreshing.  I loved Chad and his entire family.  So sweet and supportive of each other.  I really liked, as others have said, that Chad too responsibility for his own problems that he created, and did his best to take control of his own health.  His wife was so loving and forgiving, even if she was uncomfortable being on tv (her whole body language was just screaming for her to run far and fast from the camera).  And those kids we so sweet and loving and helpful!  And polite!!!!  I hope that poor girl gets HER childhood back now.  It's truly inspiring to see a family that loves each other this much.  Give me hope for the world.

[Hero]

Chad, his children and his wife were so sweet. I'm also surprised that the medication wasn't paid for by TLC. That is some really expensive medication.

I appreciate how Chad took responsibility for gis own weight and didn't blame his wife for making him fat. I like how he told Dr. Now that he became mean and obnoxious when he didn't get what he wanted. He was very aware of his actions and how they hurt his family.

[IOU Payne]

I liked this family very much.  Chad was insightful and able to own his ish without drah-ma, did what he needed to do, without drah-ma, and got the results he was after.  I teared up during the clothes shopping scene and the bowling scene, but when Chad didn't fit into the truck and then stated that his job right now was to get healthy, the tears flowed. I'm saving this to inspire myself when I need a reboot in my commitment to Weight Watchers. 

[ClareWalks]

Agree with every positive thing that has been said. What an awesome family and HOW REFRESHING to see one of the patients actually WANT to get a job. And an active job, at that! I was so happy for him. It has to be great for the self-esteem to be able to contribute to his (beautiful!) family.

 

And I was really glad by the important message that the show stated. If you cannot afford a prescribed medication, talk to your doctor! Don't just not take the medication! A lot of times things can be worked around, either with generics or with free samples or payment plans or whatever else. Sometimes a doctor just needs to call an insurance company and they can get more of the cost covered. Do not suffer in silence! :)

[Pepper Mostly]

When Chad was struggling to get into that truck I actually stood up and said "you can do it Chad! I believe in you!" What a lovely man and I echo everyone's sentiments about his wife and kids. I can see him coaching soccer or football in a few years. He's so kind and great with children. what a sweet bunch of folks. I am dying to see them in the where are they now episode.

[OhioMom]

Another really likeable patient!  How very refreshing.  I loved Chad and his entire family.  So sweet and supportive of each other.  I really liked, as others have said, that Chad too responsibility for his own problems that he created, and did his best to take control of his own health.  His wife was so loving and forgiving, even if she was uncomfortable being on tv (her whole body language was just screaming for her to run far and fast from the camera).  And those kids we so sweet and loving and helpful!  And polite!!!!  I hope that poor girl gets HER childhood back now.  It's truly inspiring to see a family that loves each other this much.  Give me hope for the world.

Right!  I couldn't get comfortable with his wife for a while...she seemed like she wanted to be anywhere but there for a while.  Loved the kids! They were so sweet!!!  I kind of felt like he didn't need to apologize to his wife - like it was unnecessary, but maybe there was a lot going on beforehand that was never brought up.  And the way his wife accepted his apology cemented it.  I felt bad for him trying to get in the cab of that truck during the job interview. Poor guy.  But glad he got an even better job that will force him to be more mobile!

[closer2fine]

I teared up during the clothes shopping scene and the bowling scene, but when Chad didn't fit into the truck and then stated that his job right now was to get healthy, the tears flowed.

 

I loved the shopping scene. There really is no greater feeling than walking into a store and actually being able to try something on. And look in the mirror and see how much progress you've made.

[Pdxblonde]

Was this the first participant featured that didn't have an obese family? Chad's wife and kids weren't even chubby, so refreshing to see! So, obviously, his wife knows how to cook healthy meals, but as they told Dr. Now, Chad gets "mean" and obnoxious when he doesn't get what he wants. Anyway, my point is that it's refreshing to see a family that can already eat normally, without running to the nearest fast food restaurant for every meal. Support means a lot!

[Muffyn]

Chad and his family did seem very sweet.  While we had the big "I need to apologize to my wife" scene that was definitely staged for the cameras, what meant more to me was how he always thanked them for what they did for him.  Whenever his daughter or wife brought him something, he would thank them.  When his wife made dinner, he made sure to tell her how good it was.  To me that shows a person who is appreciative of what he has.  

