S05.E09: Nicole's Story

[KateHearts]

7 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

this is interesting, because it wasn't always so.  My parents (I understood when I started paying my own bills) were probably almost poor!  I didn't know it because they didn't burden a kid with that kind of info, but money was TIGHT.  Yet, mom cooked healthy dinners.  And she came from a family that was actually poor (post-war England) and THEY ate fine (not great, but healthy).  Why do you think it is that now poor = obese when it didn't used to?

My guess would be that a couple of generations ago, there weren't Pop-tarts, 72 types of Doritos in the grocery store, nor were there fast-food outlets on every corner.  I grew up in the 70s and the nearest McDonalds was probably 15 miles from my house.  I can practically spit on one- along with a Taco Bell, Red Robin, Burger King, Chipotle, ChikFilA and Wendy's- from my house today.

[operalover]

11 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

this is interesting, because it wasn't always so.  My parents (I understood when I started paying my own bills) were probably almost poor!  I didn't know it because they didn't burden a kid with that kind of info, but money was TIGHT.  Yet, mom cooked healthy dinners.  And she came from a family that was actually poor (post-war England) and THEY ate fine (not great, but healthy).  Why do you think it is that now poor = obese when it didn't used to?

when you were growing up  there was not this great abundance of processed foods, fast foods, and junk food all over the place like there is now. Nor would it have been normal to pick up fast food for a family dinner.  50 years ago poor people were not obese because there wasn't 40 types of potato chips in your face everywhere and 400 ice cream flavors including chocolate chip cookie dough. Poor people are obese now because of the availability, convenience, and affordability of addicting junk food.  Fast food and junk food is loaded with sugar, salt and fat, which is addicting and people crave it. Being poor often means being less educated so they have no idea that you can't eat this shit or you are going to get fat and sick. 

 

edited to add: HA HA HA after I posted this, I read katehearts post above mine and while I mentioned 40 types of chips, she mentions 72 types and I think she is more correct. I 100% agree with her post. In 1972 McDonalds was pushing a commercial "you deserve a break today" to try to get stay at home housewives to take the family out to eat McDonalds for dinner- now it's not a novelty.

Edited March 3, 2017 by operalover

[AnnaBaptist]

3 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

 

Which got me to wondering about what everyone else's "last meal" would be before going on a diet? It changes all the time for me, but since I've been low carbing it for the last few months, right now I'd like a hot, buttery loaf of garlic bread, a giant, very upscale bowl of cioppino washed down with a bottle of Prosecco and couple of cannolis and chocolate gelato for dessert.

How about the rest of you?

Shrimp fra diavolo on a bed of linguine, a glass of Malbec, and for dessert, raspberry sorbet.

Edited March 3, 2017 by AnnaBaptist
Spelling is important.

[TicketToHellPaid]

44 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Former social worker here... Despite how badly we feel for those kids and how we all want to take them home with us, there was no cause for removal. The govt just wants the kids to have a roof over their heads, food to eat, proper medical care, and an education. Unfortunately, there are far worse cases out there and resources are scarce.

They also want an emotionally and mentally and physically stable environment. Yes,  the big 3 reqs are food, shelter and clothing, but there is cause for removal over mental, emotional and physical abuse.

[shouldbedancing]

was this episode really 3 hours long? I saw that last night & didn't have time to watch so I'm watching the rerun now on on demand now and it looks like two hours. I just skimmed the previous comments but looks like a doozy!

[TicketToHellPaid]

2 hours, for reasons unknown the show Skin Tight was thrown into this episode.

[mamadrama]

11 minutes ago, Granny58 said:

this is interesting, because it wasn't always so.  My parents (I understood when I started paying my own bills) were probably almost poor!  I didn't know it because they didn't burden a kid with that kind of info, but money was TIGHT.  Yet, mom cooked healthy dinners.  And she came from a family that was actually poor (post-war England) and THEY ate fine (not great, but healthy).  Why do you think it is that now poor = obese when it didn't used to?

