S05.E11: James K's Story

[NeitherSparky]

17 minutes ago, Kid said:

What kills me is why they even bother to lie! Can they be in such denial that they actually think that, although they have been shoveling it down their gaping maw, the scale will show weight-loss?

And the reason someone like him wants weight-loss surgery is because he believes that, if they cut his gut, he can continue to shovel it in and still lose weight. He and the others like him think weight-loss surgery is magic because,  after all, being fat is not their responsibility -  their mother caused it, their father caused it, their family is continuing to cause it by making them eat what they want. Therefore, if they take no responsibilty, the fix is outside their resppnsibility as well - magical surgery will cause them to lose weight. Either the surgery will let them continue to eat and still lose weight or the surgery will make them stop eating.  Either way, it's not their responsibility.

I'm surprised how many people - not just people considering the procedure - think that having it just somehow alters your system so you can eat anything but you'll somehow revert to a healthy weight. That's why so many people call the surgery "the easy way out" and why I'm sometimes afraid to mention I had it, especially if I think I'll be compared to someone else who lost weight without it. I remember the day after I had the bypass a friend called me in the hospital to chat and actually said "Have you decided what your first big feast is going to be after you recover?" I was like "you have no idea what surgery I just had do you?" and he just paused and said no...I told him I was never going to "feast" again, that was the point. :P And it has sucked. But the surgery is a tool, that's all it is. And you either use it or you don't. People who have actually uprooted their family and their own lives to travel to a batiatric surgeon have NO EXCUSE to NOT go in at without basically knowing...well pretty much everything about what the surgery does. We have the internet now, there's no excuse to not do your research.

edit: omg the gravy cartoon, I forgot about that thing

Edited March 16, 2017 by NeitherSparky

[Kid]

10 hours ago, Gbb said:

The "good" news for Lisa and Bailey/Bayley is that they shouldn't be trapped much longer. I fully expected the episode to end on a black screen announcing James had passed away shortly after filming ended. 

I am afraid I am going to hell with the rest of you because I am saying too bad that did not happen!  Some people are not worth the air they take in and James is one of those.

As far as Lisa is concerned, I am afraid that, even if she got away from him, she would find herself another abuser.  She is addicted to the abuse.

[suzeecat]

I woke up this morning with a sore neck from shaking my head so much while watching this one.  Good for Dr. Now for getting REAL with these morons!  Which brings me to my next epiphany about why James will soon be dead (if he is not already):  You can't fix stupid.  There's just no way these people are going to get it, no way Dr. Now will get through.  My God, when you believe that you are "trying" and you GAIN, what more can be said/done? 

[Morgalisa]

The first time Lisa called her daughter by name, I thought she said Belly. I thought it was a horrible nickname. Took me a while to realize she was saying Bailey.

[Tenarife60]

9 hours ago, MrHufflepuff said:

I'm not sure I feel sorry for Lisa.  I think she enjoys playing the put-upon saint who sacrifices her whole life.  She chose to help make him fatter.  I got a Munchasen vibe off her.  And when he dies, she'll get to play the bereaved widow.

Yes, I thought the same thing.  The men with the obese women seem very much the same.  I think they see their spouse as their meal-ticket also.  It is much easier than having to get a real job because imagine if they were doing that in a nursing home (probably the only skills they have to get a job), they would be going from patient to patient, doing that for 8 or 10 hours a day.  Only having to look after a spouse they probably spend most of the day watching t.v. or on their computers.

[gunderda]

Omg this episode made me SO angry!!!!! You can't cheat when you're stuck in bed!!!!!! Don't give him the effing food and then act like you're not doing it!!!!!!!

Bailey seemed to vanish towards the end. But then came back. Wonder if she got tired of the enabling. 

[gunderda]

Omg this episode made me SO angry!!!!! You can't cheat when you're stuck in bed!!!!!! Don't give him the effing food and then act like you're not doing it!!!!!!!

Bailey seemed to vanish towards the end. But then came back. Wonder if she got tired of the enabling. 

[abbey]

This is the first time I have ever found myself yelling at the tv during this show.  The delusion was rampant last night.  I fully expected to see James death notice on the screen at the end of the 2 hours.   My heart breaks for his father having refinanced his home for nothing.   At one time I was morbidly obese (296 lbs) but am now at a healthy weight after finally getting tired of lugging that extra weight around.   If not being able to sit up, not being able to get out of bed, and a diagnosis of congestive heart failure didn't convince James to stick to Dr. Now's diet nothing will and he is doomed.  So sad especially for his father, Lisa, and Bailey.

