S05.E04: Kirsten's Story

[AngelinaMaria]

Dr. Now says no carbs, yet she eats a huge bowl of mashed potatoes.  Did you notice how "yellow" they looked--must have been loaded with butter.  Also, at the end of the show she had a huge serving of the Hillshire Farms sausage.  That is 190 calories a serving and a serving is only about 2 to 2.5 inches.  Plus, there was something on the steamed vegetables and most likely not calorie-free.

Until she is willing to follow good nutrition, she won't even begin to be successful.  

[Maggienolia]

1 hour 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. 

I have a friend who was very heavy when she was younger (before I met her) and she would drink 3-4 two liter cokes a day. At one point, she had to have her wisdom teeth out and couldn't tolerate anything but water. She ended up replacing all the coke she would drink pre-surgery with water and the weight just melted away. I would imagine that much soda/sugar cut OUT of a diet would, in and of itself, have a big impact. 

[kgg]

She was bad, but not Penny bad.  I think her willingness to get up and walk and also her admitting that she is a crappy mom (or non-mom) is what puts her above Penny.  But she was pretty damn insufferable, threatening to put her mother in a sketchy nursing home (as if her mother will be the invalid first) and bitching at the son she didn't raise for eating in front of her.

I agree with everyone upthread who mentioned she seemed stunted.  She came a cross less emotionally developed than her teenage children (and less articulate and less bright).

[millennium]

16 hours ago, Barb23 said:

 

Call me mean but I loved when Nico was eating his Cheetos & Big Gulp in front of her, knowing she couldn't do a damn thing.

Nico is a budding sociopath.   A bad seed.   

Yes, his circumstances are extraordinary and no one should have to deal with that but as we have seen in other cases many do, and without coming even close to the degree of cruelty and remorselessness he demonstrated.  If that's how he acts when he's on camera, can you imagine when he's alone with her?

He enjoyed tormenting her.

[lovesnark]

3 hours ago, AngelinaMaria said:

Dr. Now says no carbs, yet she eats a huge bowl of mashed potatoes.  Did you notice how "yellow" they looked--must have been loaded with butter.  Also, at the end of the show she had a huge serving of the Hillshire Farms sausage.  That is 190 calories a serving and a serving is only about 2 to 2.5 inches.  Plus, there was something on the steamed vegetables and most likely not calorie-free.

Until she is willing to follow good nutrition, she won't even begin to be successful.  

I noticed several packages of the Hillshire Farms sausages in the cart when she went grocery shopping by herself. I seriously doubt those are on the diet Dr Now gives all his patients copies of. I was surprised she didn't use the standard line we hear almost every episode of 'I didn't know I wasn't supposed to eat that. No one told me' when she gained instead of lost. That's always good for a chuckle when the doc rolls his eyes and tells them they got all of the diet and nutrition info the day of their first appointment.

[swankie]

On Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at 8:28 PM, Threnners said:

Wait, the son is supposed to be troubled?  Because that's not the impression I'm getting here at all.

If you ask me, mentally, the son is more mature than Kirsten and her enabling mother.  I don't blame him for acting out when they moved to Texas.  If I had to spend more than a minute with Kirsten and her whining, I would be ready to gauge my eyes out.  She cries like a damned baby about the situation that she caused.  Instead of criticizing her mother and father she should be kissing their feet for taking care of HER children.  Glad she kinda sorta came around at the end, but she was just a whimpering mess throughout this whole episode.

[Muffyn]

I call shenanigans on the son eating in front of her scene.  They were in the apartment with only her bed and walker.  In that scene she has a nightstand and he goes into the other room and lays on his bed.  Shenanigans!!!! This was filmed after her mother came back to town. I sense a production prompting after she whined to them that he would eat in front of her so they recreated this situation.   

[swankie]

On 1/25/2017 at 11:31 PM, okerry said:

I wonder if she was actually selling herself for drugs - it's not uncommon for female addicts to do that. Either way, it's tragic.