We are less self-sustainable than we once were. As we move farther into industrialization, fewer of us are farming and producing our own food. I grew up poor. We didn't have money for junk food but we grew our own fruits and vegetables. Many poor families today live in urban settings where it is either difficult to garden or they simply have not been taught. Same goes for cooking from scratch. Easier and cheaper to pop 99 cent instant potatoes into the microwave than to harvest your own, peel them, boil them, and mash.

[Barb23]

Charlie is reminding me of Buddy aka Boo Bear from My Big Fat Wonderful Life.  

[AnnaBaptist]

5 hours ago, ClareWalks said:

Okay I'm up to the surgery finally. Is it just me, or is Charlie getting more repulsive as the episode goes on? At the beginning he was just a normal ugly dude, now he is dressing like one of the Latin Kings or some shit and he cannot keep that "DUHHHHH" look off his face.

No, it was not just you. He seemed sort of average at the beginning, but became messier and more disheveled as the episode progressed. He stopped grooming his hair, his eyes looked more vacant, and his mouth seemed to hang open a little more each month. I know money was tight, but that's no excuse for not being clean and neat. They had running water.

[mamadrama]

5 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

They also want an emotionally and mentally and physically stable environment. Yes,  the big 3 reqs are food, shelter and clothing, but there is cause for removal over mental, emotional and physical abuse.

Little they did constitued as emotional abuse. Yelling and cursing, though repungnant, is not abuse. They were not yelling at the kids-kids that appeared to be well fed and clean for the situation. There were zero signs of physical abuse.

I certainly did not like what I saw but I hesitate to scream "abuse" on what little info I gathered from 40 minutes of a reality tv program.

[KateHearts]

Just now, mamadrama said:

I certainly did not like what I saw but I hesitate to scream "abuse" on what little info I gathered from 40 minutes of a reality tv program.

I agree; what tugged at my heartstrings a bit was more of an emotional neglect: crying babies whom no one rushed to comfort, kids who entertained themselves by crawling on a dirty floor because there was no one to interact with them and no toys or books for them to appropriately amuse themselves, a toddler playing solo in the bathtub.

[fountain]

While I could understand how bad Nicole's childhood was and the problems it caused it always angers me how in one breath some of these 600lbers complain of the abuse and then do the same thing to their own kids.  Nicole was a horrible parent just as her parents were horrible parents.  That scene in the car where she needed her food and then snapped at the kids was no different than a drug addict.  She loves food more than her kids.  Self medicating with food doesn't make you a better person than a drug addict.  If Nicole wants sympathy for her illness she should be able to give the same sympathy to her drug addict parents.

I didn't really like this episode as Nicole didn't seem to try too hard.  I cannot root for them when they don't try at all.  I also cannot root for them when they blame people for forcing them to eat, I felt for her boyfriend's safety if he didn't get that Subway to her before she finished her burgers.

[mamadrama]

12 hours ago, operalover said:

I believe that is not enough to remove children. As long as they have shelter and are being fed and not physically abused. You can't take kids away because the parents are morons. 

 

11 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

Yep, we had neighbors who basically lived in squallor, they put mattresses in the living room to sleep on, had no furniture, the kitchen cabinets were falling off the walls, the had random animals running around that were not vaccinated, the dad used to dig holes in the back yard and fill them with water so the kids could swim. Mom spent her days going to yard sales and goodwill and the Goodwill and the kids were never supervised. One of our other neighbors was a cop so we asked him to look in the windows to see if legally, there was any chance the state could intervene. He came over when they weren't home and looked around. He said clearly the kids were being fed and they went to school and didn't look abused, and that's the benchmark, no way would CPS intervene. It's very sad that people make choices to live like that. My observation is that it's generational. If that's how you were raised, that's how you live. It takes a lot to break the cycle. 

 

@KateHearts @TicketToHellPaid

This conversation on this particular topic has already been visited. I was certainly not the first to make the point I did-I was simply reiterating these points that have already been made.

I stand by my previous comments.

[KateHearts]

1 minute ago, mamadrama said:

@KateHearts @TicketToHellPaid

This conversation on this particular topic has already been visited. I was certainly not the first to make the point I did-I was simply reiterating these points that have already been made.

