S05.E11: James K's Story

[LuciaMia]

Quote

"James is a self proclaimed expert in the female persuasion" or so the pop-up says

Its as if the show decided we didn't dislike James enough the first time.

Quote

it's my favorite line in the whole show!! A

Mine was the inevitable "The scale must be wrong. The nurse must be reading it wrong."

[Thriftykins]

Portions in sit down restaurants are so absurd.  It amuses me when the waiter comes and asks of my meal "are you still working on that?"   Working on it.  Like it's a pile of firewood I need to work through and finish stacking before I can go inside and start playing video games.

[BabyRocker]

I feel a bit bad ragging on this guy, but he really does epitomize the worst sort of addict.  I try to stay clear of addicted persons because I grew up in an addict's home.  I have lived enough of my life with the anger and the hate and the never ending need to put more of the toxin in the body - - - and the damage, oh, the damage it does to those who love the addict!  Lisa (the girlfriend) is guilty as sin of fueling his addiction, but it seemed clear she couldn't stop, either.  She is addicted to him and he to the food.  The real "victim" in the story was the child, little miss Bailey, who could see how bad everything was but hadn't a voice loud enough to make the adults listen.

From what I saw of that man, it seems highly doubtful that there is any hope for him to have a life worth living, with or without weight loss.  I wish him well and never wish to see him again.

[aliya]

20 hours ago, Runnergirl said:

Why the hell did they even bother to do this show? Worst. Couple. Ever. 

There's a UK show called 'Fat Doctor.' For the first few seasons, they had success stories and I actually commented on YT that surely there are some who aren't successes, or for whom the process is more difficult than what we see on the show. They actually responded and said in the next season, they had difficult cases. In fact, one of the patients died after surgery (too little too late; not really the doc's fault). 

I think this is the case here. A bunch of shows about happy WLS patients just serves to perpetuate the myth that WLS is a quick fix. I think it is realistic to show that it is difficult to stay on plan, even for people who try to do so. It is difficult when people haven't made the mental shift to eating differently. It is difficult for people who have had such trauma in their lives that unless they deal with that first, nothing is going to help them.

It's good to see the occasional failure (OK, maybe not good for the patient). It shows us real life and that, for all of the formulaic story arcs and poetic voice overs, the producers can't change the humans involved unless those humans want to change. Some don't. That's life.

[Noirprncess]

Just now, poeticlicensed said:

When I went to Europe a couple of years ago, it was shocking how much smaller the portions in the restaurants were. 

Yes!  I was in Switzerland and was shocked at how much protein like chicken breasts costs compared to say, Costco.  You could literally buy a gigantic "family" pack of chicken breasts at Costco for the same cost there for a pack of 2 tiny chix breasts there.  Not to mention, I lost weight because I walked EVERYWHERE!

But restaurant portions are one main reason that people overeat.  Many times you receive multiple servings in one restaurant meal at many casual food places. If you sat there an ate the entire portion, you've consumed so many servings in just one meal and people compound the matter by eating like that for EVERY meal in one day.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

since all this is the fault of the caretakers, why not send them home and hire a caretaker that doesn't put up with their crap and feeds them exactly what they are suppose to eat. It can't cost as much as the hospital stay. 

This is gold.

Think about it - Kathy Bates' character from Misery or for you classic movie fans Baby Jane Hudson (Whatever Happened to Baby Jane) throwing scraps of food at him, serving him basement rats or cracking his oozing diseased legs with a baseball bat.

If this were to be on pay-per-view the posters on this board alone would justify whatever expenses accrued.  And the real cherry on the cheesecake would be having Dr. Now emcee the train wreck.  He could start by saying his famous "Hello, how is everybody doin'?  Tonight we watch man who have 800 pounds of food in him start his weight loss journey.  Watch him make progress."