She said that she was.  Of course, I can't imagine anyone actually paying her for sex.  It was probably more like her giving it up to anyone with drugs to give her.  And it's really sad that neither of her kids will ever know who their dads are.  She said that she doesn't even know.  That is really tragic.  I feel for those kids and their situation.

On 1/26/2017 at 0:31 AM, CarolMK said:

She did mention that she had managed to quit drugs and alcohol and I wonder if she was able to do that on her own or if she needed to go to rehab for those.

She said her drug supplier got busted and that's why she was forced to get off of the drugs.  Don't know how true that is though.  A lot of her backstory just doesn't jibe to me.

[Carolina Girl]

All I need to do is watch ONE of these episodes and it keeps me on the straight and narrow for a week on my eating.  Do any of them NOT shovel food into their mouths like a backhoe at a construction site?  Do they even chew??   Best diet advice I ever got from my physician - CHEW. YOUR. FOOD.  Does anyone else remember being told, a small/medium sized bite and chew 25 times.?

[PradaKitty]

I am always amazed that based on the way they cram food into their mouths,  none of these people have choked to death prior to meeting Dr. Now.

[MillieSparklepants]

We've noticed that too, Carolina Girl. And they take such huge bites! Half a sandwich in one bite. Is part of the addiction an oral fixation thing where they have to have their mouths crammed as full of food as possible?

I had to create an account here solely because of this episode. OMG!! I never thought anyone could approach Penny for sheer awfulness, but this one is right up there. So much crying and whining! I also have doubts about the backstory, it seemed pretty cobbled together. I think overall, Kirsten is just an insufferable human being with zero self-control and who is emotionally manipulative to get what she wants. They should never have made that poor kid share a room with her, let alone left him in TX to care for her.

Edited January 27, 2017 by MillieSparklepants

[dahling]

Quote

We've noticed that too, Carolina Girl. And they take such huge bites! Half a sandwich in one bite. Is part of the addiction an oral fixation thing where they have to have their mouths crammed as full of food as possible?

Absolutely. It's all part of the addiction. You need more and more to get that same buzz, and that includes your mouth as well as your stomach. Anybody remember the GNR song "Mr. Brownstone"?  "I used to do a little, but a little wouldn't do it, so a little got more and more." 

[Broken Ox]

On 1/26/2017 at 6:30 AM, notyrmomma said:

I have mixed feelings about Nicko.  Yes, he should have never been placed in that situation, but he also shouldn't have been acting like an ass either.  I have a son his age and I know if I would have put my son in that situation, he would have been as helpful as tits on a bull - 14 year old boys are not nurses and tend to be super selfish.  But if my son would have said things like that to me...OR MY MOTHER!, he would have gotten whatever little pleasure that he has in life taken away. 

Difference being you raised your son and set those standards early on. Nobody seemed to be setting standards for this one.

[non sequitur]

14 hours ago, millennium said:

Nico is a budding sociopath.   A bad seed.   

Yes, his circumstances are extraordinary and no one should have to deal with that but as we have seen in other cases many do, and without coming even close to the degree of cruelty and remorselessness he demonstrated.  If that's how he acts when he's on camera, can you imagine when he's alone with her?

He enjoyed tormenting her.

I think it's more that he is trying to get back at her for everything she has not done for him.  

He really needs support and guidance at that age, and instead he is abused.

[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. 

Thanks to all who replied. So, just by cutting out her soda intake, she was able to lose about a pound a day from making this one change. That's really eye-opening. I was actually wondering how it is possible for people on this show to eat enough to get themselves up to 600 lbs without getting sick to their stomachs, but the realization about how many calories are in sugary drinks solved the mystery. 

[MillieSparklepants]

41 minutes ago, non sequitur said:

I think it's more that he is trying to get back at her for everything she has not done for him.  

He really needs support and guidance at that age, and instead he is abused.