[Motor City]

Michael Stabosz:

“I am of the opinion that if you’re so fat that you lie around in bed naked all day, you are basically no longer a human being and actually an animal.”

Whitney Whit:

“I’m a bitch, but I laughed when no one donated to their online fundraising campaign.”

I totally agree.  Is there any more vacancies left on the bus to hell?

[Christina]

That first GoFundMe linked here has a comment from someone from My 600lb Life asking him to apply. I have also apparently used up my allotted likes on this forum, so I can't like the remaining two pages of posts. {pout}

[mamadrama]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 

I suspect he gained so much weight once they moved into the apt, because, he had easier access to delivery places, that they may not have had in his rural KY home.

He actually lived in one of our state's biggest cities. It's definitely not "rural." It has two colleges and 2 universities (including one of the biggest universities in the state and one of the top-rated state schools in the south) and every fast food delivery place you could want. I live in rural Kentucky. My county doesn't even have a Wal-Mart. His city has 2 or 3. He didn't live in the countryside, either. They lived right in town. 

[torene03]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

I feel like there were some scenes missing. Dr. Now kind of came into this one pretty angry. As soon as he met the family at the hospital he looked put out with them. Not that I blame him, of course, but I wonder what all was said on the phone and via Skype? James must have really chapped Now's ass to have him coming in with guns blazing. 

This is the Go Fund Me page that they referenced in the episode. They raised around $450, which is nothing-especially considering that every news station in the state carried the story (including the ones where I live and I am several hours away). It's interesting because there was recently a local lady raising money for surgery for her cat and SHE reached $3,000. Oh well. 

I find it ironic that in the Go Fund Me picture you can see an Ensure, bag of Doritos, and bottle of Coke on the bedside table. They could belong to someone else but in a picture where you're trying to get people to donate money so that you can lose weight, I wouldn't be surrounding myself with junk food. 

https://www.gofundme.com/h974k26s

 

ETA: Actually the one above was for a different Go Fund Me. Same guy, different money-raising venture. THIS is the one from the show. It raised $320. https://www.gofundme.com/james-medical-transport-funding-2tzjnh55

Does anyone else think it's hysterical that on the first Gofundme link, the largest donation came from a Mexican Restaurant? Probably in thanks for the many years of James singlehandedly supporting them...

[DC Gal in VA]

13 hours ago, Threnners said:

"rushed".

Inquiring minds just gotta know, what is the word "rushed" in reference to Threnners? I watched most of this episode, but must have missed this.

[mamadrama]

3 minutes ago, torene03 said:

Does anyone else think it's hysterical that on the first Gofundme link, the largest donation came from a Mexican Restaurant? Probably in thanks for the many years of James singlehandedly supporting them...

OMG I laughed when I saw that, too. 

[suzeecat]

3 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

   11 hours ago, WhitneyWhit said:

I'm a bitch, but I laughed when no one donated to their online fundraising campaign.

        I thought it was hilarious when Lisa decided to add five thousand dollars to the ten thousand they were asking for so they would have money for    incidentals.

king for so they would have money for    incidentals.

Talk about entitlement mentality ! ! !  No wonder he never lost any weight - no one could do it for him!  He could do NOTHING for himself - NOTHING! (including taking the paper wrapper off of his giant burger - OMG)

Edited March 16, 2017 by suzeecat
thought of something else

[Thriftykins]

I liked the part where James arrived at the hospital the first time, with all the yelling and bellowing and chaos, Dr. Now walked in saying "Hello... How y'all doin'?"  Such a bizarre situation for him to utter his catch phrase.

[Minivanessa]

23 minutes ago, abbey said:

This is the first time I have ever found myself yelling at the tv during this show.  The delusion was rampant last night.  I fully expected to see James death notice on the screen at the end of the 2 hours.   My heart breaks for his father having refinanced his home for nothing.   At one time I was morbidly obese (296 lbs) but am now at a healthy weight after finally getting tired of lugging that extra weight around.   If not being able to sit up, not being able to get out of bed, and a diagnosis of congestive heart failure didn't convince James to stick to Dr. Now's diet nothing will and he is doomed.  So sad especially for his father, Lisa, and Bailey.

OMG yes, James was so delusional. Dr. Now spoke the truth about that.

