S05.E04: Kirsten's Story

[steff13]

Holy cow.  I'm still watching.  That comment she made about putting her mom in a nursing home - seriously?!  That poor woman wipes your giant ass!  Ugh, she's awful. 

Dr. Now cracked me up when he said she can't tolerate any discomfort.  That's the truth.

[pollybygolly]

Her Dad did not seem very loving towards her at all.  He almost seemed repulsed, or at the very least, unsupportive.  I realize the family has been through a lot with her/her kids, over the years.  But girls and dads are supposed to have a special relationship, and I didn't see any warmth at all!  At the very end, he showed a little emotion.   Even though her whining made me crazy, she seemed to stick to the diet better than most do.

Is it wrong that the only family member I liked was the dog?

[Hana Chan]

2 minutes ago, pollybygolly said:

Her Dad did not seem very loving towards her at all.

It's hard to judge because he's had to deal with her issues for so many years. I just got the impression that he was done. After dealing for years with the consequences of her addictions and raising her children, he's now got her back home and she requires full time care. I can understand him having reached his limitations towards her and not being overtly caring.

As discouraging as it is to see these less successful stories, it is important. When people get to this point, it does have a very adverse effect on the family as a whole and we need to see what the limitations of what surgery can accomplish without the patient being completely invested and willing to do the hard work to be successful. The surgery can't fix everything and when you've got someone like Kristen who's unwilling to make a lot of very big changes, it's just not going to work. I do feel terribly that her life is so miserable, but until she takes ownership of her own behaviors that put here there, it's not going to get better.

[steff13]

Aww, Niko seemed so sweet and supportive when they came back to visit.  He was trying so hard.  Poor guy.

[Dharma]

14 hours ago, genieray said:

Okay I am a long time lurker but I had to make an account to say this girl and her entire family are truly insufferable. Have we ever seen a patient on this show cry and have so many tantrums in the first hour alone??! She's like a freaking toddler. 

Me as well, more or less. I think all the years I have watched this show I have posted here 2 or 3 times but this episode inspired me because I don't recall someone with a drug addiction, could be wrong. She does act like a child especially with her mom.

Thrilled to see a positive ending to an episode filled with emotional challenges for Kirsten. Seems she has quite a personality that could be fun and endearing if ahe can heal herself. I hope she continues in therapy. She deserves a chance and certainly her son does. I hope they do a follow-up. Best wishes Kirsten.

[lovesnark]

4 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

It's hard to judge because he's had to deal with her issues for so many years. I just got the impression that he was done. After dealing for years with the consequences of her addictions and raising her children, he's now got her back home and she requires full time care. I can understand him having reached his limitations towards her and not being overtly caring.

As discouraging as it is to see these less successful stories, it is important. When people get to this point, it does have a very adverse effect on the family as a whole and we need to see what the limitations of what surgery can accomplish without the patient being completely invested and willing to do the hard work to be successful. The surgery can't fix everything and when you've got someone like Kristen who's unwilling to make a lot of very big changes, it's just not going to work. I do feel terribly that her life is so miserable, but until she takes ownership of her own behaviors that put here there, it's not going to get better.

You hit the nail on the head! Her parents have listened to her blame them for everything since she was a child. She said she started using 'you like my brother more than me' when she was very young as her excuse to do whatever she wanted. Her folks took her kids when she didn't want them and then were kind enough to let her move into their home after the guy she was living with went to prison. And, it wasn't a typical adult child moving back home situation. She contributes nothing to the household in any way, shape or form (well, maybe some food stamps) and requires 24 hour a day care. Yet, bitches about having to share a room with the son she abandoned, orders everyone in the family to keep the food deliveries to her room coming and expects them to do pretty gross personal care for her, blubbering and whining the entire time. It was so sad to hear her mom say that she does absolutely nothing for herself but is able to get to the kitchen for food if no one is there to do her bidding.

My heart just broke for Neiko when they left him in Texas to take care of her. Yes, he was a little shit. But, this kid has no parent/child relationship with this woman and is suddenly forced to be solely responsible for her. For 14 years, he's known his mom didn't want him and looked to his grandparents to care for him. Way too much to give a kid to handle. He said he didn't think of her as his mother, that she was like a sister. 