Maybe I missed my calling. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by PsychoKlown

[poeticlicensed]

RE: the gofundme pages

One of them said (paraphrasing)  that James only drinks water and is physically active, but nothing works. Perhaps they should have taken that page down, given that we witnessed James stuffing himself, and not even leaving the bed to pee and poop.

[okerry]

2 hours ago, FCOL said:

I also love it when they are 500 pounds and want the skin removal surgery. Its just a weird thing for me to grasp people WANTING to go through the pain of surgery over and over.  If I started the Dr.s program and lost 200 without surgery, I would be like 'let's keep doing this!'.

I used to watch Dr. Drew on *Celebrity Rehab.* He talked a lot about people getting addicted to surgery and "procedures" because of the painkilling drugs they'd get afterwards, and that that was one of the things that happened to Michael Jackson. It explained MJ's bizarre appearance, because he was getting surgery after surgery with the real purpose of getting the drugs that follow it.

I'd bet that many of the patients on this show are no different.

[cpcathy]

Another favorite moment.  James: "I gotta work harder and I'm gonna do it and show Dr Now I can do it." (or some such nonsense). Bayley:  "Do you want your weights now so you can work out?" James: "No, not right now."  LOL!

[Tiger Lily]

I watch Hoarders, Intervention and this show. I'm fascinated how life can beat people down and how they deal with it. I usually have empathy towards most of them, but this episode bothered the hell out of me. 

I've been thinking about it, and I think James is the most selfish s.o.b. I've ever seen in my life.

What would he do if god forbid something happened to Lisa and the daughter meets someone and moved away? It's like he's never thought about it? Dude can't even get up, can't even wipe his own ass. What would the city do if he was stuck in that house with no people to take care of him? He hasn't had any of these thoughts I guess, cos that alone should be enough to put the freaking fork down. 

[Miss Chevious]

James an expert when it comes to the female persuasion? Hah! He's totally delusional. The only females that will listen to him are the ones he talks to on the phone right after he gives his credit card number.

[Galloway Cave]

25 minutes ago, LuciaMia said:

Mine was the inevitable "The scale must be wrong. The nurse must be reading it wrong."

Loved her response to that. [Withering look] "Ah, no." {Thought bubble: don't even QUESTION my ability to read a scale}.

[KateHearts]

On 3/16/2017 at 1:51 PM, satrunrose said:

And now my own question for the medical folks: how long can you last in CHF, especially if you don't change your diet? 

No set answers to that question. There are varying degrees of congestive heart failure and various reasons why it occurs.  Many people can manage it with medications for years at a time. Sometimes CHF can occur rapidly due to a viral illness or heart attack, and may not be recoverable at all.  

[torene03]

34 minutes ago, aliya said:

There's a UK show called 'Fat Doctor.' For the first few seasons, they had success stories and I actually commented on YT that surely there are some who aren't successes, or for whom the process is more difficult than what we see on the show. They actually responded and said in the next season, they had difficult cases. In fact, one of the patients died after surgery (too little too late; not really the doc's fault). 

I think this is the case here. A bunch of shows about happy WLS patients just serves to perpetuate the myth that WLS is a quick fix. I think it is realistic to show that it is difficult to stay on plan, even for people who try to do so. It is difficult when people haven't made the mental shift to eating differently. It is difficult for people who have had such trauma in their lives that unless they deal with that first, nothing is going to help them.

It's good to see the occasional failure (OK, maybe not good for the patient). It shows us real life and that, for all of the formulaic story arcs and poetic voice overs, the producers can't change the humans involved unless those humans want to change. Some don't. That's life.

I just binge-watched Fat Doctor on Youtube this past weekend, and while I enjoyed the show, I think it really glossed over any failures the patients might have had. For example there was a woman who moved from Spain (I think) who was approved for surgery, but was denied the day of because she gained too much weight. But they never really showed her working to lose the weight again, really, it was just cut to next scene of her getting her surgery because she did lose the weight eventually. I think the only other 'failure' (aside from the gentleman who passed away) was a woman from the second episode. She had the surgery and was doing well in her final progress interview, but in a later episode revealed that she turned to alcohol and stopped losing weight. But I think Fat Doctor has a more documentary feel while M600PL is more about entertainment. I think the tone would change if they just showed a before interview, 15 minutes of surgery, and success after.