I don't know if there is any possible treatment that would get James back into reality from his delusional thinking. Because until and unless James gets real, I can't see him changing course.

Unless he's done a 180 since the episode was filmed, James is on a quick downhill slide to death, aided and abetted by his fiance. Who seems to be as delusional as he is. Seriously. When Dr. Now was firing James as a patient, she wanted to argue. She actually said, "But he's TRYING!" That was the ultimately most discouraging point for me in what was the most discouraging and awful episode I've ever seen on this show.

[islandgal140]

Saunters nonchalantly into the thread: How y'all doing?

The fact that this is 10 pages and it hasn't even been 24 hrs since this episode ended says it all. 

[flappa1016]

28 minutes ago, islandgal140 said:

I couldn't even at the diagnosis of chronic heart failure was treated like something episodic. It is not like an appendix that you go on have treated and removed and you go off and live your life as before. I should know, my dad was diagnosed suddenly and to our surprise February 2016. His life has never been the same, but he is still with us and doing fair to okay. He actually lost close to 60 lbs and is at his ideal weight.  Still, he is on medications and most importantly he has to watch his salt intake and be on the lookout for edema. So it kills me to see James eating salt laden Chinese food like it was nothing. 

IKR?!?  In 2006 my dad had open heart surgery to replace his ruptured mitral valve and a few months later he developed amiodarone toxicity from his heart medication. It severely damaged his lungs to the point that he was in a medically induced coma for a few weeks,and was ventilator dependent for 3 months afterwards. He was eventually weaned off the vent, despite being told he would be on the vent for life. For the remainder of his life he had problems with pneumonia and edema. He had to weigh himself every single morning and if he gained more than 5 lbs in a day he would have to be hospitalized until the edema was gone. He was on a strict salt free diet - even low sodium products were forbidden. My mom had to make everything from scratch so as to avoid sodium. Four months before he died we took our last family vacation to Disney World. They were awesome taking care of my dad's specialized diet, the chefs would come out to speak with him re his dietary restrictions, even going so far as to grilling his chicken in a different restaurant's grill so as to avoid salt contamination. But James has a giant salt/MSG laden Chinese food meal mere hours after being discharged from the hospital for CHF!!!

Some questions I have after viewing, that haven't been answered or addressed by the awesome posts here:  

1.  How could he not be under a doctor's care, given his many medical problems?  He was catheterized, permanently. He had a severe case of cellulitis. He had an entire shelf full of prescription bottles in some of the scenes filmed in KY. 

2.  How can the catheter even be inserted, given that he can't spread his legs any further?  In one of the gofundme pages linked upthread, there's a picture of him with the catheter snaking out from between his thighs. I'm surprised that the catheter doesn't get permanently closed off from the weight of the fat of his legs.

3.  There is something severely wrong with the color of his urine. It's brown!  I suspect it's due to dehydration or blood in the urine - either way a serious problem that wasn't explained.

4.  Lisa had to have been sneaking food to him in the hospital. How could someone of that size lose barely 50 lbs while confined to a hospital, on a medically supervised 1200 calorie (and later 800 calorie) diet?  Dr. Now always tells his patients that if they stick to the diet they should loose 100 lbs in a month. I realize that James is FAR less mobile than the other participants we normally see, but still.

[Cherrio]

1 minute ago, Michael Stabosz said:

I liked the part where James arrived at the hospital the first time, with all the yelling and bellowing and chaos, Dr. Now walked in saying "Hello... How y'all doin'?"  Such a bizarre situation for him to utter his catch phrase.

How y'all doin'?

Ow, my leeg !

What is your eating habit?

Ow, my leeg !

This drama blob in between Ow, my leeg utters when the nurse is taking out the central line, Am I going to bleed out?     Geez......STFU.     

[Pepper Mostly]

You guys I am laughing so hard. You're in rare form!

13 hours ago, Haenim said:

How many times can one person scream, "Ow! My legs!"?

I am a horrible person because I wanted smack him every time he yowled "ow, my legs!" shut up! These people are trying to help you!

13 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Yeah, but we don't know what the hell is lurking in those creases. This is a man who's been shitting in his own bed for three years and hasn't had a proper bath is who knows when. I wouldn't be touching with without a Hazmat suit on. And I shudder when I think about how he must smell.

I was peeking through my fingers at several moments throughout. I kept thinking "my god what that place must smell like". Old used pee pads, biscuits and gravy, and despair, I imagine.