 

I was not as taken with Dr. Now's response to Chad admitting he hadn't been taking his medicine.  Dr. Now's "Chad is just doing what he wants to do" response was off base.  Chad was having trouble affording the medication and he did not realize the doctor could possibly help.  Many people are in that situation. As we saw, Chad has a healthy level of pride - he wants to take care of himself and his family.  It can be hard to admit that you cannot afford something as important as medicine.  Also, the criticality of this medicine may not have been expressed to him.  

Edited January 22, 2016 by Muffyn

[notyrmomma]

I could be wrong, but I believe this was the first episode since S2 where the patient didn't go see a psychologist.  

 

Also, does anyone know the actual medicine that Chad was supposed to take?  Did not taking that medicine really cause his complication or would that have happened anyway?  I had the gastric sleeve and the only medications I was supposed to take was an antacid (which I still take) and another drug to help my gall bladder (which I never took).

[aliya]

And I was really glad by the important message that the show stated. If you cannot afford a prescribed medication, talk to your doctor! Don't just not take the medication! A lot of times things can be worked around, either with generics or with free samples or payment plans or whatever else. Sometimes a doctor just needs to call an insurance company and they can get more of the cost covered. Do not suffer in silence! :)

The medication thing concerned me. I don't know much about Medicaid (I assume they were on some kind of assistance - I saw the wife do a lot around the house but didn't catch whether she had a job). Shouldn't assistance have paid for the meds?

 

I was a grad student in between semesters (and health coverage) when I was diagnosed diabetic. I learned that many drug companies have plans that will cover medications.  Other than the Astra Zenica commercials, I never see another firm advertise that these plains are available, but they are. Over the years, I've provided info to a few people about them. Shame on health professionals for not telling patients about this.

 

Anybody familiar with Obamacare? I'm just trying to figure out why his meds weren't paid for by somebody, considering he wasn't working and there were 2 kids in the house. If he was on Obamacare, aren't drugs taken care of, or is that where that big $5000 deductible screws people? 

Edited January 25, 2016 by aliya

[notyrmomma]

The medication thing concerned me. I don't know much about Medicaid (I assume they were on some kind of assistance - I saw the wife do a lot around the house but didn't catch whether she had a job). Shouldn't assistance have paid for the meds?

 

I was a grad student in between semesters (and health coverage) when I was diagnosed diabetic. I learned that many drug companies have plans that will cover medications.  Other than the Astra Zenica commercials, I never see another firm advertise that these plains are available, but they are. Over the years, I've provided info to a few people about them. Shame on health professionals for not telling patients about this.

 

Anybody familiar with Obamacare? I'm just trying to figure out why his meds weren't paid for by somebody, considering he wasn't working and there were 2 kids in the house. If he was on Obamacare, aren't drugs taken care of, or is that were that big $5000 deductible screws people? 

I helped my mother secure some medicine for my father that was around $2,000 a month for free through the drug company.  We did have to submit financial data such as the how much in assets they had and their most recent tax return.  But the sad thing is that my dad went several months without this medication because my mother didn't know she could do this.  I would say in general, you really REALLY have to do your research when you have medical issues because doctors just don't have the time (or the care sometimes, unfortunately) to help you with little things like getting medicine--they prescribe it and just assume you are taking it.

 

 The real problem here is that I think Chad was almost a little too polite and didn't want to "rock the boat" per se.  For instance, he didn't really want to speak up about his complication to the doctor.  He should have been on the phone with Dr. Now on Day 2 that he couldn't keep down any food.  He's lucky he didn't do any permanent damage.  It's almost like he was afraid to complain and you can't do that nowadays!  If you don't say anything, the doctors assume you are fine.

 

Yes, TLC should have paid for the medicine! CHEAPSKATES!

[Oldernowiser]

Not to get too far afield, but there are all levels of deductibles and copays available through ACA policies.

I suspect that with a family of four, one wage earner in a job that probably does not offer benefits, and with their massive food bills, they wouldn't have even the money for a subsidized ACA policy. I'm not sure how moving between states affects Medicaid eligibility.

Most likely, this was made for teevee drama. In the real world, he would have been spendng lots more than $200 a month just on fast food. I'm sure TLC covers the absolute bare minimum they can and still get a show casted, especially now that they lost a ton of money on the Booboo and Duggar fiascos.