Poor Nico. She essentially abandoned him, then showed up and moved into his space, then started demanding that he take care of her. I'd have a lot of pent up anger about that too. Did you notice that they talk to each other like siblings, not mother and son? I got the impression that when she moved in, her parents expected her to start parenting of her own kids, but she's not remotely physically or emotionally able.

At first I was marveling at how patient her mother is with her, but looking closer, she had the dead-eyed stare of someone who has totally given up. I'll bet no one in that family thinks Kirsten dying would be the worst thing that could happen. It might be a relief.

[TurtlePower]

I DVRd this episode but have not seen it yet. Someone is worse than Penny? This ought to be good.........

[Lopethina]

19 hours ago, Granny58 said:

On the extended version with the Cliffnotes, it states that the mother (Cris) has had bypass surgery herself.  

Wait, what?

[stacyasp]

18 hours ago, millennium said:

Nico is a budding sociopath.   A bad seed.   

Yes, his circumstances are extraordinary and no one should have to deal with that but as we have seen in other cases many do, and without coming even close to the degree of cruelty and remorselessness he demonstrated.  If that's how he acts when he's on camera, can you imagine when he's alone with her?

He enjoyed tormenting her.

When he was leaving for the airport to go home he said" bye fatty two toes " hilarious but so rotten !!!!

[Azubah]

2 hours ago, Lopethina said:

22 hours ago, Granny58 said:

On the extended version with the Cliffnotes, it states that the mother (Cris) has had bypass surgery herself.  

Wait, what?

Yeah, that's extremely relevant information that they should have brought up. 

[millennium]

1 hour ago, stacyasp said:

When he was leaving for the airport to go home he said" bye fatty two toes " hilarious but so rotten !!!!

I guess.  I found his mirthless laughter and cruel delight utterly repellent.   He probably went back to Washington and set the neighbor's cat on fire.  

[fonfereksglen]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

I guess.  I found his mirthless laughter and cruel delight utterly repellent.   He probably went back to Washington and set the neighbor's cat on fire.  

Actually, he was looking forward to seeing his Great Grandmother.  Who was the first adult to raise him.  Then he lived with his grandparents.  Then had to live in the same room as his mother who laid in her bed spread eagle for the world to see her private parts.  Then his grandparents left him behind in Houston to tend to his horrific mother.  And then both his mother and grandmother blamed him for his mother's inability to lose weight.  And after he left, his mother was extremely relieved that she didn't have to be his mother and had her own mother at her beck and call.  Disgusting people.

It was also mentioned in the pop up version, he was a 14 year old boy who was getting ready to start high school.  And his mother, while in Houston, was supposed to find a school for him.  HA, HA, HA.  Then he was shipped back to his grandfather, who didn't give a rat's ass about anyone, to live. So this 14 year old boy, most probably, missed the start of his high school years.  And nobody in his family cared a bit.  And once he turns 16 .................  .  

[notyrmomma]

The main problem is that his mother and grandmother let Neiko get away with his back talk.  I don't care how he had to grow up or who raised him, there is no excuse for speaking to ANY adult like that.  He was even back talking to his grandmother who helped raise him.  He's gonna be a real gem of a guy when he grows up if someone doesn't straighten him out.

[Armchair Critic]

It was bad enough a 14 year old boy had to share a bedroom with his mother who would sit with her privates hanging out but I will say it again... Neiko had to bathe his mother and wipe her butt after she went to the bathroom when his grandparents left him alone to care for her. Not only is that inappropriate that is child abuse.

[DeeReynolds]

If I recall correctly, Kirsten is the only patient that Dr Now has threatened to drop besides Marla, whom he did drop. Or am I mistaken? With all the patients featured on this show and how terrible some of them are, I'm surprised he hasn't dropped or threatened to drop more of them.

[hisbunkie]

10 hours ago, Armchair Critic said:

It was bad enough a 14 year old boy had to share a bedroom with his mother who would sit with her privates hanging out but I will say it again... Neiko had to bathe his mother and wipe her butt after she went to the bathroom when his grandparents left him alone to care for her. Not only is that inappropriate that is child abuse.