I stand by my previous comments.

What topic are you referring to... and what did I disagree with you on? I'm confused.

[TicketToHellPaid]

11 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

Little they did constitued as emotional abuse. Yelling and cursing, though repungnant, is not abuse. They were not yelling at the kids-kids that appeared to be well fed and clean for the situation. There were zero signs of physical abuse.

I certainly did not like what I saw but I hesitate to scream "abuse" on what little info I gathered from 40 minutes of a reality tv program.

Maybe in written law emotional abuse isn't defined and stated but in looking wholly at a child's environment it counts. Big time.

I didn't say these kids were physically abused.

I saw 2 hours minus the 30 mins for commercials. There was more than enough for SS to intervene and begin educating this sloppy 4 in charge of 2 babies. 

I didn't say take, don't say I did, but intervene.

[Texasmom1970]

2 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I'll confess that I'm sitting here eating potato chips. AND DIP! 

Why does the whole fam family have to go to Houston?? Just send Nicole and Prince Charming. 

I find this hilarious because my daughter picks on me. I always watch this show while eating ice cream or cookies from the Great American Cookie company. I know its kind of twisted, but then again I weigh 110, not 610 so I guess I am okay. 

[TicketToHellPaid]

Please note that no one here is saying not having enough money to be fed, clothed and sheltered was a reason for any comments on what shitty people these are.

They are shitty, money or none.

[Arynm]

It seems to me that the healthier they are, the less he asks them to lose. Nicole was young and mobile and I am sure he ran a battery of tests that she must have passed. If they are in poor health he makes them lose 50 in a month.

[Barb23]

I'm watching the Super size version.  Here are some additional fun facts:

Charlie was working as a packer in a window factory.  Nicole had worked in a popsicle factory.

I think they said Charlie was 9 years older than Nicole.  He has only been driving for 2 years & Nicole's father was concerned about him being able to drive the long distance to Texas.

Nicole was the "financial planner" for the family on the trip.  The family has to turn in their receipts to her.  (BTW, do drug dealers give a receipt?)

Charlie has a deviated septum & sleep apnea, but won't use a Cpap machine.

Nicole had stopped taking medicine Dr. Now prescribed.  It didn't say what medicine.

 

I loved when Hayden was playing in the tub & gave Nicole the side eye like he knew there was no way she was going to be able to come in the bathroom &get him out of tub.  

I know they aren't concerned about dignity, but for the sake of the cameramen & the producer's eyes, couldn't they have put a sheet around her after her bath to walk from the porch  to her room?  Their eyes still have to be burning.  There was also another shot of a picture of her just wearing a top with nothing on the bottom half of her body.  It was when she was discussing the pregnancies.  I couldn't tell if she was pregnant or not  but who takes a picture like that and then puts it on national TV? 

[mamadrama]

8 minutes ago, Texasmom1970 said:

I find this hilarious because my daughter picks on me. I always watch this show while eating ice cream or cookies from the Great American Cookie company. I know its kind of twisted, but then again I weigh 110, not 610 so I guess I am okay. 

I hear you! I watched it with a package of Oreos. Now Whitney Thore, however, has me wanting to reach for the celery.

[Kelly]

7 hours ago, mmecorday said:

In Nicole's honor today, I purchased a sandwich from Subway, took a few bites out of it then had a fit and threw it around my car.

OMG you cracked me right up. Literally laughed out loud.. 

[TicketToHellPaid]

7 minutes ago, Kelly said:

OMG you cracked me right up. Literally laughed out loud.. 

Kids need their asses changed as well..no writer could come up with this stuff.

 

that car must reeked of nasty sbl's, gross.

[MJS]

Watching the super sized (what an awful title) version. The pop up said Nicole had a record deal in 2011!

[TicketToHellPaid]

I'd also like to point out that Nicole said in the first half hour that her kids were going to be taken from her if her mom didn't keep them. She said I.

 

and she did say she would be buried in her diapers, not her would be in diapers.