[islandgal140]

Kirsten the bed wiggler.  The way she would shimmy and wiggle her way into her bed or the car was quite the sight. 

2 hours ago, dahling said:

This was the most unintentionally hilarious episode of this show that has ever been. My husband and I laughed and laughed until we could laugh no more. "If I could just have a turkey sandwich." Dr. Now: "You still weigh over 500 pounds, you are not going to starve to death." "My mom gets mad at me for eating in front of her, but she still watches all those food shows."

Yes to this. I got my biggest laugh when she was trying to stuff herself into the car for a trip to the store and her mom tried closing the door once and of course the fat blocked the way and Kirsten screamed and whined. Not 10 seconds later despite nothing having changed, the mom tries to close the door again and again Kirsten whines and screams because she can't get all her fat in the door. I was waiting for her mom to try a 3rd and 4th time but no such luck. Kirsten was forced to literally toddle back into the house with the realization that she is now too fat to fit in the front seat of a car. 

I really expected Kirsten not to be a candidate for surgery based on a heart and/or lung issue. She seemed like she was always out of breath. She sounded horrible and the slightest movement made her start breathing heavy in the most unpleasant scary sounding way. 

I admit that it tickles me every time Dr. Now says the word "y'all" Sounds so cute coming from him. Is it wrong to think he kinda looks like a live action muppet/puppet?

I think Kirsten only quite drugs and alcohol because 1. the dude she was living with who brought her drugs and alcohol was arrested so she lost her connect; and 2. forcing her to live with her parents who while permissive, drew a hard line about that and refused to buy her any drugs and bring her any alcohol and it is not like she could go out and get it. Couldn't send poor Nico for any either as he is underage. 

[Ocean Chick]

The whining.  Oh, THE WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-NING!!!!!!!!!!!!  By the third whine, I wanted to haul back and slug her.  Seriously.  And the look on her face when she was whining.  Sooooooooo very ugly.  She was definitely stuck at 14 years old emotionally.  Even Neiko, little slug that he was, but more evolved than she was.  Yes, that was his mom.  But she hadn't taken care of him for 10 years, and now all of a sudden he's left to take care of her?  In an empty apartment?  She has the only bed.  He was no place to sit or sleep.  No tv to watch.  No friends to play with.  And I'll bet he had to be the one washing her down in the shower and drying her off as his grandma did in Washington.  That poor boy will never lust after women after that experience, I'm afraid.  He'll be celibate for life.  And yes, I, too, wanted Grandma to start working on HER weight. 

Free Neiko!

[Granny58]

14 hours ago, fonfereksglen said:

A 14 year old who is going through a voice change and obviously, rapid physical maturity.  And has been sleeping in the same room with his mother who has undoubtedly exposed every part of her body right in front of him for years.  This is CHILD ABUSE.

and if they didn't allow Kirsten's daughter's BOYFRIEND to live with them, that space would have been available for Kirsten.  This is a completely dysfunctional family. 

[Granny58]

14 hours ago, MrsClaus said:

Well I'm going to hell in a handbasket.  Her mom should have had the surgery instead of her.  She probably would have benefited more from it.

not instead of, along with.

[RedKoolAide]

There was a scene in the beginning with Kirsten sitting on her bed and her labia were completely exposed. She didn't bother trying to cover up with a blanket or anything. I know they take showers to show how hard it is to wash a body that size, but I was completely disgusted with her for not even bothering to keep herself covered. I can only imagine how much Neiko has to avoid sharing a room with his mom. Poor kid.

Kirsten was the biggest asshole I've seen on the show. She didn't take responsibility for anything. She was overweight long before the gang rape and the drug/alcohol abuse. She also admitted to being a troublemaker when she was young, but expected her parents to treat her the same as her brother who followed the rules. She's illogical.

I think she'd be a whiny, selfish, ungrateful asshole if she wasn't overweight and an addict. I just think it's a part of her personality to be self-absorbed. The addiction is only enhancing how terrible she is.

I know this is shallow but Kirsten couldn't spell to save her life. The daily affirmations that she taped to her wall had quite a few misspellings.

[ElderPrice]

Dr Now: "Kristin has no tolerance for any discomfort." 

Me: "And in other news, Niagra Falls is slightly damp."

