S05.E06: Erica's Story

[Ocean Chick]

I can see both sides of this family.  Erica has a traumatic background because of the gang rape.  But Erica was already hugely overweight before the rape happened.  Her dad may have been cold before the rape, which was why Erica was hiding it from him.  But he also may have really loved her, but not have known how to show that love (a lot of men of his generation were taught that real "men" don't show emotions).  He had expressed his concern about her growing weight problem probably the only way he knew how.  Sad, but again normal for those times.  I can't judge the man - I never met him.

But I can also understand her brother and sister, as I have a brother who is largely incapacitated now, mostly due to bad judgment on his part.  He was babied by my mom because he has epilepsy.  But he was well enough to get a job (working for Social Security) and get married.  His wife also babied him.  By the time she died a couple of years ago, they were both well on to weighing 600 pounds each themselves.  I did try to remind him that his body was over-taxed by the epilepsy itself, and that putting that much weight on was not helping.  I tried to help him make better choices.  But like Erica, he didn't want to make any changes.  He wanted to be "normal" without sacrifices.  He ended up having a stroke last summer.  Now he's fully disabled and expects the world to take care of his problems that he created.  He received a physical therapy plan that he refuses to comply with.  So yes, Erica's niece cleared out the bad food from her house so that she would be less tempted to cheat on her diet.  And then Erica goes ahead and orders bad food online.  The therapist (a good one!) cleans out her cupboards and fridge again, and again Erica sabotages herself.  And yes, her brother SHOULD turn down Erica's demands that he leave his job and family and tend to HER needs - she wasn't even following Dr. Now's diet plans at that point!  You just know that anyone who required her to stick to a diet plan was going to hear whining All.  Day.  Long.  For 6 months. 

I'm going to look forward to the follow up program.  I hope she does better than I expect of her.  I really do.

[fonfereksglen]

7 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

I felt for Erica. Her past was horrible. I can see why she turned to food. 

BUT...people WERE trying to help her, and she kept whining that nobody was helping her. Nobody is helping. I keep begging for help, but nobody will help. They are trying, woman. They have tried to help you for years. Throwing out your shitty food IS helping. Encouraging you to eat better IS helping. Hiring you a therapist IS helping. I'm not sure what exactly she wanted people to do to "help." Everything her sister suggested, she had an excuse for. And the way she tried to manipulate her brother....wow. Her family sure ain't perfect, but I would have been sick of her bullshit too.

About five years ago, I read the book (which has become a bible for me) "Will I Ever Be Good Enough?" It's a fantastic guide to helping daughters of narcissistic mothers understand and heal.  That book was a life changer that I wish had been written 30 years ago.

What personally struck me about this episode is that basic truth - when dealing with certain people in our lives, NOTHING we do will ever be good enough.  No matter how hard you keep trying over and over.

[gardendiva]

I know the mom tried every way she could think of to help Erica after the rape, but she didn't do the one thing that would have really helped her and that was to get her into counseling. It would have helped her not only process what happened to her in a healthy way, but it would have also helped her learn to deal with anxiety, stress and self esteem issues in a healthier way instead of turning to food. 

She is only "mentally ill" now because a smaller problem was not addressed decades earlier when it would have been more manageable.

[Hana Chan]

25 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

Erica has a traumatic background because of the gang rape.  But Erica was already hugely overweight before the rape happened.

Bingo. The rape probably had a lot to do with her ballooning to over six hundred pounds and being a shut in, but she was already on her way to a lifelong weight problem long before that and I'm speaking as someone who's battled my weigh since I was fourteen years old. An already bad situation was made worse, but she already had deeply engrained habits of overeating to a large extent. When you are two hundred pounds at twelve years old, something was deeply wrong long before that horrible event.

12 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

I know the mom tried every way she could think of to help Erica after the rape, but she didn't do the one thing that would have really helped her and that was to get her into counseling.

Bingo x2. At the very least, she should have been in some kind of counseling before the rape to help deal with her self-esteem and overeating issues. If I had a child with out of control eating, I would be seeking whatever help for her I could (medically and psychologically). But for her not to receive counseling after the rape is unforgivable. And we got to see the result of a lifetime of self-abuse, self-indulgence and profound mental illness.

