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S05.E11: James K's Story


Message added by PrincessPurrsALot

James K. used pidgin English when describing Chinese food.  Such mocking behavior of a presumed accent is racist.  Please do not perpetuate his use of that language. 

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6 minutes ago, Hockeymom said:

I think it was in the 400lb range. He was pretty big, but still mobile. James mentions how happy he was with her but nevertheless continued to gain weight. It was the foot / ankle injury that did him in. He fell, needed the fire dept. to get him up, and effectively never got out of bed again.

Wow. Cannot even imagine. Well, here I am stuck in bed with an injury so let's fatten me up! Most people would be going insane, longing to be mobile again. 

ETA: OMG re: staying in a BROKEN BED and just settling in for the rest of his life. 

Edited by Tabbygirl521
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Just now, operalover said:

It was because he was so fat he broke the bed! Apparently he stayed in the broken bed with his foot in the wrong position so it didn't heal? some big old excuse like that. He was 550 I think when that happened.

I missed the broken bed part!! Awww man, am I gonna have to watch the supersize version now?

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2 hours ago, Michael Stabosz said:

I swear, this whole season every episode has had me thinking "This person is terrible.  Worst ever."  Then the next week there is someone even worse.

BTW there is a new episode next week, then another after that with an interesting description...

 

Two brothers weigh nearly 1400 pounds combined, and their father drives them 35 hours to see a doctor even though they can't stand each other.

Oh, this should be excellent! I burst out laughing. 

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1 hour ago, notyrmomma said:

Holy cow, you guys have said pretty much everything I have been thinking, but I still wanted to chime in here.  Most of all, this story reminded me of another documentary that TLC did called "900 pound man: race against time" which is the story of a 900 pound man (Ricky Naputi) who lived in Guam, and there were no facilities that were equipt to help him on the island.  The gist of the documentary is several people trying to figure out a way to get him to Houston (not sure if it was Dr. Now or not).  All the while they were trying to help him, he kept getting bigger and bigger and the doctors were all blaming his wife, who was the one bringing him the food - just like our story here!  They eventually gave up trying to get him to Houston and just wanted to get him into a nursing home type of facility to put him on a supervised diet, because obviously, his wife was of no help.  

They should have done that with James.  I don't understand with the infections and the CHF he had, why he wasn't in the hospital...or at least in a rehab facility/nursing home.  It was obvious that his GF/daughter couldn't take care of him properly.

Anyway, spoiler alert, Ricky's story didn't end well and I don't think James' will either.  I think you can YouTube Ricky's documentary.  It was mild compared to James' story.

I agree James needs to be in a nursing home/medical facility He can be placed on a liquid diet and the staff can help him with some of his medical issues including the terrible leg problems. Even though it is his own fault-relieving him of some of his pain may make him sleep better and be in a better mood. I'm facing some chronic pain issues where I can't sleep and it makes me crabby as hell. His girlfriend and daughter need a break, and could visit him once a week and not bring him any food  (if he complains, don't visit).

I dont understand how he can eat laying down. I've seen people eat a piece of candy or something, but a full meal? I guess because I have a hiatal hernia and choke at the best of times, it just made me sick watching him eat like that. I do appreciate Dr. Now's trying to help but at the same time I think most of it is just for TV purposes rather than really getting into issues. Someone his size is not going to lose a lot of weight without being on a medically supervised diet. I'm not saying Dr. Now doesn't care or that James was trying at all-but weight loss will never be a by the number thing. Every person is going to be different in terms of personality, loved ones/caregivers, mobility and health problems. Just sending someone that large home with the instructions to lose 200 pounds is a recipe for failure. I do always feel sorry for the loved ones, but there is always a huge amount of passivity and unwillingness to change their own eating habits or find outside help while they work to help enforce the diet. 

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1 minute ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Most people would be going insane, longing to be mobile again. 

I think for him, though, it was exactly what he always wanted. His mom was MIA. The dad took the kids and left to get away from her drinking. James only saw her three times in his childhood, and each time she was drunk. As a teenager, he tried to reconnect, but she died before he could get closure. James needed a mommy bad. Then, during the funeral, their house burnt down. 