 

13 hours ago, whydoiwatch said:

This is just too much. Lisa has to sleep on the floor in case he shits the bed.

His elderly father refinanced his house so this dick could go to Houston and gorge on Chinese food. OMG

Why was she sleeping on the goddamn floor? They showed the whole neighborhood loading all their crap into a U-Haul. Then in Houston they have nothing. What happened? Did they have to sell all their priceless antiques and family heirlooms to keep them in Chinese food and baby wipes?

13 hours ago, Spooneroonie said:

OMG, I never thought I'd say this: but we found someone worse than Penny.

"I got too much goin' on right now to go to the doctor." Yeah, all that whining really can take a toll.

Right? YOUR WHOLE PURPOSE IN LIFE RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO THE DOCTOR!

 

12 hours ago, GussieK said:

We've done this as a family and I feel really good about it. Huh? 

He kept firmly to that "mah family" narrative. I cannot even. "Mah family needs me" "me and mah family did this together". He uses that word "family" as a club to beat them all with. Lisa, Bayley, his father.

 

11 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

The house was disgusting.  The carpet was full of large stains and big crumbs and wrappers.  Flies were buzzing around his sheets.  Even on TV I could see everything coated in fuzzy dust.  If these people had more money, they'd be living in a hoard.  Whatever possessions they had were spread around and piled up like so much garbage on a curb.

When I saw James' dad vomiting I was pretty sure the cause was the stench and the filth.  Imagine my shock to find out he actually had a stroke.

The TV reporter probably had to burn her clothes after she did that segment.

[Patty T]

4 hours ago, mamadrama said:

The daughter is an adult, around 19 years old. She was pulled out of college, not high school. 

Not that it makes it any better...

Got cha! Thanks for the info. I thought she looked about 15 or so. ?

[IOU Payne]

How does cellulitis of that magnitude not merit admission and major IV antibiotic treatment?  My father was hospitalized for a case much less severe than that on his one leg (the other leg had been amputated due to diabetic complications) and spent 6 weeks on heavy IV meds.  So James' apparent lack of treatment rots my socks.  As for his chowing down on Chinese food after being treated for CHF,  it literally makes me cry.  My mother had CHF and as she entered palliative care, the doctors told her she could basically eat anything she wanted.  This is the woman who lamented not being able to eat her favourite Montreal smoked meat sandwiches all the years of her illness.  So what did she request? You guessed it: No change in her salt-free diet.  She went down swinging.  

tl;dr:  My parents were badasses.  James is a sadass.   

[Crazy Bird Lady]

26 minutes ago, flappa1016 said:

1.  How could he not be under a doctor's care, given his many medical problems?  He was catheterized, permanently. He had a severe case of cellulitis. He had an entire shelf full of prescription bottles in some of the scenes filmed in KY. 

2.  How can the catheter even be inserted, given that he can't spread his legs any further?  In one of the gofundme pages linked upthread, there's a picture of him with the catheter snaking out from between his thighs. I'm surprised that the catheter doesn't get permanently closed off from the weight of the fat of his legs.

In a man that hugely fat, the urinary catheter can be very, very hard to insert --because the penis is buried under layers of fat. James K may have required a catheter inserted through his skin, directly into his bladder and dripping into a urine bag.

And they may not have been able to find a home-town Kentucky doctor willing to go to James K's home to treat him. Most Dr's these days do *not* make house calls, under any circumstances.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Crazy Bird Lady

[operalover]

12 minutes ago, flappa1016 said:

IKR?!?  In 2006 my dad had open heart surgery to replace his ruptured mitral valve and a few months later he developed amiodarone toxicity from his heart medication. It severely damaged his lungs to the point that he was in a medically induced coma for a few weeks,and was ventilator dependent for 3 months afterwards. He was eventually weaned off the vent, despite being told he would be on the vent for life. For the remainder of his life he had problems with pneumonia and edema. He had to weigh himself every single morning and if he gained more than 5 lbs in a day he would have to be hospitalized until the edema was gone. He was on a strict salt free diet - even low sodium products were forbidden. My mom had to make everything from scratch so as to avoid sodium. Four months before he died we took our last family vacation to Disney World. They were awesome taking care of my dad's specialized diet, the chefs would come out to speak with him re his dietary restrictions, even going so far as to grilling his chicken in a different restaurant's grill so as to avoid salt contamination. But James has a giant salt/MSG laden Chinese food meal mere hours after being discharged from the hospital for CHF!!!