I don't doubt that Erica's mother loved her, but she had the same quick fix mentality that her daughter did. Sending her teenage daughter for stomach stapling without first getting a handle on her massive overeating was a recipe for disaster and set her on a lifelong path. It's not surprising that Erica saw getting bariatric surgery as the instant "fix" for what was wrong with her and that she could eat as she pleased.

[CouchTater]

6 hours ago, Cherpumple said:

Don't be scared! I had one a few years ago (to remove an escaped gallstone) and was terrified too, but they knocked me out before I felt anything weird and woke up after it was over, so it was a lot easier than I expected. You'll probably have a sore throat for a day or two afterwards, so have cough drops on hand. Good luck!

Thank you Cherpumple. I didn't realize I was nervous until I saw Erica's endoscopy.

 Your kind words have helped!

Edited February 9, 2017 by CouchTater

[gardendiva]

I am now about halfway through the episode, right after she defiantly vows to order more junk food after the nutritionist leaves, and she is asking her brother to come stay with her for 6 months. 

Her helplessness and unwillingness to do the first thing to help herself is infuriating. She refuses to put down one Twinkie to save her life, and yet in the same breath asks another human to put their life on hold for 6 months to help her. I too would not be willing to do that. She won't even do the first thing to begin this weight loss for herself.

[Jeeves]

I tuned in to this episode about mid-way last night (DVR was recording all of it), and was so irritated by what I saw of Erica's behavior that I posted about it right then. Having now reviewed the recorded episode (I admit, with a lot of FF key involvement), I agree with all the commenters who have mixed feelings. I agree, she's depressed, and her sister was bitchy, and I can also empathize with the bitchy sister. I'm sorry for Erica, but OMG she's a tough case. 

I don't have glib answers. Depression is a terrible condition. But generally there are ways to treat it. I'm no expert, but it's so clear that Erica was the Queen of Resistance, crying for help while she pushed back at every attempt to help her improve her situation. 

I was multitasking during the original airing of the episode, and looked up to find the next program had started, when it seemed to me she'd just had her bariatric surgery by Dr. Now, and we had no info on the followup. So I went to the DVR, and found that indeed this episode, which had dragged on and on and ON, waited until nearly the end for the surgery, and then went to a fast finish with her encouraging post-op outing. 

I hope that she succeeds to lose a lot of weight and get into a better place mentally and emotionally. 

Edited February 9, 2017 by Jeeves
Nouns and pronouns, oh my

[Arynm]

Her poor feet! They looked like little hooves with the shoes on they were so swollen. Sister bothered me at first when she said she was a disappointment, but I get her frustration. The sister, Molly must have been so frustrated. Erika has undoubtedly done this time and time again to her family.

How dare she ask her brother to stay with her for 6 months and leave his family so she can go to Houston, while she is doing nothing to lose the weight. His wife and kids come first and she should not try to make him feel guilty for that.

Good luck to her, she will need it

[atiyah9369]

13 hours ago, rlc said:

Man, that episode made me sad.

Me too. I wonder did her siblings know about the gang rape? I kept saying if they knew maybe they wouldn't be such bitches. Her sister was portrayed as Queen Bitch and her Brother was Prince Bitch.

[MTTV]

I am so surprised that so many posters on here are siding with the siblings. I thought they were horrible horrible people. She already feels bad, it's like they just are trying to make her feel worse. She seems completely beat down by them. It was sad to watch. Her sister needs to shut her fat pie hole

[Hana Chan]

13 minutes ago, MTTV said:

I am so surprised that so many posters on here are siding with the siblings. I thought they were horrible horrible people. She already feels bad, it's like they just are trying to make her feel worse. She seems completely beat down by them. It was sad to watch. Her sister needs to shut her fat pie hole

I think that a lot of people can understand that after a lifetime of seeing their sister slowly killing herself and doing nothing to help herself and squander the help that they'd apparently given her in the past that they would be reluctant to help again and are just fed up with the situation. I can't imagine my relationship with my brother breaking down to that degree, but we are both functioning adults able to manage our own lives. Erica had apparently pushed her siblings to the breaking point.