Sorry, but helping a parent in need is not child abuse.  There is nothing sexual about what Niko is doing, you may not like it, in your family you may have handled it differently but there are millions of households with ailining/aging family members who get care interfamiliarly - due to lack of resources.  Just because you don't like the idea that someone is 600 lbs and needs help with basic care you cannot criminalize it.  This is not worthy of aChild Protection Report (you are going to have to trust me on this).  

There may be issues of neglect if in fact he was not in school when he was supposed to but that's a different issue.

Niko is missing empathy, looks like he really needs help to address that. 

[Barb23]

19 hours 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. 

Thanks to all who replied. So, just by cutting out her soda intake, she was able to lose about a pound a day from making this one change. That's really eye-opening. I was actually wondering how it is possible for people on this show to eat enough to get themselves up to 600 lbs without getting sick to their stomachs, but the realization about how many calories are in sugary drinks solved the mystery. 

IIRC, the mom brought Kirsten a huge (for most of us) glass of soda when they were eating the pizza at the beginning & I'm sure she had a refill. That glass would have lasted me for 3 meals.  It is amazing how much they drink in one day but I guess with their body size, a12 oz can of drink is like 2 oz for them. 

I did notice on the pop-up it said that Kirsten's mom was the one who contacted Dr. Now.  That's interesting.  Even tho Kirsten went on about needing the surgery to survive, I wonder if she had to be somewhat talked into it.

I laughed when the mom said Kirsten could get herself moving when it involved getting to the kitchen for food.  I'm surprised we didn't see her in front of the fridge, door open, screaming "why don't we ever have anything good to eat in this house?"  like most teenagers do. 

[ClareWalks]

You guys. This episode came at the perfect time. I just got back from a 3-day all-inclusive vacation where I drank tropical drinks all day and ate unbelievably huge meals (breakfast included 10 strips of bacon PER DAY, y'all). I feel like a total pig and was like "diet starts today!" Watching this episode while eating my lime greek yogurt with apple slices made me absolutely horrified. She is whinier than Penny but slightly more self-aware. Hard to say who is worse. They're BOTH worse. ;) 

I continue to be amazed with Dr. Now's patience with these kinds of folks.

Also? Free Nico. I felt bad for him. Yes, he was a total turd, but most teens are, and they aren't being forced to wipe their mom's ass (maybe?) in a strange city.

[gonecrackers]

I was wondering how much Neiko had to help his mother when her parents left as she mentioned being 'disappointed' he wasn't doing more. She also mentioned before the move that she was bathing 'less and less' due to it being so difficult. So maybe she just held out or had some other system for herself until her mom got back. She definitely didn't have much shame with the way she sat with no pants, but maybe they also set it up that way for the show & she wasn't always that exposed at home with everyone there - hopefully. 

I saw a different spark in Neiko after he realized his mom was losing so much weight. Maybe he was encouraged by that & their relationship will get better. I liked that Kirsten was having talks with him about her own mistakes & wanting better for him.

The turnaround after it being so bumpy was encouraging; hopefully there will be good updates.

[HelloOutThere]

Most of my thoughts on Kirsten have already been posted here but I'll add a few that haven't been covered yet:

- Kirsten's mom looked the same age if not younger than Kirsten despite the worn down perma frown face

- Whether it was the addiction that stunted her development or some other mental illness, Kirsten seemed seriously mentally "off" to me. That has been said here. Allow me to add that she reminded me a lot of Kathy Bate's character in "Misery," Annie Wilkes. I half expected her to let out a line like "I don't fit in the COCKADOODIE CAR!!!!" 