The dad did his best, but I get the idea he wasn't warm and fuzzy. He remarried at one point, but had trouble supporting the new, bigger family. James was worried they didn't have enough, so of course, he took it all!!

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11 minutes ago, Hockeymom said:

I missed the broken bed part!! Awww man, am I gonna have to watch the supersize version now?

It was mentioned twice, very quickly they mumbled something about it in the intro (I have to watch with subtitles on or I can't understand a word these people say). Then when Dr. Now told Lisa it was HER FAULT that James got to that condition she said "no it is not my fault, he hurt his foot, then the bed broke, that is the reason he is so fat, it's not my fault".

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Once again, the individuals followed on this show are the dregs of society: no money, no education, no common sense. James might take the cake. The poor daughter Bailey being forced to drop out of school should be criminal. What horrendous irresponsibility the adults in her life have shown. And the cycle continues...

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2 minutes ago, operalover said:

Then when Dr. Now told Lisa it was HER FAULT that James got to that condition she said "no it is not my fault, he hurt his foot, then the bed broke, that is the reason he is so fat, it's not my fault".

I did hear that, but thought I missed the bed disaster story!

Closed captioning is a great idea!!! I'm doing that from now on!

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1 hour ago, legalwriter said:

Tape Measure: I wonder why patients don't use a tape measure to measure their progress. I realize that access to a scale is difficult for these people but a tape measure is inexpensive and easy to use. Patients can take measurements of their waist at the navel, arms, chest, and navel to check progress. If you gain 100 pounds, you will notice an increase in measurements. Nevermind . . . that would require accountability.

Also . . . a standard flexible tape measure (like one used in sewing) is only 60"; that's not going to go around the waist of any of Dr. Now's patients.  They'd have to tie several together.

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1 minute ago, Ocean Chick said:

So is James the first person we've seen who actually weighed MORE at the end of the year than when he first started getting taped?

I think so.  Even Penny managed to lose a nominal amount of weight (about 50 pounds).  James is also the first person who never got surgery.

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39 minutes ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I know we will all want to visualize this: Jimbo may be wearing a Texas (hah y'all doin'?) condom catheter. Just what it sounds like - a condom with a tube leading to a drainage sac. 

 

4 minutes ago, Ocean Chick said:

So is James the first person we've seen who actually weighed MORE at the end of the year than when he first started getting taped?

JC

Just hand him a loaded gun and walk away.

Narcissist 

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Here's the thing about the Chinese food that really bugged me: if he had a craving, he could have made it work for him.  He could have had cashew chicken, or moo goo gai pan, or kung pao anything.  And no rice.  And no egg rolls!  The sodium issue would still be there, but at least he would have been eating low carb.

But no.  This whiny excuse for a human being had a craaaaaaaaaaving and he was siiiiiiiiiiick of eating fish and chicken.  He immediately goes for rice and egg rolls.  FRIED rice, if you please.  And, he says with a disgusting Baby Huey level of smug self-satisfaction, he'll also have dessert.

He's disgusting, laying there oozing from his cellutlitis and stinking of his own shit.  What a repulsive excuse for a human being.  And I say that with no regard whatsoever for his weight situation.

ETA: 844 pounds!  My God.  844 pounds!

Edited by bethster2000
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I haven't been able to watch this yet, but just reading the posts I'm blown away already.

My question is did Dr. Now ever send a therapist to J's house? He's done that before. Not sure if it would've helped at all but they ALL need therapy & he's in such bad shape in every way.

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I think the catheter was by-gones once they got to Houston. There was that whole scene at the end where Baby Huey demanded that Lisa had to sleep on the floor next to him in case he had to go pee during the night. If he had a catheter, it wouldn't matter if she was in the next room or Kentucky.

I still can't get over those mustard-yellow toes. What kind of funk causes that to happen?

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1 minute ago, bethster2000 said:

He complained that Dr. Now did not arrange for James to see a nutritionist upon his arrival to Houston.

Because we all know how well James would have listened to the nutritionist, right?

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3 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

No and James kinda complained about that at one point.