[Smoothcoat]

2 hours ago, Michael Stabosz said:

Some of them do within 2 years.  More of them after 3.  Someone compiled some links to past patients' Facebook pages and web sites

Christina Phillips, for example, got down to about 170 pounds and looks absolutely gorgeous.

I just watched a show I found on YouTube with former patients Melissa, Amber, and Dr Now at this obesity health national conference 2016 fireside chat. It was sort of interesting! Melissa looks good, she's big, but I think she had 3 kids since her surgery. It sounds like she works for Dr Now. Amber's body looked strange to me. Her legs were really swollen (she has lypodema) and she had a lot of loose skin hanging off her upper arms. Her face and and hair looked REALLY pretty. 

They all talked and answered questions from the audience and a lucky person in the audience got a copy of Dr. Now's book and got to go up on stage and shake his hand and get his picture taken with Dr Now.

I wished Dr Now would have talked more and it was hard to understand him between his accent and the TERRIBLE audio/mics at this thing.

Fun facts about Dr. Now: he's single, he works 7 days a week, he has done 5000 WL surgeries, 1000 of them on the super obese. 

I was going to post this in the media thread but I guess more people will see it here in James's hot thread!

[Thriftykins]

I follow Amber's Facebook page.  She talks about wanting to get skin surgery but can't afford it.  I think it's a cosmetic procedure so it isn't covered by insurance.  Some people including myself have suggested she do a GoFundMe page.  It could expose her to a certain amount of negativity so maybe that's why she is hesitant.  But I hope she finds the money to do it, somehow.

[Smoothcoat]

58 minutes ago, LuciaMia said:

  Quote

"James is a self proclaimed expert in the female persuasion" or so the pop-up says

Oh god. Just. Barf. What a moron.

[Smoothcoat]

12 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

 

I follow Amber's Facebook page.  She talks about wanting to get skin surgery but can't afford it.  I think it's a cosmetic procedure so it isn't covered by insurance.  Some people including myself have suggested she do a GoFundMe page.  It could expose her to a certain amount of negativity so maybe that's why she is hesitant.  But I hope she finds the money to do it, somehow.

 

That's a shame! She really is lovely and her body just looks so uneven. You'd think the show would maybe help her. Don't most of them get the skin surgery included if they get to the weight Dr Now says, though?

[Thriftykins]

Just now, Smoothcoat said:

That's a shame! She really is lovely and her body just looks so uneven. You'd think the show would maybe help her. Don't most of them get the skin surgery included if they get to the weight Dr Now says, though?

That's what I thought too, but I can't find a concrete answer on it.

[SouthernCross]

16 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

I follow Amber's Facebook page.  She talks about wanting to get skin surgery but can't afford it.  I think it's a cosmetic procedure so it isn't covered by insurance.  Some people including myself have suggested she do a GoFundMe page.  It could expose her to a certain amount of negativity so maybe that's why she is hesitant.  But I hope she finds the money to do it, somehow.

Does she work?

[Thriftykins]

Just now, SouthernCross said:

Does she work?

Dunno.  Probably.  But I mean surgery is expensive so it could be hard to save up for even with a job, on top of every day expenses.  I'm getting some elective work done on my teeth and the total bill comes out to about 10 grand.  Gonna take 4 years to pay that off even with a job.  I don't see anything wrong with asking people for help if they want to give it.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, Hana Chan said:

Not to sound like a broken record, but he's as delusional as fuck. And he keeps painting himself as some kind of sad victim when the only victims here is that poor woman and her daughter who are trapped as his caretakers.

They are not victims.  They are there by choice.  There are always options along the way, in all of our lives.  I am not speaking of disasters that come our way like hurricanes, fires, disease etc.