I'm not going to lie, and watching the open resentment and exasperation from Erica's sister was hard to watch, but it was equally hard to watch Erica using her neice as a step'n'fetch to buy her garbage food for her and help her bathe and Erika seething when the nutritionist was trying to help her by getting rid of the food that was killing her. It's hard to be sympathetic towards someone so demands help but refuses to put herself out at all to help herself.

[nlkm9]

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I lost all sympathy for Erica when the nutritionist left her home, and Erica's first comment was, "Well, I can call and order another food delivery - and I WILL, too."

I'm dealing with a brother right now whose needs require a lot of time and effort from hubby and me.  The only thing that keeps me from walking away is the knowledge that he is in a confused state and CANNOT respond and/or participate in his treatment plan appropriately.  If - for one second - it was a case of WILL NOT, the next thing he'd see of me is my backside walking out the door.

Her family may not have ever been the most loving and functional, but that doesn't absolve Erica of responsibility to TRY to cooperate with them.  She thinks it's all about her, and real life just isn't that way.

so many things here. The whole "give up your job for 6 months or I will die" was very manipulative....the family was so not willing to really do anything, but no judgement here--we dont know how many times she has sworn she will do this and quite honestly, most of us have to work for a living. But I will say the first time her sister walked in and almost looked down her nose at her sisters apartment she did come up as a very nasty person. And yes to the poster who said if she was 200 lbs at age 12 she had a serious issue way before the gang rape, which is so awful. but to have to live alone was just sad. I fly a lot and was releived to see the airline made her purchase a whole row. I would love to know the back story of why her sister is so resentful of her that she was willing to act like a nasty bitch on national tv.

[mmecorday]

It looked like in addition to her food issues Erica may have had a hoarding problem too.

It seems Erica was really isolated from the world and that made me feel incredibly sad for her. I cannot imagine life without the love of family and the companionship of friends. However, she ticked me off when she was wailing about everyone else being able to eat what they wanted. No one, not even someone who runs marathons every day, can eat like Erica does and not have an enormous weight problem. Did she say she ate fudge cake every day? Fudge cake is good, but I think if I had it every day I'd get sick of it quick.

Her flight from California must have been a nightmare for her. I'm sure she felt like she was on display the whole time.

[okerry]

Being nice and kind and sweet and sympathetic and helpful to Erica had done nothing over the years except let that woman eat herself to almost 700 pounds, nonstop misery, and a terrible infection in her leg that would have killed her if the weight itself didn't.

And Erica was doing her best to drag the rest of the family down with her. The niece was already turning into her caretaker. Then Erica tried to bully her brother into quitting his job - that his family relied on - solely to take care of Erica.

No, tough love from the family and from Dr. Now is what started to turn things around. Kudos to the family for standing up to Erica instead of taking the easy way out and giving her whatever she wanted so as to avoid conflict with her, which is what we usually see. Being "nice" was nothing but a death sentence for Erica, and I sure hope she realizes that.

[AZChristian]

In dealing with my brother, I probably come across as not very nice, because he is difficult to deal with. We haven't seen how many times the siblings have tried to help, and I'm sure they look back and see it all as wasted effort. And I, too, have walked into my brother's house and asked, "How can you live like this?" I now refuse to go in there; it's a matter of self-preservation. 

[gardendiva]

All that sugary yogurt in the fridge was not a healthy choice. Yes, 15 grams of protein but how many grams of sugar? Plain yogurt with real fruit would have been a better choice. I don't think half the time that the patients really have a grasp on how to properly feed themselves to give themselves a real chance at success.

[TurtlePower]

Finally, a tough love family and a therapist who didn't seem wishy-washy. I liked Erica's sister--she wanted to help Erica but wasn't going to be bullied by her. Hope Erica is successful. 