Yeah no one was helping him, he wasn't getting any support, it was everyone's fault. The heart failure gave him so much stress that he was getting cravings. And now he is stressed about not having a car- I think because she can't run out at a moment's notice and get him his cravings. Egg rolls and rice that's what I want!! But Rice is on that paper!! But its FRAAHHD!! but its RAHHCE- sorry watching that scene again. Then he cries "you didn't git me none of them eggrolls" she says There's Two-  you just can't see them on the plate when you eat lying down I guess. Then she says I hope this don't spoil you as she hands him cheesecake. I guess cheesecake wasn't on that piece of paper.

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4 hours 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. 

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1 minute ago, operalover said:

Yeah no one was helping him, he wasn't getting any support, it was everyone's fault. The heart failure gave him so much stress that he was getting cravings. And now he is stressed about not having a car- I think because she can't run out at a moment's notice and get him his cravings. Egg rolls and rice that's what I want!! But Rice is on that paper!! But its FRAAHHD!! but its RAHHCE- sorry watching that scene again. Then he cries "you didn't git me none of them eggrolls" she says There's Two-  you just can't see them on the plate when you eat lying down I guess. Then she says I hope this don't spoil you as she hands him cheesecake. I guess cheesecake wasn't on that piece of paper.

He knew exactly what he was supposed to do he was just scrambling to make excuses.  A nutritionist isn't going to stop him from eating whatever he wanted as demonstrated by the whole fried rice incident. 

Besides, exactly how much money is the public supposed to sink into this guy who wants to continually do whatever the hell he wants.  Either tow the line or cut him loose.

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(Sorry about copying the quote above with no comment...  I meant to wonder whether he lost any weight during his month-long hospital stay in a KY hospital? For cripe's sake, this guy seems to have no qualms about expecting the world to accommodate, and pay for, his every need!  I think some one earlier nailed it:  in these kinds of extreme circumstances, the person would only benefit from being confined in a long term rehab and mental health facility- possibly even committed- so his freedom of choice ( to eat to his death) is restricted.

Actually as a newbie, I have a technical question:. How does one copy only a portion of someone else's post to which to respond?  I am on an iPhone - a rather old one to be honest.  Does that make a difference as to functions available?

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Part of the program is to see if the patient is capable of following the diet plan on their own. These are changes that they are going to have to adhere to for the rest of their lives, and seeing which patients are serious and willing to put in the work (even if they lapse and need some additional help) and which ones are just spinning their wheels. If a patient is asking for help when they run into trouble, that shows some incentive in their own care.

James did nothing to show Dr. Now that he is really serious about trying to regain control of his life. He was using that he wasn't immediately provided with a nutritionist or other help from the very start as an excuse to justify his failure. 

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Hooweee! 12 pages of posts on last nights episode. Looks like everybody had the same strong reaction. I don't think Ive ever been angry at one of these patients before. Really angry.

Had to laugh, that no matter how grim, these episodes insist on some kind of 'happy' ending.,  James manages to kinda sit up, with three adults hauling him up, the upbeat music swells and were all supposed to feel uplifted?  Snort!

Edited by LuciaMia
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14 minutes ago, SouthernCross said:

A nutritionist isn't going to stop him from eating whatever he wanted as demonstrated by the whole fried rice incident. 

I suppose I should be grateful to James.  I'm making kung pao chicken for supper tonight, and ordinarily I would make fried rice to go with it, as I absolutely love the stuff.

Steamed brown rice it is!  LOL

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IF only he had met with the nutritionist he might have found out that fried rice is not good for him!  Then all of this might have turned out different.

Honestly, these two people were among the hardest on this show ever to feel any sympathy for.  His daughter should be taken away and allowed to live her own life.  It was so sad to watch her clean her behemoth of a father and his oozing sores.

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Just now, bethster2000 said:

I suppose I should be grateful to James.  I'm making kung pao chicken for supper tonight, and ordinarily I would make fried rice to go with it, as I absolutely love the stuff.

Steamed brown rice it is!  LOL

I have to say...the whole fried rice exchange was some of the weirdest logic I've heard in a while.

Just now, KingSmidas said:

IF only he had met with the nutritionist he might have found out that fried rice is not good for him!  Then all of this might have turned out different.