[gunderda]

It was nice to see him actually TRY to be part of society.  He was over 700 lbs and still able to drive. 

However I noticed that nice fancy truck went bye-bye after they moved. But good for them for getting something cheaper if they needed the money.

 

And it was nice to see someone who actually wanted a job and was striving for it. 

I would think getting in a semi would be easier than a regular truck, but i guess not? 

 

Also impressive that none of the other family members seemed to be over weight, especially the kids.  The boy had a little added weight but nothing too extreme i don't think. Either the daughter made sure she did not turn out like her dad (which would be sad if she had that mindset since she's only 10) or she has some great metabolism.

 

I am sure we are due for a Penny episode soon.  They can't show all success stories.  That's not reality. 

[IvySpice]

 

When his wife made dinner, he made sure to tell her how good it was.

And it was a healthy, low-carb meal, too! He said, "Mm, looks good" over a piece of poached fish and some green beans. Now you know as a food addict, he couldn't have been that excited about a plate of methadone, but he was polite about it.

 

My only complaint the whole episode was when Chad's daughter was eating Cheesy Poofs in front of him. They really need to keep those out of the house -- she can have them as a treat on the way home from school sometimes.

 

The voiceover said that Chad's son has autism, but we didn't see any symptoms or problematic behavior from him. It seemed like he had a pretty strong social connection to his family members, too. The move couldn't have been easy for him.

[ethalfrida]

It is hard for me to recommend cheesy puffs for anyone...

[Morgalisa]

Did Dr. Now say that there is no such thing as a healthy snack?  Not even a carrot stick?  Is that just for his patients or is he against snacking of any kind?  I am a small eater and a huge snacker/grazer.  If I could control my snacking, I could probably lose that 15 to 20 pounds I need to lose.

[ethalfrida]

Perhaps because of the nature of their new system, snacking is not encoraged for his patients? But I don't know. But for the rest of us that statement is a bunch of hooey.

[Muffyn]

Dr. Now encourages his patients to eat 3 small meals a day with no snacks.  This may be because many of them have said they eat most of the day, constantly "snacking" or that it is easier for them to go over the 1200 calorie plan if they start eating extras.  Or it could be that when he hears snacks, he thinks Cheesy Poofs and donuts. However, there are certainly plenty of healthy snacks available.  

[LilyoftheValley]

I think Dr. Now says there is no such thing as a healthy snack because snacking is slippery slope.  No adult should be snacking anyway.  It ultimately turns three meals a day into five or six, and it means less control over the nutrition you are taking in.  Having two or three snacks a day has become so ingrained in our culture that no one stops to think if they are actually necessary.  An adult eating three good meals a day does not need to snack, period.  

[ethalfrida]

When I speak to others about nutrition I hope I am making suggestions... Besides, each person is different and making a blanket statement could hurt another person. 

 

If one is going to snack on chocolate butter cake and ice cream then the facts are in favor of weight gain as opposed to snacking on air popped popcorn and carrots for people who have not had the operation.  But, admittedly,  I cannot speak or even generalize what those who have had it. 

 

I advocate snacking big time and my nutritionist who practices traditional Chinese medicine advocates it and so does my trainer. 

[notyrmomma]

I think he was trying to get her (didn't he say this to Brittani?)  ready for life after bariatric surgery by saying that there are no healthy snacks.  Because post bariatric surgery, snacking will defeat the purpose of the surgery (you can't eat a lot at one time, but you could certainly eat all day if you tried).  I'm surprised we haven't heard him say this before--I wonder if he told this to Penny.

Edited January 23, 2016 by notyrmomma

[IvySpice]

 

Is that just for his patients or is he against snacking of any kind?

It's for food addicts. Strict limits are helpful for folks who have trouble sticking to boundaries.

[ChristmasJones]

This was a heart-warming story - so nice to see someone just take straight up responsibility for his behavior in terms of eating and how he treats his family. And then for him to go out and get a job. I really admire Chad for finding a way to dig himself out of the mental hole he was in and turn it around.  Having a job to get up for every day is going to be a huge factor in his continuing success IMO. It gets him up out of the chair and active, helps him feel productive both in terms of society in general, and in his own family, helps him feel like he is a provider to his wife and family rather than just a taker, and all of these physical and psychological benefits are going to greatly enhance his motivation to stay on the path and not fall back into bad habits.