[DC Gal in VA]

Just a few more thoughts/observations about this episode:

First, I know that a lot of you can't stand the parents but I really want to cut them some slack. Yes, they're dysfunctional, but raising your daughter's two kids, then accepting her back into the home FREE OF CHARGE, probably spending an inordinate amount of the household income just to feed her, then (the mom) contacting TLC/Dr. Now to try to save her daughter's life, driving for five days with that ungrateful, whiney she-beast and even paying for an apartment, well I would say that they have gone above and beyond for their train wreck of a child. I truly believe that both parents are just plain worn out from years of dealing with their dear daughter and her issues.

Oh, and let's not forget the daily torture of helping her bathe. Dammit, she was so weird and weepy during that opening shower scene screaming and crying for her mom to push that shower bench near her ass, I was half hoping that Norman Bates would show up as "Mother" and put the family out of their collective misery.

Also, sorry, but I just don't buy Kirsten's back story about falling in with the wrong crowd -- Hell, she was probably an active and integral member of the wrong crowd -- and taking off when she was a teenager cause daddy loved her brother more. What I suspect is that she had a serious attack of "I wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it!" Along with that nasty, entitled attitude she has, I am sure the parents were having none of that shit, so she took off and thoroughly trashed her life. She's lucky they didn't tell her to piss off when she asked to move back home.

I am crossing my fingers for Neiko since his creepy display of cruelty towards his mom -- yeah, I know Kirsten thoroughly sucks as a mom -- frankly scared the crap out of me. As a woman, all I could think of was "Oh joy, another woman hating sociopath in the making." At least their turnaround at the end gave me hope that hopefully he'll turn out okay.

The one thing that I really didn't understand was when the parents were leaving and the mom said she'd be back in ten days.  Well, if it took five days to get there and five days to return home, why the Hell did she leave in the first place?  Of course, as many of you here have expressed, absolute sheer lunacy to leave a young teenage boy to care for his teenage-minded mom.

BTW, it's driving me a little crazy but Kirsten's voice reminds me of a cerain cartoon character's voice that I can't quite place. Any guesses?

Edited January 29, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To correct typos

[swankie]

On Friday, January 27, 2017 at 11:52 PM, Armchair Critic said:

Neiko had to bathe his mother and wipe her butt after she went to the bathroom when his grandparents left him alone to care for her. Not only is that inappropriate that is child abuse.

Not to mention listening to her constant whining and crying.  She's lucky Neiko didn't set her ass on fire.

[ClareWalks]

7 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

BTW, it's driving me a little crazy but Kirsten's voice reminds me of a cerain cartoon character's voice that I can't quite place. Any guesses?

Her voice reminds me of Kathy Griffin's impersonation of Kelly Bensimon, modulated down an octave.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

The one thing that I really didn't understand was when the parents were leaving and the mom said she'd be back in ten days.  Well, if it took five days to get there and five days to return home, why the Hell did she leave in the first place?  Of course, as many of you here have expressed, absolute sheer lunacy to leave a young teenage boy to care for his teenage-minded mom.

I enjoyed reading your post DC GAL IN VA.  You made some interesting points.

The only explanation I can give for this is that when traveling with the "she-beast" there was probably a lot more time added just to get her sorry carcass in and out of the car.  What would take us about five minutes in a rest stop probably was 30 - 45 extra minutes.  That, and add all the times to stop (even for drive-thru) food and drink.

I also suspect they couldn't drive over 8 hours on any given day because of the pain she-beast was in and would have to stop.

And finally, the extra weight in the car would slow down speed.  If the car was pushed to a high speed it would require more stops for gas....which would require probably a stop for snacks....then the restroom again....and so it goes.

[AZChristian]

I can drive solo from coast to coast with frequent breaks in 5 days.  I didn't watch the episode, so I don't know where these folks were traveling from.  But I suspect you're right @PsychoKlown.  No way were they putting in full days at full legal speed from anywhere in the country.   

[ChristmasJones]

16 hours ago, HelloOutThere said:

 Allow me to add that she reminded me a lot of Kathy Bate's character in "Misery," Annie Wilkes. I half expected her to let out a line like "I don't fit in the COCKADOODIE CAR!!!!" 