Yeah except for the fact that during the great fried rice debate, the gf told him he wasn't suppose to eat it.  The gf knew what he was supposed to eat.  He just cried when he didnt get what he wanted.

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1 hour ago, operalover said:

"no it is not my fault, he hurt his foot, then the bed broke, that is the reason he is so fat, it's not my fault".

Here is the chorus, repeat 4 times.......Ow, my leg, Ow my leg, unwrap my burger, Ow my leg.     My idea of a really bad country western song.

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15 minutes ago, Carrie said:

Actually as a newbie, I have a technical question:. How does one copy only a portion of someone else's post to which to respond?

Highlight it. A small text appears next to it that says "quote this". Click on that text and that portion appears in a quote box for you in the reply box. Easy-peasy.

The first 400 pounds may not have been Lisa's fault but the last 440 pounds were her fault.

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1 minute ago, Cherrio said:

Here is the chorus, repeat 4 times.......Ow, my leg, Ow my leg, unwrap my burger, Ow my leg.     My idea of a really bad country western song.

*SPLORT*  Crystal Light Lemonade all over my laptop.  There is a place in hell for you!  LOL LOL LOL :-D

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I also wondered how he could scarf down massive plates of food (with dessert!!) without making a huge mess or choking while laying down. I'm guessing from lots of practice.  Can he not even prop up on pillows?  I thought a hospital type bed would mechanically raise up?  The acid reflux and indigestion must be horrific. Of course, that's the least of his problems.  

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3 minutes ago, Lizz said:

I also wondered how he could scarf down massive plates of food (with dessert!!) without making a huge mess or choking while laying down. I'm guessing from lots of practice.  Can he not even prop up on pillows?  I thought a hospital type bed would mechanically raise up?  The acid reflux and indigestion must be horrific. Of course, that's the least of his problems.  

I think he was so huge, that even sitting up a bit with the bed would have been impossible. We saw at the end that when he was "sitting" he was like a huge blob. I don't think he could have reached food any other way... Which wouldn't be a bad thing at all. 

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2 hours ago, mamadrama said:

They had only been living in that house for 2 weeks prior to the filming of the show. Before that, they'd lived in a brick house in town, not far from the university. He dad was a farmer, but James had not lived in that manner for awhile. There is a gap that the show didn't cover. James had been in the hospital for a month. At that point, they had to move and then relocate to the house that the show filmed. 

Thanks for the update.  Which has me thinking how bad that house was trashed in only two months time. 

This group is definitely not bright.  Why couldn't they do their own measurements to see if he would fit out the door & into the van?  Why did they need the fire dept to make a special trip to their house to do the measuring?  Maybe they were expecting the firemen to offer their ambulance free of charge.

Sorry to bring up a gross point.  It's been said before about the others - how often did they have to change his poop pads when he ate so much?  And that one time at the beginning it looked like Bayley wasn't wearing gloves even after her mother mentioned them (or vice versa.) I think I would have been donning a hazmat suit. 

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Dr. Now should of done a new version of weight loss surgery.   Put James under with fried rice scented Versed and sew his mouth shut.

Two huge problems solved at once. Can't eat and can't talk.  No more Ow, my leg.

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4 hours 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

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

Finally saw the episode. He is at the top for Most Hated Patient. He was the biggest damn baby ever--I get that he was uncomfortable, but the yelling and screaming at EMS, wow. I've had artery catheters too and his shrieking at having it removed, what a pansy.  I keep hearing that shriek over and over. 

James AND his girlfriend lied to Dr. Now's face and they knew it--couple of co-dependent assholes. I've never seen Dr. Now so mad and understandably so. Someone else could have used Dr. Now's help but instead this asshole wasted 2 hours of airtime (and countless filming hours, and Dr. Now's time).

The only person I had empathy for was Bayley. Hope she gets a life of her own instead of doting on those two idiots. 

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Regarding James eating laying down & indigestion - I thought I saw a large bottle of Tums or Rolaids on the table at the Kentucky house.  With his size, he probably needed half the bottle to do any help. 