[ClareWalks]

I think the "no snacks" rule is for his patients because it seems like every time they eat, they have more potential to stretch their stomachs or consume too many calories. It's easier to just say "no snacks" than to try to explain particular caveats, probably. But yeah, snacks are da bomb for the rest of us ;)

[aliya]

When I was looking into the sleeve surgery over the fall, I attended the meal program class. No snacking other than a glass of milk or soy milk for people like me who are lactose intolerant Even though I decided not to get the surgery, I have been trying to replace my snacks - especially after dinner - with soy or almond milk. I'm not always successful, but it is something to keep in mind.  As a diabetic, I sometimes need a snack, I'm just trying to be more careful about them.

 

btw - they don't want you drinking almond milk because there isn't enough protein in it in terms of your post-surgery protein needs. Since I m not facing that issue, I drink soy or almond milk, whatever is on sale that week.

[leighroda]

I can see where the no snacking makes sense I guess from the aspect that food is food so if they are constantly eating it would stretch the stomach back out, whether they are eating carrots and celery, or Doritos... But calorically I wouldn't think it matters quite so much. I can also see where it's a slippery slope, when someone says "healthy snack" what that exactly means is somewhat subjective, so I can see just saying no is more effective. Like I think I'm doing good if I have some carrot sticks, pay no mind to the ranch of blue cheese dressing I am dipping it in, or one of my current snack is those puffed veggie sticks in the chip aisle... Sure they say "veggie" but the fact that I like them probably means they are less than healthy, they probably have a ton of sodium or something (I feel like this sounds like I'm a horrible eater...lol). We see all the time when these people think the trip to Houston or the fact that they love somewhere new necessitates a fast food diet... Even the grilled chicken isn't a good choice when it comes to fast food, sometimes it's the best option, but overall not the healthiest.

ETA: I just thought of how Penny had the speech that she could eat a whole batch of FRIED wontons, and it still wouldn't be as bad for her as skipping a meal...lol!

[ClareWalks]

Based on what I've seen on the show, the typical post-surgery diet is a very different version of "healthy" than a normal diet would be. They have to eat almost exclusively protein, which is not well-balanced for the typical person. If there's one thing I've learned working in the fitness industry, it's that healthy is a continuum...actually it's more like a sphere, and different segments of the sphere can represent very, very different diets and levels/types of activity. When taken to the extreme, it spirals back around to being unhealthy. It makes total sense that these patients can easily become malnourished if they aren't careful.

 

I am really curious how Chad is doing now. Is there a Facebook or Twitter for him? 

[Oldernowiser]

You raise an interesting point. I normally eat naturally low calorie, high volume foods, a lot of vegetables, a little lean meat, whole grains, with some dairy, mostly as butter, as I'm lactose intolerant. Oh, and don't get me wrong...I still snarf a piece of cake or a cookie on a regular basis.

But if my stomach were as small as these people's post surgery, it wouldn't be possible to eat that way...I'm thinking about my typical lunch of a bowl full of kale and assorted salad vegetables...it would probably come right back up?

How do they get enough fiber and vegetable nutrients, especially since they're not allowed to eat other than 3x a day?

[Ocean Chick]

How do they get enough fiber and vegetable nutrients, especially since they're not allowed to eat other than 3x a day?

 

 

I know they have to take a sh*tload of supplements after surgery to get the nutrients their bodies need.  I'd assume they also have to take fiber supplements as well, like Benifiber or somesuch, to get their intestines to flush.

 

As a diabetic, my nutritionist wants me to eat 6 times a day.  No full on meals 3 times a day - more like snacking 6 times a day, or 3 small meals and 3 snacks.  I have a bowl of oatmeal or cold cereal for breakfast usually, then a small piece of cheese about 11am.  A cup of soup and half a sandwich or a small salad for lunch.  A piece of fruit or some nuts about 3pm.  A small dinner when I get home.  It was hard for me to learn to snack, as we NEVER had snacks when I was growing up.  We were an odd family, I guess.  But I could see how snacking would be a slippery slope for these folks, and lead to stretching out their stomachs.  And keep them from eating the protein they need to survive.

[LilyoftheValley]

I lived in Austria in the 90's and there really wasn't much snacking going on then.  People ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and that was it.  I have to assume that most of the rest of Europe was like that too.  I still do not think that snacking is necessary and that Dr. Now, being a man who grew up in Iran, probably did not snack or see snacking as common until he came to the U.S. as an adult.  Maybe, just maybe, he saw an entire nation of people manage to survive without snacking, and maybe, just maybe, that nation does not have any 600 pound plus people.  