[ClareWalks]

9 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

All that sugary yogurt in the fridge was not a healthy choice. Yes, 15 grams of protein but how many grams of sugar? Plain yogurt with real fruit would have been a better choice. I don't think half the time that the patients really have a grasp on how to properly feed themselves to give themselves a real chance at success.

If the yogurt had 80 calories (that's what the nutritionist read from the container) and 15 grams of protein, that means it only had maximum 5 grams of sugar (that's how the math works out). It was probably sweetened with some sort of fake sugar.

Edited February 9, 2017 by ClareWalks

[LGGirl]

23 minutes ago, mmecorday said:

It looked like in addition to her food issues Erica may have had a hoarding problem too.

 

She probably has a home shopping addiction since her luggage looked like it came from various home shopping channels. 

I often wonder where the money comes for all the food, transportation and home care.  

[flappa1016]

13 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

A person that eats a lot, poops a lot.  So... how did she deal with a 4 hour airplane ride?

What the episode was lacking was showing us just how much she ate.  It was glossed over a bit.  It's one of the most enlightening bits!

Probably TMI, but although I fly fairly often it makes me really nervous, to the point that I lose my appetite for a few days prior to traveling. Any nervous/worry situation triggers that response in me. I also get instant diarrhea. Sometimes just going to the airport to pick up a family member can trigger it. I usually don't get back to my normal BM routine until 2 or 3 days after the trigger event.

That one binge scene was enough I needed to see to give me an idea of the scope of her eating habits/addiction!  I have a pretty well-controlled BED, and that shocked me. And it appears that she ate all that in one sitting (but who knows with the editing monkeys) - my binges usually take place over the course of a day or three.

I'm usually gung ho on Dr. Now's tough love attitude with his patients, but he really missed me off when he acknowledged she had an addiction but then in the next breath said it was a choice. Would he say the same thing to an alcoholic or a drug addict?  I somehow doubt it. Sure, deciding to try that drug for the first time is a choice, or drinking to the point of inebriation every time you drink is a choice, but once you are heavily into the addiction, compulsion takes over and choice goes out the window. As has been discussed in these weight-related show forums in the past is that a person can live without drugs or alcohol being a part of their life, but a food addict must face their drug of choice daily and must learn to moderate that drug - they can't just eliminate it from their life entirely. Add deep depression to the mix and it's like a deep black hole that seems too deep to get out of. The only choice Erica had at that point was to accept the medical and therapeutic help offered to her and hope for the best. I imagine that would be extremely difficult for Erica, as she came off as the most hopeless filled person I've ever seen. I turned off the tv after watching her show and I felt super depressed myself. 

Love, love, love the therapist.

[cpcathy]

I was floored when the therapist asked her if she journaled, and Erica said, "in regards to what....." Really? Honey, journaling would be your first stop in a long line of things to better yourself.

I know I need to be a compassionate person, but Erica just pissed me off. Grumbling about the bed when Molly was trying to set it up for her, grumbling about the food Molly got for her. All I heard out of Erica's mouth were excuses. "I was immature then." Uh, still immature, lady.

Bring the twins back!

[nlkm9]

35 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

All that sugary yogurt in the fridge was not a healthy choice. Yes, 15 grams of protein but how many grams of sugar? Plain yogurt with real fruit would have been a better choice. I don't think half the time that the patients really have a grasp on how to properly feed themselves to give themselves a real chance at success.

True, but a far far better choice than chocolate cake-we have to take our victories where we can get them:)

[poeticlicensed]

I thought the family was kind of nasty to her, but I'm guessing that they have been dealing with this for years. We just met Erica. So naturally, hearing about her past, we sympathize. The family was clearly over it, big time. I'm not dissing either. I know what having a person with extra needs can do to a family, so I'm not judging. I thought it was brave of her to fly. Something about airplanes and airports turns people into raging assholes. I don't know why, but I have watched people  fight and complain and bark at each other and the staff over nothing. I wouldn't want to be in a plane with a bunch of people if I was her size. 

Edited February 9, 2017 by poeticlicensed

[Hana Chan]

I'll agree that yogurt with a bit of sugar is infinitely better than a whole pie, but it's important to cut as much sugar out of the diet in order to start getting past the constant craving for all the junk she was consuming. The less sugar Erica eats, the less her body will crave it and her insulin levels will stabilize.