What a completely unpleasant, ungrateful nasty person. 

[Granny58]

13 hours ago, Kelly said:

Her mom could probably use some therapy.  She had such a sad face.  :(

I also think her family is passive aggressive toward Kirsten (not that I blame them!).  They delay coming when she is screaming in pain, slamming the car door on her, snarky comments.  Again, this whole family is a freakin' mess.

[aliya]

14 hours ago, Azubah said:

Okay, they're trying for five minutes of redemption...

It didn't work. 

[cpcathy]

If you cannot spell "Awesome" correctly in your "I am Awsome" sign, you are not quite awesome.

I have to say, I had seething hate for Kirsten, but I had to keep watching to see how bad she could get. The way she spoke to her son made me so angry, he doesn't respect her because she hasn't earned it. No 14 year old should be put in charge of your 24- hour a day care, and THEN not given a bed or a TV. He voiced how he felt quite succinctly about her, and I tend not to blame him at all. Don't ever let your child be the parent. EVER.

[lovesnark]

25 minutes ago, RedKoolAide said:

There was a scene in the beginning with Kirsten sitting on her bed and her labia were completely exposed. She didn't bother trying to cover up with a blanket or anything. I know they take showers to show how hard it is to wash a body that size, but I was completely disgusted with her for not even bothering to keep herself covered. I can only imagine how much Neiko has to avoid sharing a room with his mom. Poor kid.

Kirsten was the biggest asshole I've seen on the show. She didn't take responsibility for anything. She was overweight long before the gang rape and the drug/alcohol abuse. She also admitted to being a troublemaker when she was young, but expected her parents to treat her the same as her brother who followed the rules. She's illogical.

I think she'd be a whiny, selfish, ungrateful asshole if she wasn't overweight and an addict. I just think it's a part of her personality to be self-absorbed. The addiction is only enhancing how terrible she is.

I know this is shallow but Kirsten couldn't spell to save her life. The daily affirmations that she taped to her wall had quite a few misspellings.

This x1000. I wish they would have said more about what drugs she considered herself addicted to. I live in the same state as Kirsten and addiction is rampant here. There are addicts congregated EVERYWHERE, small towns and big cities. You may see a hefty one here and there, but if you're addicted to the hard hitting drugs like heroin, prescription opiates or meth, you're very thin and look like a ghost. My opinion on her addiction is that she smoked pot 24/7and got her drink on a lot. Pot and alcohol work really well if you just want to lay around and eat everything within a 5 mile radius. I also give the side eye to her claims of being raped. When I was in my 20's, I partied like an animal and slept around a lot. Lots of mornings after one night stands were filled with a dump truck load of self loathing and sometimes embarrassment but no one made me do anything and I accepted responsibility for my stupid decisions. Kirsten has never accepted responsibility for anything in her life and I can totally see her denying responsibility for drunken/high stupid decisions by shifting blame to the other person and claiming they raped her. Something about her stories were just waaaaay off to me.

[flappa1016]

I think Islandgal is spot on with her assessment as to how Kirsten got off the drugs - her drug dealer bf was out of the picture, Kirsten was unable to procure drugs on her own, and her parents refused to buy them for her.  Pretty much a forced rehab - which is the position her family should have taken with regard to her food addiction.  In addition to the pot and acid (not addictive), she also mentioned having used cocaine (in reference to the gang rape incident, she mentioned that it was the first time she'd tried cocaine, which leads me to believe there were other times she used it) and I believe she mentioned using meth on occasion (I thought meth was highly addictive so call me a skeptic when she said she used it occasionally).  It just goes to show you how addicted to food she is, that she continued to gain weight while using all those drugs.

My husband doesn't usually watch the show with me, but he did last night and was amazed at the hernia surgery and how Dr. Now was just seemingly stuffing her insides back into her.  He questioned whether or not her insides needed to be put back into her in a particular order/semblance of fashion.

And her assertion that she had no energy because she wasn't getting fed enough during her stint in the hospital - laughable!  You have 500 lbs. of fat sitting on your body that your body is burning for energy, you ass!  She was essentially following a ketogenic diet at that point, burning her fat for fuel rather than glucose.  A lot of us following a LCHF diet strive to get into fat burning mode, and several athletes are now using ketogenic diets and are doing well.  I know a woman that bikes 100 miles per week on less than 20g of carb per day, with nothing other than a bulletproof coffee as her pre-ride "meal".