Good one!!!

[DC Gal in VA]

6 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Her voice reminds me of Kathy Griffin's impersonation of Kelly Bensimon, modulated down an octave.

Thanks CLAREWALKS.  I looked up Kelly Bensimon--didn't know who was--but couldn't find the Kathy Griffin impersonation.

Actually, now that I think about it, Kirsten's voice reminds me of Bart Simpson's buddy Millhouse on The Simpson's.

[ClareWalks]

1 minute ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Thanks CLAREWALKS.  I looked up Kelly Bensimon--didn't know who was--but couldn't find the Kathy Griffin impersonation.

Actually, now that I think about it, Kirsten's voice reminds me of Bart Simpson's buddy Millhouse on The Simpson's.

I heard Kathy's impression of Kelly Bensimon on her "Suckin' It For the Holidays" CD, haha :) Yes, Milhouse for sure!

[DC Gal in VA]

6 hours ago, PsychoKlown said:

I enjoyed reading your post DC GAL IN VA.  You made some interesting points.

The only explanation I can give for this is that when traveling with the "she-beast" there was probably a lot more time added just to get her sorry carcass in and out of the car.  What would take us about five minutes in a rest stop probably was 30 - 45 extra minutes.  That, and add all the times to stop (even for drive-thru) food and drink.

I also suspect they couldn't drive over 8 hours on any given day because of the pain she-beast was in and would have to stop.

And finally, the extra weight in the car would slow down speed.  If the car was pushed to a high speed it would require more stops for gas....which would require probably a stop for snacks....then the restroom again....and so it goes.

Really appreciate your kind comments PSYCHOKLOWN, thanks.

You definitely brought out several great points about that trip-from-Hell. Geez, just the amount of time and physically draining activities maneuvering her from point A to point B must have been exhausting. I especially loved how she yelled at her mother to "Close the door!" after she huffed and puffed her way back into the van.

Also regarding the time it took to get to Houston, I looked up the driving distance between Seattle, Washington and Houston; used Seattle as a starting point since I couldn't remember exactly which city in Washington they were departing from. It's 34 hours and 2,339 miles. I think it's totally possible for two people to drive this in at least three days, especially with AZCHRISTIAN stating above that he or she could drive coast to coast in five days. But silly me, I completely forgot that they had to use TWO vehicles because our delicate flower Kirsten took up all the space in that large, borrowed van mom was driving and there was no room for dad so they couldn't just take turns driving one vehicle, which also means they had to spend twice the money for gas. Plus, though never stated, did they stop and spend a couple of nights at a motel or just spend five "gamey" unwashed days with each other?

Aaahh, Kirsten is just the gift that keeps on giving, ain't she!

Edited January 29, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To add additional comments and fix typos.

[leighroda]

I always wonder why they over estimate the drive so much, I guess once you factor in that stops take longer and maybe are more frequent, but 5 days is a lot.  In a couple weeks me and my cat are making a 17-19 hour drive from ft Lauderdale FL to Houston TX (I'm moving for a job... not weight loss surgery... although I am a nurse, maybe I should have applied with dr now) and barring any issues it should take us about a day and a half, I'm planning to make the bulk of the drive the first day, and leave about 5-6 hours for the second. It just seems like these people dragging it out for so long makes things worse... I know it's probably hard to sit that long, but don't they spend most of their days not moving anyway? A lot of them lay down in the back of a van. And of course they have to eat junk... because other cities/towns do t have grocery stores... even gas stations generally have some fresh fruit.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Aaahh, Kirsten is just the gift that keeps on giving, ain't she!

More like taking.

[IvySpice]

Quote

And her daughter just vanished after the first half hour.

My theory: the daughter is pregnant. That's why the boyfriend was allowed to move in, that's why Kirsten was crying about wanting to be a better grandmother than she was a mother, and that's why the daughter wasn't involved in the trips to Houston or her mom's care.