One big change in the Weight Watchers is that they recalibrated how the "points" are figured out by including sugar and carbohydrates into consideration because people were eating a lot of high sugar, high fiber junk. Foods that are higher in sugar are now serious point killers and it's a rare occasion for me to eat cake or ice cream. I've found from personal experience that the less sugar I'm eating, the less I actually want it.

In the end, Erica has to want a full life and to be healthy more than she wants that pie. Until she makes that decision and puts in the effort, then no surgery will help.

[flappa1016]

42 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

All that sugary yogurt in the fridge was not a healthy choice. Yes, 15 grams of protein but how many grams of sugar? Plain yogurt with real fruit would have been a better choice. I don't think half the time that the patients really have a grasp on how to properly feed themselves to give themselves a real chance at success.

Totally agree, but there are a few brands of sugar free yogurts on the grocery store shelves. My 93 yo father-in-law lives with us, and he is a T2 diabetic who, because of his age and advancing dementia, must control his diabetes with diet alone - meds are not an option due to his inability to recognize a hypoglycemic state that meds frequently cause. Almost every day as part of his bacon and egg breakfast we serve him a smoothie made from plain unsweetened full fat Greek yogurt mixed with about a half cup of low sugar berry, some unsweetened almond milk and a scoop of Quest protein powder.  Nice low blood sugar levels and plenty of protein to avoid muscle catabolization which can be a huge health issue in the elderly. He is very mobile and up until Nov 2015 still drove.

[Ocean Chick]

2 hours ago, MTTV said:

I am so surprised that so many posters on here are siding with the siblings. I thought they were horrible horrible people. She already feels bad, it's like they just are trying to make her feel worse. She seems completely beat down by them. It was sad to watch. Her sister needs to shut her fat pie hole

 I would compare it to siblings/friends of hoarders who've begged time and again for help cleaning out their houses.  And these good people DO go over and take out tons of garbage.  Only to see the house fill up again with garbage.  How many times do you deal with garbage, bugs, filth and vermin (not to mention sail cats and bottles of pee and bags of poo) before you say "enough"?

Or addicts.  How many times must a sibling use their own money to send another sibling to rehab, only to watch them start using again as soon as they get out, before they're left off the hook of paying for something they see as throwing good money after bad?

Brother and sister probably have spent countless hours/amounts of money trying to help Erica (such as cleaning out non-healthy foods from her kitchen and buying her healthy food), only for Erica to go right back to ordering in junk food again (as she did after the niece and therapist cleaned out her hoard).  At some point you just have to say enough, and stop enabling the addict.  If they have to hit rock bottom, then let them hit it.  Erica ate herself up to nearly 700 pounds.  No one else can diet for her. 

[cpcathy]

I was appalled that she invited herself to her brother's house for dinner and then said it was to ask him to come help her for six months. Hell to the NO! If I had been the brother's wife I would have dragged him by the ear and "advised" him that he would not be doing that!

[Maizie131]

I didn't understand about the brother's boat.  Did I miss something? 

[gunderda]

At first I was a little surprised at how her sister treated her... but then I realized that we do not see what her sister as probably gone through trying to help her sister many times before.  Erica did not seem like she was a super pleasant person to be around.  She whined a lot, she complained a lot, she acted like a bratty child a lot.  Her sister was likely at her "no shits to give" level with her sister and I found it incredibly refreshing to see a family that wasn't all sunshine and rainbows about their family member getting the surgery.  

I am happy for Erica that she was able to make progress... even though it took her what, 6-7 months to loose the first 50 lbs? 

I thought for sure we were about to get another embarrassing "I can't fit on an airplane" scene but thankfully it seems that either Erica's sister or TLC did the due diligence of contacting the airline and at least getting everything set up (ie, having 3 seats purchased and having enough staff on hand to get her on the plane).  I would have gone bonkers if they showed her showing up to the airport with having one purchase one tickets and having a meltdown over having to buy more.  Not to mention most flights are pretty booked these days and there's probably no way she would have been able to purchase more seats at the last minute.  