Edited January 26, 2017 by flappa1016

[okerry]

1 hour ago, islandgal140 said:

I think Kirsten only quite drugs and alcohol because 1. the dude she was living with who brought her drugs and alcohol was arrested so she lost her connect; and 2. forcing her to live with her parents who while permissive, drew a hard line about that and refused to buy her any drugs and bring her any alcohol and it is not like she could go out and get it. Couldn't send poor Nico for any either as he is underage. 

Exactly. And that is probably when the food addiction ballooned to extremes, to make up the difference.

Watching Kirsten, I just kept thinking, "She is just a monster. In pretty much every way." Hate thinking that, but it's true. I'd still like to know what really happened to set her on this path, especially it seemed to start when she was still a child.

She said, "My father liked my brother better than me," with no possible reason given for this. Now, sometimes when a dad rejects a child - or even abuses one - it's because they know, or suspect, that the child is not his. 

Not saying that's the case here. It's really hard to tell whether Kirsten even looks like her dad because her appearance is so distorted. And it may not be true anyway. But I'll admit it was the first thing I thought of.

[mmecorday]

I've started skipping the beginning of the show because I'm deathly afraid they'll show that person who looks like he or she is growing genetically modified corn kernels in his or her fat folds getting bathed.

I'm so glad The Walking Dead has tamed my gag reflex when it comes to looking at guts or that scene with Dr. Now stuffing her intestines back into her abdomen would have sent me to the toilet or at least with a case of the dry heaves.

Why the repeated close ups of her dry and cracked feet? I could practically smell the fungus.

Her whole family was just plain mean.

[lovesnark]

1 hour ago, islandgal140 said:

Kirsten the bed wiggler.  The way she would shimmy and wiggle her way into her bed or the car was quite the sight. 

Yes to this. I got my biggest laugh when she was trying to stuff herself into the car for a trip to the store and her mom tried closing the door once and of course the fat blocked the way and Kirsten screamed and whined. Not 10 seconds later despite nothing having changed, the mom tries to close the door again and again Kirsten whines and screams because she can't get all her fat in the door. I was waiting for her mom to try a 3rd and 4th time but no such luck. Kirsten was forced to literally toddle back into the house with the realization that she is now too fat to fit in the front seat of a car. 

I really expected Kirsten not to be a candidate for surgery based on a heart and/or lung issue. She seemed like she was always out of breath. She sounded horrible and the slightest movement made her start breathing heavy in the most unpleasant scary sounding way. 

I admit that it tickles me every time Dr. Now says the word "y'all" Sounds so cute coming from him. Is it wrong to think he kinda looks like a live action muppet/puppet?

I think Kirsten only quite drugs and alcohol because 1. the dude she was living with who brought her drugs and alcohol was arrested so she lost her connect; and 2. forcing her to live with her parents who while permissive, drew a hard line about that and refused to buy her any drugs and bring her any alcohol and it is not like she could go out and get it. Couldn't send poor Nico for any either as he is underage. 

Thank you! Live action muppet is exactly what it is. I've been trying to come up with the right description since this show started. His 'y'alls' do crack me up. My grandpa was from Serbia and retained much of his accent even though he'd lived in West Virginia for 50 years. His Serbian tinged y'all always made me laugh.

[flappa1016]

11 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

Why the repeated close ups of her dry and cracked feet? I could practically smell the fungus.

Dry feet are very common in T2 diabetics, and I would be *shocked* if she weren't diabetic.  That's one of the reasons why diabetics have to take care of their feet - dry/cracked feet are more likely to result in wounds that don't heal, resulting in a higher incidence of amputation.  Add neuropathy to the problem of having more fragile skin, and not realizing that you even *have* a wound, and the risks of amputation increase even more.  My husband is T2 and buys a special foot cream for diabetics.

[gonecrackers]

I barely got 1/2 hour into this yet but have been reading here...

I wondered about the gang rape story in that she just didn't seem upset or emotional at all in speaking of it. Maybe she's just disassociated from the trauma?