 

My dad had the same- open heart surgery for a valve falling apart. He was 77 years old. After that he kept getting pneumonia and blood infections. Then he got CHF so bad he was on that very strict salt controlled diet, my mom was making all his food from scratch but he was still getting the edema. He died this September and he had a tough time those 6 years after his open heart surgery with all those infections. But it did add years to his life. But I see he was not as bad as your dad with the ventilator and coma, so I see it could have been worse. My dad was upset because he couldn't eat his favorite bagels anymore. He couldn't enjoy food anymore. I hope he is getting bagels in heaven! It was nice the chefs helped hi in Disney world. 

[Arynm]

I pulled a calf muscle yesterday at Barre class and all day today I have been yelling "ow, my legs!" every time it bothers me.

Makes me feel better

[Lizz]

On the following skin removal show, the woman was shown putting baby powder in the folds of the loose stomach skin. She said it was hard to keep it clean and that it had a bad odor. With the combination of skin fold odor, sketchy bathing, bed poop and nasty housekeeping, how could James or anyone around him possibly have an appetite?  Let alone eat like starving elephants.  

I have a Southern accent but am yet to say "am-lunce."

[mamadrama]

5 minutes ago, IOU Payne said:

How does cellulitis of that magnitude not merit admission and major IV antibiotic treatment?

So here is the scoop on that, from interviews done in regards to the show...Apparently he WAS hospitalized for all of that. He was in Baptist Health in Paducah. However, they did not have the equipment to continue care for him. In fact, they didn't even have a big enough bed for him. The hospital was renting a bed for him from another place and paying for it out of pocket. They apparently called hospitals all over the country, trying to find someone who could take someone of his size and care for him. I guess that, with his weight, he had special needs. He needed a certain bed, certain exercise equipment, etc. That's how he eventually got hooked up with Dr. Now. (You can read about some of that from the Go Fund Me page. Other stuff is in the news interviews they played on the show. You can find transcript of those interviews online.) He was in the hospital for a month before he ever went to Dr. Now-they just couldn't keep him there. 

[Thriftykins]

6 minutes ago, IOU Payne said:

How does cellulitis of that magnitude not merit admission and major IV antibiotic treatment?  My father was hospitalized for a case much less severe than that on his one leg (the other leg had been amputated due to diabetic complications) and spent 6 weeks on heavy IV meds.

He probably just didn't bother to go because it was nearly impossible to get him out of the house.  Your father I'm guessing could still move around.

I like how most episodes end with some uplifting words from the patient.  They say something like "I can get up and go out!  I can live life so much better now!  I have a long way to go and it will be hard, but I'll do it!"  Plus (at least in the earlier seasons) they would show the before and after shots.

 

This episode, however, just ended with "Look!  I can kinda-sorta sit up!"  It's so pathetic that it's funny.

[operalover]

5 minutes ago, IOU Payne said:

How does cellulitis of that magnitude not merit admission and major IV antibiotic treatment?  My father was hospitalized for a case much less severe than that on his one leg (the other leg had been amputated due to diabetic complications) and spent 6 weeks on heavy IV meds.  So James' apparent lack of treatment rots my socks.  As for his chowing down on Chinese food after being treated for CHF,  it literally makes me cry.  My mother had CHF and as she entered palliative care, the doctors told her she could basically eat anything she wanted.  This is the woman who lamented not being able to eat her favourite Montreal smoked meat sandwiches all the years of her illness.  So what did she request? You guessed it: No change in her salt-free diet.  She went down swinging.  

tl;dr:  My parents were badasses.  James is a sadass.   

I realize there are a lot of posts in this thread, but that is what I have been asking a few posts back...acute cellulitis must be treated immedialy or you will die. You will have a high fever and need immediate IV or strong injections or horse pills for a few days if you catch it early. He must have something else they are calling cellulitis- like another version that just lives on the skin chronically and does not spread internally. Otherwise he would be dead. Also I think there should be PSA's showing the population what the beginning of cellulitis looks like. It's usually looks like a bruise on your lower leg, purple round spot that is tender to the touch. People think they got bit by a spider or they bruised their leg. Next thing you know they are sick as a dog and in big trouble. It's mostly high risk to catch if for people with diabetes, elderly people, people with compromised immune system or open wounds. My friend gets it all the time and the doctors are baffled because he is in his 40s. His only risk factor is cracked skin in his feet from excema. Now he knows when it is coming on, he sees the purple leg spot. My dad had it and didn't know what the purple thing was on his leg so did not seek medical attention until he had 104 fever and was delirious.