I also thought the episode at a weird spot. I thought they just went to commercial and then it was suddenly the end lol 

[Peanutbuttercup]

14 minutes ago, Maizie131 said:

I didn't understand about the brother's boat.  Did I miss something? 

My take was that he did something involving his boat for a living (fishing, whale watching trips, something like that), and if he had to dock his boat and not work for 6 months then his ability to support his family would collapse.

[ElderPrice]

Erica asked her brother to chuck his job, which presumably involves some sort of boating (fishing? Charters?) to stay with her in Houston for six months. He said "Well then, you'll be paying for my boat for 6 months?" Whereupon she said "which would you rather? Have a boat or bury your sister, cause I'm going to die if you don't help me". 

[steff13]

Yeah, I don't think they said it outright, but I think he was a fisherman or something like that.

[gunderda]

Not gonna lie - i thought it was kinda hilarious how when she got loaded up in the ambulance for her weight check, her brother joked about not coming with and she nearly freaked out. So at least the brother still has a sense of humor with her!

[TheVoicesToldMeTo]

5 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

But listening to her brother and sister talk to her/about her made me wanted to hide under the bed. What terrible humans. Couldn't they have at least put on a brave front for the TV cameras?  I would not want to have a permanent film record for all time of me comparing my boat to my sister's life.

They remind me of the families of the subjects of the Intervention show - they are totally frustrated, nothing they say will make the addict change, so they refuse to continue to enable.  The Interventions on that A&E show may seen harsh as well - the families threaten to kick the addict out, cut off their funding, call CPS, turn them into the police - and it's that threat of having no one to hide behind and nowhere to run but toward professional help that ultimately sets the addict on the right path.  Erica's bro and sis weren't being "mean" to her, they were forcing Erica to help herself.  I'm sure it was very hard for them to do, especially on camera.

[emma1420]

My first post...and I hated Erica. She took no responsibility for her own actions and the situation she was in, she demanded that her brother and sister give up their lives to help her.  Her brother had a family, and whatever he did with his boat seemed to be his livelihood.   And her sister had a job.   Neither of them owed Erica anything, and to be honest, the fact is for most people they wouldn't even consider asking for that sort of sacrifice from another person.    However, admittedly this is a sore subject for me, as I have a parent who seems to believe that I should drop whatever I'm doing and come running anytime they need help.

I hope that they follow Erica during the second year.  Because even when she got surgery I still don't think it's sunk in.  I was left with the impression that Erica thought that this surgery would fix everything, and that as a poster said up thread she'd get to be normal without the sacrifice needed.    I do hope i'm wrong though.  I much prefer to see people succeed and change their lives for the better.

[flappa1016]

34 minutes ago, gunderda said:

I thought for sure we were about to get another embarrassing "I can't fit on an airplane" scene but thankfully it seems that either Erica's sister or TLC did the due diligence of contacting the airline and at least getting everything set up (ie, having 3 seats purchased and having enough staff on hand to get her on the plane).  I would have gone bonkers if they showed her showing up to the airport with having one purchase one tickets and having a meltdown over having to buy more.  Not to mention most flights are pretty booked these days and there's probably no way she would have been able to purchase more seats at the last minute.

I had assumed that they were going to drive to Houston, given her size and poor health. My jaw just about hit the ground when Molly said they were flying. And then my stomach clenched from the time they arrived at the airport until they got to the hotel, just imaging myself in her shoes (slippers, actually lol). For someone who barely leaves the house because she's embarrassed to be seen in public, that was a HUGE step. I know I couldn't have gone through that ordeal.

16 minutes ago, gunderda said:

Not gonna lie - i thought it was kinda hilarious how when she got loaded up in the ambulance for her weight check, her brother joked about not coming with and she nearly freaked out. So at least the brother still has a sense of humor with her!

Given the asshole-ish attitudes of the brother and sister, I was unsure if he would actually be there when she returned. I would have been worried too.