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36 minutes ago, Carrie said:

(Sorry about copying the quote above with no comment...  I meant to wonder whether he lost any weight during his month-long hospital stay in a KY hospital? For cripe's sake, this guy seems to have no qualms about expecting the world to accommodate, and pay for, his every need!  I think some one earlier nailed it:  in these kinds of extreme circumstances, the person would only benefit from being confined in a long term rehab and mental health facility- possibly even committed- so his freedom of choice ( to eat to his death) is restricted.

Actually as a newbie, I have a technical question:. How does one copy only a portion of someone else's post to which to respond?  I am on an iPhone - a rather old one to be honest.  Does that make a difference as to functions available?

Well, it seems that our dear, delusional James K has knocked Nicole off her well earned throne with 587 (588 with this one) posts to her 580! I now knight thee King James, of what kingdom I doth not know, LOL!

Anyway, your post brings up an interesting proposition Carrie, namely why can't someone like James be committed to a mental health facility? I mean I know the current standard for forcing someone to be committed is if they are a danger to themselves. Sure as shit, James is definitely a danger to himself. Also probably would have been a cheaper bill for the taxpayers since he could be committed in Kentucky. Just a thought........

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10 minutes ago, poc565 said:

Will there be a follow up on him? 

Hi poc565. Just checked TV Guide website and it says he'll be on AGAIN tonight--at 8:00 pm and 11:00 pm EST-- in an enhanced version. Seems pretty soon to be airing this since he was just on last night.

Gee, I don't know if I have the strength,.......... Aww Hell's yeah I will, probably with a cocktail!

3 minutes ago, Cherrio said:

I don't know the name of the kingdom either, but I am sure someone named Friar Rice must live there?

Hahahaha, am seriously sitting here laughing out loud at that one Carrie! That was totally on point.

*****adding two more pairs of drawers to the huge pile soaking in gasoline in the bathtub*****

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Forcing someone into a facility would be a very difficult sell as a public policy never mind who will pay for it.  

I would argue that the severely mentally ill, drug addicts, alcoholics etc, are way more of a "public nuisance" and have much more ability to do acute harm to themselves and others than some guy eating 5 pizzas a day....

Where do we draw the line especially when someone isn't particularly motivated to help themselves.

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5 minutes ago, SouthernCross said:

Forcing someone into a facility would be a very difficult sell as a public policy never mind who will pay for it.  

I would argue that the severely mentally ill, drug addicts, alcoholics etc, are way more of a "public nuisance" and have much more ability to do acute harm to themselves and others than some guy eating 5 pizzas a day....

Where do we draw the line especially when someone isn't particularly motivated to help themselves.

Very true.  Endowing the State with that kind of authority is anathema to our contemporary sense of the balance of freedoms....and our fundamental personal right to "bodily integrity" ( a term in legal case law meaning the State doesn't get to tamper with our bod ).  However, in the current political climate, that pendulum seems to be swinging In the other direction again - at least with regard to women's bodily integrity ( reproductive rights).

It just seems to me that someone who weighs nearly a 1/2 ton is "prima facie" mentally ill and a danger to himself.  In terms of cost benefit analysis:  Probably getting him appropriately hospitalized in s mental health facility would be less expensive over the long term.

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I had to watch this a day later after I ate and then mentally prepare myself for the f*ckery about to happen.  I was legit yelling at the TV because of the whining!  The EMT's were barely breathing on him and there he goes crying.  And even with the dad being rolled away to an ambulance, James was already back to ME! ME! ME!

The Mother Wife seems done with life.  I felt so sorry for her.  She is in dire need of therapy.  And the daughter, too.  Also, can't Bailey's mom and James get in trouble for her not being in school?  My brother's ex lost custody of their son because he was truant so often.

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1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Because we all know how well James would have listened to the nutritionist, right?

A nutritionist couldn't do anything for him because he just doesn't get it. That's like putting a band aid on a gaping cannonball wound. I would think the first stop would be hospital stay controlled diet with psych appointments.

Edited by gonecrackers
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2 hours ago, bethster2000 said:

He complained that Dr. Now did not arrange for James to see a nutritionist upon his arrival to Houston.

Dr. Now could have sent this man the second coming and it would have done no good because he does not want to change. Because if he got his fat ass out of that bed, he might have to actually do something. He likes having everybody at his beck and call. I think Baby Huey is a very good name for him

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