I'm really wondering why this family would allow the daughter's bf to be in the home when they clearly don't have room. For all four of them to share one bedroom, especially with the way Kirsten lets it all hang out (& they do make that even more obvious with the camera angles), is so completely inappropriate to say the least. It also makes me wonder what's wrong with the bf as well; he's fitting right in with the dysfunction.

She's (so far from what I've seen & not sure if it gets any better yet) very verbally abusive to everyone. I was cringing when she was complaining about her family on the drive down saying she was in so much pain & they 'don't care'. Sheesh lady if they didn't care why would they be doing all this? I know they seemed a bit cold at times but they were obviously drained in every way. Narcissist much? She had no empathy at all for those around her. Since she stopped other substances abuses but never got to the root cause, she was acting as a 'dry drunk' with the other stuff & continued on & grew her food addiction. So she was in major abusive addict mode.

The dad was tearing up a bit in one scene; I think when they were leaving the first time. But I was shocked, too, that they left a 14 year old in caretaker role of a disabled, verbally abusive, childlike mother. I was thinking to myself before they left had they planned the trips she would possibly need to TX for surgery, aftercare, etc? They knew they were going to be on the show so there was time to prepare for an adult to be there with her instead.

I haven't watched the surgery scene yet but hoping he arranged things appropriately once he stuffed it all in there.

Edited January 26, 2017 by gonecrackers

[EtheltoTillie]

The beginning was awful, but unlike many here, I think she made a turnaround.  She is obviously a person who suffered a lot, and at first she came off as annoying and entitled.  But the therapy seemed to have made a dent.    In conclusion, I think Penny was worse.

Edited January 26, 2017 by GussieK

[lovesnark]

5 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

 

I'm really wondering why this family would allow the daughter's bf to be in the home when they clearly don't have room. For all four of them to share one bedroom, especially with the way Kirsten lets it all hang out (& they do make that even more obvious with the camera angles), is so completely inappropriate to say the least. It also makes me wonder what's wrong with the bf as well; he's fitting right in with the dysfunction.

 

I think the daughter and her bf had their own room and Neiko had his own room but when Kirsten moved in, the only place they had for her was to put another bed in his room. That's the way I understood it. 

[cpcathy]

Hmm, from Penny we have "I can just look at food and instantly tell how many calories it is" and from Kirsten we have "I DON'T NEED THERAPY."

[OSM Mom]

Those closing stitches were so sloppy.  Made me think of the way Major Burns from MASH would do it. 

[lovesnark]

1 minute ago, OSM Mom said:

Those closing stitches were so sloppy.  Made me think of the way Major Burns from MASH would do it. 

I thought the same thing. But, he'd just finished a really long and difficult surgery and the thought of what kind of scar it would leave was likely the last thing on his mind.  I can't imagine being in the position of standing over someone's open abdomen and thinking 'Oh, shit! How in hell am I ever going to stuff all this back where it belongs?'

[OSM Mom]

True, but he could have let someone else do the closing then.  

[raiderred1]

There have been comments on the hernia surgery and how Dr. Now just stuffed everything back in there.  We raise horses and when they have a severe blockage/colic, they get the same kind of surgery.  Kirsten's guts looked almost identical. Mr Raider watched with me(usually doesn't) his first comment was, "That looks like colic surgery!"  The vets stuff those intestines back in just like Dr. Now did.  She weighed almost as much as a small horse.  All my life of owning horses I have only had one with colic surgery and she is now a happy 22 year old girl. =) We are at the large animal vets a lot and have gotten to witness colic surgery many times and it is fascinating. 

I was confused about the therapy sessions. Didn't she see a therapist/psychiatrist while she was in the hospital for months??? How did the gang rape  not come up during any of those sessions??  So many unanswered questions.

Who pays for MONTHS stays at a hospital!?! 

Neiko and his sister are screwed if they don't get major therapy!

[Armchair Critic]

Did Nico have to help bathe her and have to "wipe her butt" when he was alone taking care of her? If he did that is child abuse, no wonder he acted out.

[steff13]

3 minutes ago, Armchair Critic said:

Did Nico have to help bathe her and have to "wipe her butt" when he was alone taking care of her? If he did that is child abuse, no wonder he acted out.

Oh, geez, I hadn't even considered that.