[gunderda]

42 minutes ago, flappa1016 said:

I had assumed that they were going to drive to Houston, given her size and poor health. My jaw just about hit the ground when Molly said they were flying. And then my stomach clenched from the time they arrived at the airport until they got to the hotel, just imaging myself in her shoes (slippers, actually lol). For someone who barely leaves the house because she's embarrassed to be seen in public, that was a HUGE step. I know I couldn't have gone through that ordeal.

 

I honestly didn't think she'd make it to the airport either.  I'm REALLY surprised she is able to fit in regular vehicles.... no one else her size has been able to on this show.  I was waiting for a major breakdown the morning they were getting her in the vehicle to go to the airport.

[Armchair Critic]

11 hours ago, scootypuffjr said:

The show closed with Erica and her sister visiting a reptile house as Erica was feeling good enough for an outing. A more positive ending than I would have expected, to be honest.

Erica's sister was telling her to move along when they were looking around. I can understand her running out of patience with Erica but I think Erica shouldn't try to socialize with her sister if she is that unpleasant to her. 

[notyrmomma]

About the whole gang rape thing...why keep that a secret?  A lot of these people talk about having been raped/molested, but no one ever mentions having the perp put in jail or the stress of having to testify at a trial.  The first thing the mom should have done was rush her to the emergency room to see if she was injured (and to do a rape kit) or at least call the police.  Those guys should have gone to jail for what they did--and it is not likely that they did or else the dad would have know about it. 

At first, I thought the sister was a real C U next Tuesday, but I started to change my mind through out the show.  It should have been obvious to Erika that none of her siblings could ditch their lives and families to come stay with her for six months.  It's not like Erika was dementia patient and she was sitting at home all day, why couldn't she figure out how to make a couple phone calls and hire (and figure out how to pay for) a home health aid to assist her when she was in Houston.  It's not like she really needs round the clock, 24 hour care - she wasn't getting that in California.  

I was so mad when she was cheating on her diet.  What the hell is wrong with her?  The psychologist got Erika to make the biggest admission ever; the psychologist literally got Erika to admit she doesn't like any discomfort at all.  And that pretty much sums up all of these 600 lb people.  Hunger is literally painful to them where for most of us, being hungry is mildly uncomfortable.

Edited February 10, 2017 by notyrmomma
to fix terrible writing

[aliya]

22 hours ago, aliya said:

That would be my mother. "I'm gonna help, but I'll make your life a living hell while I do it." Or the ever popular, "I'll help, and I won't ask for anything in return, but I'll always resent that you didn't give me something in return and I'll bring it up every time we talk."

Now back to our show...

18 likes.   Apparently my mother has children she hasn't told me about. 

[HelloOutThere]

3 hours ago, gunderda said:

I'm REALLY surprised she is able to fit in regular vehicles.... no one else her size has been able to on this show.  I was waiting for a major breakdown the morning they were getting her in the vehicle to go to the airport.

If there's one thing this show has taught me, it's how much weight car doors on ordinary vehicles can take. When the show's subjects are climbing out of cars using the door as a crutch, that's 600 plus pounds of dead weight pulling down on it. I'm surprised the doors don't rip from the hinges!

Her sister had a nice luxury SUV and I would have been cringing to see my car being man-handled like that! Would have rented a minivan for peace of mind. Not to mention, minivans seems the easiest for these big patients to squeeze into. I did find myself wondering what was going through the driver of the minivan taxicab when he drove her to the hospital and she was sprawled out in the back. Probably a first for him! Or maybe not.

Finally, I literally LOL'd and rewound when Erica was complaining that she's mad that "everyone around her" gets to eat whatever they want and she can't, and Molly responding with "We're not SIX HUNDRED POUNDS!" Something about seeing tough love on this show was refreshing. Although like many said, Molly was no waif herself.

Mixed feelings on this one. Hope they do a follow-up. I'm getting the feeling they're structuring this latest season to more easily set up follow-up episodes. So they can "Supersize" us in the future like only TLC knows how to do.

[gardendiva]

It seems to me that with the largest and most immobile of patients, the back of a pickup truck would be the easiest way to transport them. Not the most dignified, but much easier to just lower the tailgate and have them slide in the bed of the truck.