[Pretty5Vacant]

I swear I thought at the end of the episode it was going to say on the screen In Memory Of James K

[Ocean Chick]

Y'all have covered all my points very well.  So shove on over and make me room in that handbasket to hell - I've got my gas soaked drawers right here with me.  Poor Lisa is addicted to abuse, as some of you have pointed out.  I've known a few women like her, and it's just soooooo frustrating because you want to help them - give them a new spine and belief in themselves - but they're too far gone.  I knew, after James' voice-over about his blood brother and 4 step-sibs and Lisa's 4 kids with her husband and the 2 he had with her, but only Bailey being there with her mom, that there must be a good reason none of these people were anywhere near James.  And boy was I right.  They clearly had had enough of the man-child trainwreck, where nothing was ever his fault.

And did James and Lisa really think that no one would ever see any of the footage that was being shot?  I mean, they're filmed chowing down on mountains of Chinese food, and then insist to Dr. Now that he stuck to his 800 calorie a day diet?  Really?  That he was only eating 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon in the morning, and 4 oz of meat and a salad at night?  Wonder if egg rolls counted as eggs?  Was the FRIED rice actually falling under the column of "salad"?  Grrrrrrr.

[AZChristian]

4 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

That he was only eating 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon in the morning . . . 

But it was TURKEY bacon.

[islandgal140]

7 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

So here is the scoop on that, from interviews done in regards to the show...Apparently he WAS hospitalized for all of that. He was in Baptist Health in Paducah. However, they did not have the equipment to continue care for him. In fact, they didn't even have a big enough bed for him. The hospital was renting a bed for him from another place and paying for it out of pocket. They apparently called hospitals all over the country, trying to find someone who could take someone of his size and care for him. I guess that, with his weight, he had special needs. He needed a certain bed, certain exercise equipment, etc. That's how he eventually got hooked up with Dr. Now. (You can read about some of that from the Go Fund Me page. Other stuff is in the news interviews they played on the show. You can find transcript of those interviews online.) He was in the hospital for a month before he ever went to Dr. Now-they just couldn't keep him there. 

And yet none of this was a wake up call? 

Stealing his daughter's youth and a chance for betterment by getting a better education wasn't a wake up call? So I guess when she goes to get a job her shining skills set will be lack of a gag reflex, changing piss/shit pads and ability to hoist excessive amt of weight.

Enslaving a downtrodden abused woman to do his bidding while himself being mentally and emotionally abusive isn't a wake up call? I just wanted to reach into the scream and slap the enamel off his teeth when he told her to take the wrapper off the burger and she friggin' did. His ass has no problem lifting that thing to feed that bottomless pit of a stomach but he can't take the damn wrapper off it? Bitch please.

Worse of all his father (who he proclaims to love so much) has a stroke right in front of him, which James himself attributes to worry over his morbidly obese son's condition and that isn't a wake up call? Worse yet the poor man enslaves himself in further debt (cause financial stress is oh so good for a stroke victim) to help James, and James pisses and shits on it by not even trying. His ass is heavier than when he left with a side of CHF to top off this shit sundae. 

The smartest person in this whole situation is the other child of James and Lisa who appears to have gotten away. 

The only surprising thing about this episode is that it didn't end with James' date of death. 

[Patty T]

14 hours ago, Schippmom said:

How much are they spending on food?   And asking for donations?

I said pretty much the same thing to my husband. If they didn't order out their meals every single day they could have gotten the car fixed. SMH

[flappa1016]

15 minutes ago, operalover said:

I realize there are a lot of posts in this thread, but that is what I have been asking a few posts back...acute cellulitis must be treated immedialy or you will die. You will have a high fever and need immediate IV or strong injections or horse pills for a few days if you catch it early. He must have something else they are calling cellulitis- like another version that just lives on the skin chronically and does not spread internally. Otherwise he would be dead. Also I think there should be PSA's showing the population what the beginning of cellulitis looks like. It's usually looks like a bruise on your lower leg, purple round spot that is tender to the touch. People think they got bit by a spider or they bruised their leg. Next thing you know they are sick as a dog and in big trouble. It's mostly high risk to catch if for people with diabetes, elderly people, people with compromised immune system or open wounds. My friend gets it all the time and the doctors are baffled because he is in his 40s. His only risk factor is cracked skin in his feet from excema. Now he knows when it is coming on, he sees the purple leg spot. My dad had it and didn't know what the purple thing was on his leg so did not seek medical attention until he had 104 fever and was delirious.