[Ocean Chick]

Of course he did, poor thing.  How else could she get clean?  It wasn't like she was going to do it herself.

[OSM Mom]

I thought TLC paid for all of the surgery and hospital stay. 

[PrincessPurrsALot]

In answer to a question from far upstream, Kirsten said that after the gang rape she started hooking for drugs.  She doesn't know who her daughter's father is.  She never mentions it for Neiko but it is implied that she doesn't know who his father is either.  She decided to get clean because her drug dealer partner went to jail.  I really wonder what that relationship was like since she had only been living with her parents for 8 months at the start of filming. 

I particularly enjoyed her phrasing when talking about food. "It's not just keeping me alive like it's supposed to.  It's killing me a the same time." So she is a passive victim of food.  Late at night the evil food forces itself upon her. 

One of the many signs that bode poorly for her long term success, Kirsten explained that after the surgery she can't eat as much as she used to at a given time, but she is hungry more often. 

[raiderred1]

20 minutes ago, OSM Mom said:

I thought TLC paid for all of the surgery and hospital stay. 

Does TLC have this kind of money?  These shows aren't that popular.  A stay at the hospital for folks with insurance is HUGE.  Insurance makes even post-op open-heart surgery patients get the hell out after a week or so.  Her bill, no matter who pays, has to be astronomical.  All of this boggles the mind.

[notyrmomma]

50 minutes ago, raiderred1 said:

Does TLC have this kind of money?  These shows aren't that popular.  A stay at the hospital for folks with insurance is HUGE.  Insurance makes even post-op open-heart surgery patients get the hell out after a week or so.  Her bill, no matter who pays, has to be astronomical.  All of this boggles the mind.

I can't recall who, but one of the former 600 lb life people said that your insurance kicks in first (medicaid or private insurance), then they pay for whatever insurance doesn't pay for.  It may have actually been Penny that said that as one day she was bitching on Facebook on how she was still getting billed for medical things that TLC was supposed to pay.

Speaking of Penny, Kristen did remind me of her except I actually think Kristen was way more hateful (at least Penny was nice to her son on camera and they seemed to have a great relationship), but she did way better on the plan than Penny.  Remember, throughout the year Penny only lost a net 35 pounds and Kristen lost nearly 200--and Kristen didn't even have a full weight loss surgery (she just had a part of her stomach removed so there would be room to stuff all of her guts back in).  

[Peanutbuttercup]

Someone on a weight loss surgery board I frequent was chosen to be a participant on this show. He also confirmed that TLC pays for surgery and medical bills -- either completely if you have no bariatric surgery coverage, or whatever your insurance doesn't cover. They also pay a very small amount for the move to Houston (which is required if you don't live relatively close).

Before he got his surgery, but after they had started filming and arranged the move and all of that, TLC just stopped showing up and stopped calling. When he finally got them to return his calls, they told him they dropped him as a participant because he didn't have enough personal or family drama.

[lovesnark]

6 hours ago, mmecorday said:

I've started skipping the beginning of the show because I'm deathly afraid they'll show that person who looks like he or she is growing genetically modified corn kernels in his or her fat folds getting bathed.

I'm so glad The Walking Dead has tamed my gag reflex when it comes to looking at guts or that scene with Dr. Now stuffing her intestines back into her abdomen would have sent me to the toilet or at least with a case of the dry heaves.

Why the repeated close ups of her dry and cracked feet? I could practically smell the fungus.

Her whole family was just plain mean.

I was thinking it was to reinforce the fact that she was totally unable to take care of her own personal hygiene. I bet she hadn't been able to see or touch her own feet for 15 years.

[aliya]

Extended version on now. You've been warned.

[Threnners]

Four two liters of soda a day.   My god.

Edited January 27, 2017 by Threnners

[Armchair Critic]

9 minutes ago, Threnners said:

Four two liters of soda a day

Her poor mother who had to take her to the bathroom when she had to pee from drinking all that. 

[EE2000]

The whole family seems insufferable, I'm only 30 minutes in and I just want to cry for her son, that poor boy.        The whole family has issues and she's never going to change if she stays in that dynamic.         I'm still rooting for her as I always root for the people on this show because I can't imagine being in their situation and want them to be happier, but lord it's hard.   