4 minutes ago, MJS said:

Watching the super sized (what an awful title) version. The pop up said Nicole had a record deal in 2011!

MySpace pays big money for nasty fat girls slobbering meat loaf while humming.

[MJS]

She definitely said she "didn't want her kids to bury her in diapers", which I 100% took to mean that her kids would bury while they were still babies. The whole context was about her dying very young. 

[crazycatlady58]

I was curious ,  I went back and had a quick  look at old threads and from what I could find this show  seems to have the most posts. Now I  could not   find  Penny's  but something   ( well a lot of somethings) really  struck a nerve with a lot of people . 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, MJS said:

Watching the super sized (what an awful title) version. The pop up said Nicole had a record deal in 2011!

And wrote a song called, "Shiverz" about her break up with baby daddy #1. She's also diabetic (shocking) and "plans to get her GED" (I've heard that story a million times before from Teen Mom Amber). 

Oh and she dropped out of home school (!!!!!!!) because her father was in prison and she was upset that he wouldn't be there to see her graduate. 

Nicole has never met an excuse too lame to make. 

Oh! Here's another one! Broth "makes her sick." She could "only" eat sugar-free jello and sugar-free posicles. Sure, Jan. /marcia

one more! Nicole's dad didn't visit her in the hospital because he was IN PRISON. (They didn't say what for.)

Edited March 3, 2017 by Guest

[55Unicorns]

Just found her on Facebook...Nicole Lewis.  Also found crack Mama...Darlene Grayson.

Edited March 3, 2017 by 55Unicorns

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

 

Just found her on Facebook...Nicole Lewis.  Also found crack Mama...Dalene Grayson.

 

I wonder why they don't have the same last name. Are the parents now divorced and the mother remarried? The mother doesn't strike me as the progressive, modern type of woman who chooses to keep her maiden name after marriage. 

[55Unicorns]

Just now, Giant Misfit said:

I wonder why they don't have the same last name. Are the parents now divorced and the mother remarried? The mother doesn't strike me as the progressive, modern type of woman who chooses to keep her maiden name after marriage. 

Maybe her and crack daddy were never legally married.

[MJS]

She missed an opportunity to say a brief "thank you" after she described how her mom moved to Texas and has been taking care of her and the kids, y'think?

[TicketToHellPaid]

10 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

Just found her on Facebook...Nicole Lewis.  Also found crack Mama...Dalene Grayson.

Links please

[55Unicorns]

1 minute ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

Links please

I don't know how to link.  Just go to Facebook and type in Nicole Lewis.

[TicketToHellPaid]

3 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

I don't know how to link.  Just go to Facebook and type in Nicole Lewis.

Not seeing her

[TicketToHellPaid]

8 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

I don't know how to link.  Just go to Facebook and type in Nicole Lewis.

Dalene shows up blank and no Nicole matching this one.  Just copy paste the web address.

highlight it, press copy, come here and paste into the reply box

That's all it takes?

Edited March 3, 2017 by TicketToHellPaid

[Cherrio]

Looks like Nicole's Facebook has been removed or disabled at the moment.

But, go to the mom's.    Read the comments on the photos.   wow....

[TicketToHellPaid]

1 minute ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

Dalene shows up blank and no Nicole matching this one.  Just copy paste the web address.

highlight it, press copy, come here and paste into the reply box

That's all it takes?

Never mind, found her

 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005670036118&fref=nf

[TicketToHellPaid]

Pregnant beauty with hot Charlie

[55Unicorns]

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005670036118

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

Maybe her and crack daddy were never legally married.

Think you're probably right!

I wonder why they concealed the father's arrest on the show. At the end, Nicole announced to her mother that she wanted to meet with both of them but said, "who knows where dad is" or something. They knew damn well where he was. My guess is that he violated parole and was shipped back to Ohio and that's why the mother went back there, too. 

[55Unicorns]

15 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

Pregnant beauty with hot Charlie

Yup, there's that gorgeous couple, lol.  Couple of what, I don't know.