I had it in my ear lobe, of all places. No open sores that I was aware of, and I'd had pierced ears as a kid but the holes had long closed up by that time. It was an angry red color and was so swollen that the lobe was stuck out at a 90 degree angle to my head. My god it was so painful I left work to go to the urgent care center for some relief. I was put on a megadose of a strong oral antibiotic and was warned that I needed to follow up with my GP for monitoring, in case I needed stronger iv a antibiotics. It never leaked fluid, and it didn't spread to any other body parts - the oral meds worked fine.

[Smoothcoat]

49 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

I liked the part where James arrived at the hospital the first time, with all the yelling and bellowing and chaos, Dr. Now walked in saying "Hello... How y'all doin'?"  Such a bizarre situation for him to utter his catch phrase.

Has anyone else started talking like Dr Now? BF and I keep greeting each other "hellooo...."!

[Patty T]

15 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

GoFundMe? Seriously? The savings on food alone should net lots of money. 

Apparently everyone else who saw their request felt the same way. NO ONE gave them a cent. How embarrassing!

[cpcathy]

I just need to look at my food and say, "you are too many calorie!"

[gardendiva]

37 minutes ago, mamadrama said:

So here is the scoop on that, from interviews done in regards to the show...Apparently he WAS hospitalized for all of that. He was in Baptist Health in Paducah. However, they did not have the equipment to continue care for him. In fact, they didn't even have a big enough bed for him. The hospital was renting a bed for him from another place and paying for it out of pocket. They apparently called hospitals all over the country, trying to find someone who could take someone of his size and care for him. I guess that, with his weight, he had special needs. He needed a certain bed, certain exercise equipment, etc. That's how he eventually got hooked up with Dr. Now. (You can read about some of that from the Go Fund Me page. Other stuff is in the news interviews they played on the show. You can find transcript of those interviews online.) He was in the hospital for a month before he ever went to Dr. Now-they just couldn't keep him there. 

So apparently James is like a big black hole that sucks energy, resources and the life force from every human and institution that gets too close to him. Look how he devastated his father, his daughter's life, he is killing his girlfriend, used up all resources in Baptist Health Hospital until they hit their limit, made theavuncular Dr. Now transform into Lord Voldemort...this guy is bad juju. They should just roll him out into the desert somewhere and leave him so he can't wreck anymore lives.

Edited March 16, 2017 by gardendiva

[Lizz]

3 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

 

The other thing I don't understand is this. They clearly are depending on govt assistance for everything. I assume food stamps are part of it. Can you buy fast food with food stamps? If not how do they afford it? I just don't get it. The only thing I can figure is that Lisa is getting paid to be his caretaker, hence the reason they are not married. 

I have seen a few fast food places who accept food stamps.  It varies by state.  In some places, Golden Corral accepts them.  Yep. 

I was in a grocery store once at the first of the month and couldn't figure out why there was a huge line at the service desk. Apparently, people in my state were allowed to withdraw a portion of their welfare benefits in cash to (supposedly) cover electric bills, buy clothes and other essentials.  The grocery store allowed this if they made a purchase so there was a shelf of gum, candy bars and small bags of chips on hand to purchase and get their "change" back. Some people were getting $200.  So, this may be one way they are buying fast food and delivery.  They are doing something because their food bill has to be enormous. I agree they get more benefits from not being married.    

[TurtlePower]

In reading many of the comments, it seems we have a strong contender for Most Hated Patient (haven't seen the episode yet, I always watch after I've done 90 minute of cardio................and sometimes while on the elliptical).

[Trees]

Besides the horror of this episode, I was noticing while watching last night that this one of the first where the people -
* Don't have one or more little dogs running around
* Aren't covered in massive amounts of tattoos.

I always want to shout at those little dogs "Watch out!"

Man, this was truly the most revolting episode ever.