 

Just a thought.  

[notyrmomma]

 

I am really curious how Chad is doing now. Is there a Facebook or Twitter for him? 

I'm slacking!  I will try to get on this today (and post it in the "past contestants" thread)

[aliya]

I lived in Austria in the 90's and there really wasn't much snacking going on then.  People ate breakfast, lunch and dinner and that was it.  I have to assume that most of the rest of Europe was like that too.  I still do not think that snacking is necessary and that Dr. Now, being a man who grew up in Iran, probably did not snack or see snacking as common until he came to the U.S. as an adult.  ...

In the early 2000's, I was in grad school with a woman from Scandinavia. Her big pastime during her years here in the States was to cruise the snack aisle and try everything, as they didn't have the amount and variety of snacks that we do.  She also had a thing about our variety of salad dressings. : )  

 

Now, every culture I've run into has had some kind of cake or snack, so it's not like they don't have snacks, it's just that they don't eat them 24/7 the way we do. I also think that snacks in a lot of cultures are not as processed as ours are - they are made from natural foods that you have to eat in a day or two because there are no preservatives, etc.

[LilyoftheValley]

In the early 2000's, I was in grad school with a woman from Scandinavia. Her big pastime during her years here in the States was to cruise the snack aisle and try everything, as they didn't have the amount and variety of snacks that we do.  She also had a thing about our variety of salad dressings. : )  

 

Now, every culture I've run into has had some kind of cake or snack, so it's not like they don't have snacks, it's just that they don't eat them 24/7 the way we do. I also think that snacks in a lot of cultures are not as processed as ours are - they are made from natural foods that you have to eat in a day or two because there are no preservatives, etc.

 

I do not want to get to OT but since some people here think that snacks are absolutely necessary I think it is fair to point out that there are lots of cultures in the world that do not snack at all, and somehow those people manage to go the day without "blood sugar drops" or "headaches" or whatever else Americans think happens without three meals and three snacks a day.  I friend of mine from Nigeria told me that people eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the table and that food is not spoken of or mentioned otherwise.  Back when I lived in Austria there were two flavors of potato chips - plain and paprika.  There simply wasn't a big culture of snacking.  I never saw an adult (or anyone for that matter) carrying around a bag of pretzels or carrots in their purse - you know, healthy snacks.  It just was not considered necessary to be eating all day.  I think nutritionists in the US do their clients a great disservice by encouraging snacking.  First of all, if you are really, truly hungry then you should be eating a whole balanced and nutritious meal, not a snack.  And if you are getting that hungry between meals, then your meals are too small and not nutritious enough.  I mean, I guess if some nutritionist thinks that a breakfast of a half a cup of special K and skim milk is a reasonable meal, then perhaps snacking is necessary.  But if you eat real, wholesome food for breakfast then you won't be hungry until lunch, period.  

[legaleagle53]

I do not want to get to OT but since some people here think that snacks are absolutely necessary I think it is fair to point out that there are lots of cultures in the world that do not snack at all, and somehow those people manage to go the day without "blood sugar drops" or "headaches" or whatever else Americans think happens without three meals and three snacks a day.

 

It's not what they "think" happens.  It's what does happen if one is a diabetic (Type 2 here since 2009).  That's why diabetics are cautioned never to go more than a few hours without eating something and why they're also told never to skip meals.

[flappa1016]

Both my husband and my father-in-law (who lives with us) are T2 diabetics, and five years ago I was prediabetic, so I spend a lot of time in diabetes forums and diabetes Facebook groups.  There is emerging evidence that a low carb high fat diet, combined with intermittent fasting, is extremely beneficial to diabetics.  Blood sugar levels remain more stable in diabetics that intermittent fast compared to diabetics that eat every few hours.  Dr. Jason Fung has a fabulous blog called Intensive Dietary Management that explains the physiology behind IF, and he has an extensive series of lectures on youtube.  My husband, who was diagnosed in 1993, and is now insulin dependent, has reduced is insulin requirements by 2/3; and my father-in-law now has fasting BG levels in the 90s, and postprandial readings in the low to mid 100s, without medication.