[Kellyee]

How did she manage to be an obese drug addict?? She says she used meth, but meth addicts are skinny. 

Word to whoever up thread pointed out the spread-eagle vagina shot in full view of the camera. And she kept laying there. I have a sick feeling she did that on purpose.

Dad lost me when he implied that he would send his 14 year old grandson to live with his completely messed up mother. Asshole. I feel so bad for those kids.

[CarolMK]

I missed this - 4 two liters of soda a day? Can someone tell me how many calories this is? I would think that if she did nothing else but cut out the soda, she'd lose a lot of weight pretty quickly. I guess this really contributes to weight gain. Often, I'll wonder how in the world people can eat enough food to get to 600 lbs in the first place. But when I realize how many calories are in soda and juice, it makes sense if they're drinking a lot of these. 

[EE2000]

10 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

I missed this - 4 two liters of soda a day? Can someone tell me how many calories this is? I would think that if she did nothing else but cut out the soda, she'd lose a lot of weight pretty quickly. I guess this really contributes to weight gain. Often, I'll wonder how in the world people can eat enough food to get to 600 lbs in the first place. But when I realize how many calories are in soda and juice, it makes sense if they're drinking a lot of these. 

There is 140 calories in 12oz and I think six servings in a two liter and times that by four and it's 3,360 calories.    That is more than I eat in a several day period.    Good lord.

Edited January 27, 2017 by EE2000
Changed a word.

[Granny58]

On the extended version with the Cliffnotes, it states that the mother (Cris) has had bypass surgery herself.  Also, I HATE the way everybody was yelling at Neiko when they were trying to get Kirsten in the van.  

[DC Gal in VA]

2 hours ago, Peanutbuttercup said:

Someone on a weight loss surgery board I frequent was chosen to be a participant on this show. He also confirmed that TLC pays for surgery and medical bills -- either completely if you have no bariatric surgery coverage, or whatever your insurance doesn't cover. They also pay a very small amount for the move to Houston (which is required if you don't live relatively close).

Before he got his surgery, but after they had started filming and arranged the move and all of that, TLC just stopped showing up and stopped calling. When he finally got them to return his calls, they told him they dropped him as a participant because he didn't have enough personal or family drama.

Thank you for this insight about my long suspected inner workings/agenda of the TLC producers. They are as totally slimey as I had thought. I hope that he was able to get his weight loss surgery eventually.

Sadly, it makes me wonder exactly how many people in this country belong to the category of the super morbidly obese who desperately need this surgery as well as intense therapy to fully address their situation.

I also wonder how many desperate, decent people TLC rejects because they are just too "normal" for their requisite dysfunctional TLC scripted drama to be entertaining?

[ChristmasJones]

^^^ very close - google says 812 calories per 2 liter soda - so 3248 calories per day

I am going to break from the pack here and say I think Kirsten has more potential to change than Penny.

The constant crying/tearfulness would likely go away once she is on an anti-depressant. I think most of her bad behaviors seem like a very immature person whose development became stunted when she started using drugs. The enabling by her family has just reinforced it.

For whatever reason, I have the sense that she could change a lot if she stayed in therapy. And I detected some willingness for that on her part as well.

Edited January 27, 2017 by ChristmasJones

[EE2000]

7 minutes ago, ChristmasJones said:

^^^ very close - google says 812 calories per 2 liter soda - so 3248 calories per day

I am going to break from the pack here and say I think Kirsten has more potential to change than Penny.

The constant crying/tearfulness would likely go away once she is on an anti-depressant. I think most of her bad behaviors seem like a very immature person whose development became stunted when she started using drugs. The enabling by her family has just reinforced it.

For whatever reason, I have the sense that she could change a lot if she stayed in therapy. And I detected some willingness for that on her part as well.

Thanks.   I was going by Coke's site and it was like 140 calories in 12oz and six servings in a 2 liter and then I times that by four.     

She really does need medication,  that family seems so toxic and I can see why she would eat her way through her emotions and I do wish the best for her.   Also she does seem better than Penny but just barely,  at least Penny had some other emotion than anger and denial.     

[Guest]

I had forgotten one of Kirsten's best lines: "I just want to go home and sleep in my own bed and puke in my own bucket." 

#squadgoals