[DC Gal in VA]

40 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

Y'all have covered all my points very well.  So shove on over and make me room in that handbasket to hell - I've got my gas soaked drawers right here with me.  Poor Lisa is addicted to abuse, as some of you have pointed out.  I've known a few women like her, and it's just soooooo frustrating because you want to help them - give them a new spine and belief in themselves - but they're too far gone.  I knew, after James' voice-over about his blood brother and 4 step-sibs and Lisa's 4 kids with her husband and the 2 he had with her, but only Bailey being there with her mom, that there must be a good reason none of these people were anywhere near James.  And boy was I right.  They clearly had had enough of the man-child trainwreck, where nothing was ever his fault.

And did James and Lisa really think that no one would ever see any of the footage that was being shot?  I mean, they're filmed chowing down on mountains of Chinese food, and then insist to Dr. Now that he stuck to his 800 calorie a day diet?  Really?  That he was only eating 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon in the morning, and 4 oz of meat and a salad at night?  Wonder if egg rolls counted as eggs?  Was the FRIED rice actually falling under the column of "salad"?  Grrrrrrr.

Yes to all of this Ocean Chick, especially the delusional constant lying to both Dr. Now and themselves.

However, speaking of their children and his siblings, did anyone catch somewhere near the beginning of the show when it was shown how they bathed him every morning and two men arrived to help Lisa and Bailey, it flashed at the bottom of the screen one of them was Lisa's grown son by her ex-husband? The way it was presented, this was every morning! If that was how I had to start my day every day, I think I would have to have a "liquid" breakfast just to deal with that shit--literally and figuratively. And I don't mean no smoothie!

Edited to add: Since there are now so many of you here boarding that express train to Hell, I have moved the pile of gasoline soaked drawers from the bathroom sink to the bath tub. Also added more drawers.

Edited March 16, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To add additional comments.

[Trees]

16 minutes ago, Patty T said:

Apparently everyone else who saw their request felt the same way. NO ONE gave them a cent. How embarrassing!

And how "appropriate"!  Was glad to see people not wasting their hard-earned money on these entitled losers.

[atiyah9369]

I need to know what his status is now.

[gardendiva]

17 minutes ago, Runnergirl said:

In reading many of the comments, it seems we have a strong contender for Most Hated Patient (haven't seen the episode yet, I always watch after I've done 90 minute of cardio................and sometimes while on the elliptical).

Viewers of this show are willing to be compassionate as long as the patients show a minimum of effort being put in, and will make big allowances based on the level of past trauma. But James, as with Penny, have both exhibited an infuriating combination of traits that make the viewers seethe:

1.) Lack of awareness of what constitutes "healthy" food

2.) Using help inappropriately from their children

3.) Allowing themselves to get so far gone that they cannot do anything for themselves, including look after their own waste elimination

4.) Blame the ones trying to help as the reason for their own failure

5.) Inability to recognize massive weight gain, and will continue to insist they are "making progress" and "working hard"

6.) inability to endure the slightest discomfort, even when it happens during the course of people trying to help. This includes hunger, pain from being moved during the course of care, dealing with any stress, etc.

7.) Lack of respect or downright hostility to Dr. Now

8.) An attitude of entitlement that they deserve all of this help without having to show any appreciation or do anything on their own.

Edited March 16, 2017 by gardendiva

[BXD]

9 minutes ago, atiyah9369 said:

I need to know what his status is now.

Pathetically I googled him. I didn't see any obituaries or anything like that, so I guess he is still...existing. It's shocking really.

Edited March 16, 2017 by BXD

[Thriftykins]

Just saw on the TV listings that they're rerunning Diana's episode right now.  It could be a refreshing antidote if anyone at the moment can and wants to watch it.

[DC Gal in VA]

6 minutes ago, gardendiva said:

Viewers of this show are willing to be compassionate as long as the patients show a minimum of effort being put in, and will make big allowances based on the level of past trauma. But James, as with Penny, have both exhibited an infuriating combination of traits that make the viewers seethe:

1.) Lack of awareness of what constitutes "healthy" food

2.) Using help inappropriately from their children

3.) Allowing themselves to get so far gone that they cannot do anything for themselves, including look after their own waste elimination

4.) Blame the ones trying to help as the reason for their own failure

5.) Inability to recognize massive weight gain, and will continue to insist they are "making progress" and "working hard"

6.) inability to endure the slightest discomfort, even when it happens during the course of people trying to help. This includes hunger, pain from being moved during the course of care, dealing with any stress, etc.

7.) Lack of respect or downright hostility to Dr. Now

So well said gardendiva.

Please allow me to add two more that always sets me off: 8) complete ingratitude and 9) a massive sense of entitlement.