[Ocean Chick]

Believe me, with my PCOS, if I ate whatever I wanted, I'd be 600 pounds as well.  But I don't, so I'm not.  I eat small portions of healthy foods, and get my 10,000 steps in as many days as possible.  I have a friend who I walk with after work, and I also walk on my lunchtime during the week.  I have no yellow brick road and know this will be my life for the rest of my days.  And I'm okay with that.  Yes, I'd love to be able to eat dessert every day, but that's just not in the cards.  I'd rather be healthy.

[dahling]

38 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

It seems to me that with the largest and most immobile of patients, the back of a pickup truck would be the easiest way to transport them. Not the most dignified, but much easier to just lower the tailgate and have them slide in the bed of the truck.

I think that's way too high for them to hoist their bulk up onto. You're thinking like a normal-sized person (not that that's a bad thing!).  Have you seen these women losing their shit over raising their leg over the edge of the bathtub to get in the shower?  Every tiny little action that normal people take for granted is agony or impossible for these people. How are they going to "slide" onto a platform that's 3+ feet in the air?  They would need a forklift to make that plan happen. Then the abject safety hazard of that mass rolling around unrestrained in the back (not to mention it's illegal many places).  I think the bariatric ambulance ride with a slew of strong men in attendance is the best they can hope for. 

[swankie]

13 hours ago, Giant Misfit said:

That was my big, burning question, too! Even if she did need to use the bathroom, how would she make it there? And once there, how would she even get IN that bathroom?! It's barely big enough for me and I'm small framed and normal weight!

They showed Erica packing a package of what looked like adult diapers, so I think that explains how she got through the plane ride without having to get up.

[fonfereksglen]

After watching half of the pop up version, I have a silly question.  The only TV we have hooked up to cable is an old non digital/non HD.  So often the far left of any caption is cut off.   What city in California does Erica live?  Especially one many hours from an airport?  Thanks.  

[fonfereksglen]

27 minutes ago, swankie said:

They showed Erica packing a package of what looked like adult diapers, so I think that explains how she got through the plane ride without having to get up.

Those looked like packets of  hospital body bath clothes to me that can be heated in a microwave.  I have a bunch saved from the many hospitalizations of my brother and my husband over the past few years.  Very helpful for sanitary home "sponge" baths.  Seeing her pack those items made me feel somewhat sad, since she obviously can't take a real shower very often.  

[Threnners]

7 hours ago, cpcathy said:

I was appalled that she invited herself to her brother's house for dinner and then said it was to ask him to come help her for six months. Hell to the NO! If I had been the brother's wife I would have dragged him by the ear and "advised" him that he would not be doing that!

Did you see the look on her face?    It was like "Mmm.... here we go again."  

[Kelly]

6 minutes ago, fonfereksglen said:

After watching half of the pop up version, I have a silly question.  The only TV we have hooked up to cable is an old non digital/non HD.  So often the far left of any caption is cut off.   What city in California does Erica live?  Especially one many hours from an airport?  Thanks.  

She lived in Lompoc CA.

[7788BeaconHighway]

First-time poster. I had to register to comment on this show.  It seems really obvious to me that the root of Erica's problems is the abuse by her father. She's turned her anger at him against herself. She's stuck in a childlike state where she wants his approval and doesn't want to change anything until she gets it. Meanwhile, she waits and waits... Therapy is absolutely essential for her to understand her own behavior, because she clearly doesn't. She spoke about the gang rape and feeling guilty. She knows that, and I imagine dealing with it would help, but there's a lot more below the surface that's made her behave in such a dysfunctional fashion. What does she do all day??

I wouldn't be surprised if Erica was her father's "designated target", and she has no idea that this is what really happened to her. The other kids must have had a difficult time dealing with that alone. You can see the traces of how they reacted to their parents, in their own behavior.

Like other posters have said, I am mystified as to why Dr. Now doesn't recommend therapy (when it is needed) a couple of months in. I get that weight loss + therapy is too much change at once. But in severe cases like Erica's it would break up her resistance.