[fonfereksglen]

The ONLY thing I have to add to this horror show is on one of the pop-ups, it said that druggie dad had seven back surgeries and that was why he was fussing when loading their stuff/junk into the moving van.  

My educated guess is druggie dad is the one on disability and crooked nose baby dad works (good for him) and that is the combined source of the income for this bizarre menagerie.  Then subtract the money for drugs and feeding the pets ....................... what a mess!    

[55Unicorns]

1 minute ago, fonfereksglen said:

The ONLY thing I have to add to this horror show is on one of the pop-ups, it said that druggie dad had seven back surgeries and that was why he was fussing when loading their stuff/junk into the moving van.  

My educated guess is druggie dad is the one on disability and crooked nose baby dad works (good for him) and that is the combined source of the income for this bizarre menagerie.  Then subtract the money for drugs and feeding the pets ....................... what a mess!    

At her size, with two little ones, I'm betting she gets some kind of assistance.

24 minutes ago, Cherrio said:

Looks like Nicole's Facebook has been removed or disabled at the moment.

But, go to the mom's.    Read the comments on the photos.   wow....

Check out the "details about Darlene"....Lordy, Lordy...

[Guest]

I can't find Darlene's FB. The only ones that come up are clean, well educated women who share the same name. ☹️

ETA: Dalene Grayson gets me nothing, too. 

Edited March 3, 2017 by Guest

[fonfereksglen]

Just now, 55Unicorns said:

At her size, with two little ones, I'm betting she gets some kind of assistance.

Maybe some WIC benefits.  But with her bare bones work history .... she is only 23.   When and why did she stop working?  Is she really disabled from making frozen treats?  And moving to Texas starts the benefit process over.  This is one of my interests because over the last two years our family has had to deal with getting benefits for a suddenly and permanently disabled adult in his late 50s.   

[55Unicorns]

2 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

I can't find Darlene's FB. The only ones that come up are clean, well educated women who share the same name. ☹️

SHOOT...url disappeared.  They must be getting REAMED....

[frenchtoast]

Folks, posting private facebook information is not something we encourage, so please don't. Public facebook pages that actors maintain for publicity are fine, private stuff with private information is not. 

[55Unicorns]

Im me and thats all that matters in my life!

Im Darlene Grayson,I got a beautiful 22 year old daughter named Nikki or as some people call her twizzi i have one grandson . His name is Jayden Allen Lewis.and my granddaughter will be arriving and born around august.. ,I have a Bf James Lewis we have been together for over 25 years were high school sweethearts we have had major ups and downs break ups but we got back together when i was 19 and everything changed im happy im with him. i love him so much,.i am a sister of 9 kids. i have 5 brothers and 4 sisters which makes me the tenth child.:). lol. um. I am the aunt of Dreama,Arron,ben,chelsea,summer,briana,shania,angelica Lee and wyatt!! i love them soo much:).I lived in bucyrus almost all my life i attended Bucyrus schools um. I enjoy cooking,Drag cars dirt bikes,Camping,visiting family.and enjoying the out doors, i got 4 big cats... and 1 dog

 

A little something from Darlene's wall...lmao.

4 minutes ago, frenchtoast said:

Folks, posting private facebook information is not something we encourage, so please don't. Public facebook pages that actors maintain for publicity are fine, private stuff with private information is not. 

Sorry...won't do it again.

[peaceknit]

I cringed every time that Nicole slammed the door of her suv when getting in. Her fingers always seemed close to being crunched! Also, there were so few scenes of her adjusting to her 1200 calorie diet post surgery. I don't think she will be successful. Too much lying and denial from her-she really thought she was slick with Dr Now, but he was on to her.

someone above said she was diabetic. Not hard to figure that out by looking at her, and probably everyone else in that household was too. They don't appear to eat green veggies at all.

[55Unicorns]

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

I wonder why they don't have the same last name. Are the parents now divorced and the mother remarried? The mother doesn't strike me as the progressive, modern type of woman who chooses to keep her maiden name after marriage. 

Sorry, Misfit, spelled Darlene wrong...maybe that is why nothing came up.