God designed 14-year-old boys to be the most obnoxious creatures on the planet, so I'm not writing Neiko off yet. 8th grade is the nadir of human life. Then to be ripped away from your home and told to sit in this empty crap apartment and clean a hosebeast's fat folds while all your friends are at basketball camp...I'd want to sabotage her, too, and I'm not 14. Who is supposed to be parenting him? He's still a kid who needs to be raised. Someone ought to be making him sandwiches and helping with his homework and asking if he's trying out for soccer this year. The whole situation was ass backwards.

[gonecrackers]

40 minutes ago, IvySpice said:

My theory: the daughter is pregnant. That's why the boyfriend was allowed to move in, that's why Kirsten was crying about wanting to be a better grandmother than she was a mother, and that's why the daughter wasn't involved in the trips to Houston or her mom's care.

I had thought that as well.

[magemaud]

On 1/26/2017 at 9:46 AM, poeticlicensed said:

I don't think I will be able to eat anything for days after seeing that. 

Perhaps shows like "Kirsten's Story" with her graphic surgery have the positive effect of making the viewers so horrified that it results in a "Scared Skinny" loss of appetite, much like those TV commercials warning about the dangers of smoking.  

[Motor City]

“God designed 14-year old boys to be the most obnoxious creatures on the planet, so I’m not writing Neiko off yet.  8th grade is the nadir of human life.  Then to be ripped away from your home and told to sit in this empty crap apartment and clean a hosebeast’s fat folds while all your friends are at basketball camp…I’d want to sabotage her, too, and I’m not 14.  Who is supposed to be parenting him?  He’s still a kid who needs to be raised.  Someone ought to be making him sandwiches and helping him with his homework and asking if he’s trying out for soccer this year.  The whole situation was ass backwards.”

Well said!

[dahling]

32 minutes ago, magemaud said:

Perhaps shows like "Kirsten's Story" with her graphic surgery have the positive effect of making the viewers so horrified that it results in a "Scared Skinny" loss of appetite, much like those TV commercials warning about the dangers of smoking.  

That is absolutely the reason I watch this show: aversion therapy. 

[notyrmomma]

10 hours ago, IvySpice said:

My theory: the daughter is pregnant. That's why the boyfriend was allowed to move in, that's why Kirsten was crying about wanting to be a better grandmother than she was a mother, and that's why the daughter wasn't involved in the trips to Houston or her mom's care.

God designed 14-year-old boys to be the most obnoxious creatures on the planet, so I'm not writing Neiko off yet. 8th grade is the nadir of human life. Then to be ripped away from your home and told to sit in this empty crap apartment and clean a hosebeast's fat folds while all your friends are at basketball camp...I'd want to sabotage her, too, and I'm not 14. Who is supposed to be parenting him? He's still a kid who needs to be raised. Someone ought to be making him sandwiches and helping with his homework and asking if he's trying out for soccer this year. The whole situation was ass backwards.

...and correcting him when he calls anyone, especially a family member "fatty two shoes." (If I would have said that to my mom when I was 14, I would have been smiling out of both sides of my head)

[magemaud]

Did anyone else think during the car stuffing scene, "I think the door would close more easily if you opened the damn window!" 

[Barb23]

Yes, they did stop at motels along the way. Remember Kirsten sat on one of the motel's beds & broke it?   I laughed when after they heard the bed crack, Kirsten cried to her mom about what she should do. Mom replied to just get into the bed since she already broke it. One of the other scenes showed the dad helping Kirsten get her legs up on  the bed.  He looked like he wanted to push her into the wall.  I doubt the broken bed was mentioned at checkout or I'm sure TLC paid for it. 

[gardendiva]

I can't imagine living with that crying, whining, helpless and sometimes sharp-tongued waste of oxygen for 8 months. No surprise the mom called Dr. Now in a desperate last attempt to get her out of there. I am sure it was either that or a pillow on her face. I would have been at my wit's end dealing with Kirsten.