5 minutes ago, Smoothcoat said:

That's a shame! She really is lovely and her body just looks so uneven. You'd think the show would maybe help her. Don't most of them get the skin surgery included if they get to the weight Dr Now says, though?

No. They see a plastic surgeon for that.  Not included.  :^)

[operalover]

42 minutes ago, Galloway Cave said:

Loved her response to that. [Withering look] "Ah, no." {Thought bubble: don't even QUESTION my ability to read a scale}.

It's because for 3 days before the appt they followed the diet and they thought that would be enough to fool Dr. Now. IT's like when the 650 pound woman lost 11 pounds in 2 months and was thrilled.  She knew how bad she had been and how much she had cheated so she was more thrilled she didn't show a gain and could pretend that she was not cheating. Dr. Now had her number though because if she was not cheating she would have lost 50 pounds or more.  He probably didn't drink anything for 2 days and figured he'd peed all the bologna, chinese food and cheese cake out. 

[bethster2000]

1 hour ago, flappa1016 said:

But it's better than chowing down on rice and sauces full of starch and sugar. It's just as annoying as the fact that IHOP adds pancake batter to their scrambled eggs to make them fluffy. 

Yes.  Would you believe that I lost 40 lbs. in 2015 just cutting out the *obvious* carbs in my diet?  No processed flour, no processed sugar.  I had to adjust to a new way of living and eating, but it has been so worth it.  The first time I was able to walk up a flight of stairs without having to stop for five minutes to catch my breath...it was the most amazing feeling in the world.  Now my husband and I have pledged to each lose another 50 lbs. in the next year.  It can be done without killing yourself about every single carb and calorie!  It's amazing what a few changes here and there can do.

That is, of course, unless you are a stinky disgusting blob of a man-child who has the audacity to be a petulant abuser of those who make his continued existence on this planet possible.  He's SICK of fish and chicken, y'all!  Dr. Now had better not START with him!  OW!!!  MAH LEG!!!

[SouthernCross]

3 minutes ago, Michael Stabosz said:

Dunno.  Probably.  But I mean surgery is expensive so it could be hard to save up for even with a job, on top of every day expenses.  I'm getting some elective work done on my teeth and the total bill comes out to about 10 grand.  Gonna take 4 years to pay that off even with a job.  I don't see anything wrong with asking people for help if they want to give it.

I've had plastic surgery ($10K+) and not because I gained 600 lbs.  I know what it costs.  It never occurred to me to ask strangers to pay for it and FTR...I saved the money up in advance.  

If people want to contribute then they should knock themselves out.  JMO but as a general statement I think people have paid enough to support the participants of this show.  Time for them to have some skin in the game.

[Maggienolia]

15 hours ago, steff13 said:

It was fried rice, though.  You know frying removes all the carbs.  

OMG!! IF. ONLY. What a beautiful world it would be! French fries = carb free! Fried ice cream = carb free! Fried macaroni-cheese balls = carb free! Can we get a study going to investigate this?? 

[xwordfanatik]

4 hours ago, Miss Chevious said:

I was thinking along the same lines but projecting it forward a bit. After James and Penny go to that Big Burger Stand in the Sky (and we all know they're going sooner rather than later) Lisa and Penny's hubby could hook up. They could have a pee-pad burning party and go to the grocery store together for a romantic date. Stranger things have happened...

Your scenario may very well come true, Miss.  Penny and James will always make their ridiculous excuses though, even from the great beyond.  Didn't they both try to bullshit Dr. Now that they were working hard, and sticking to the diet?  There's not enough money in the world for me to put up with as much crap as Dr. Now does!

3 hours ago, gardendiva said:

Why do all these behemoth bariatric patients seem to have the same weird splayed out legs? They all look like they have the legs of a plastic baby doll whose legs have been turned out in their sockets. I am a normal size and tried to get my legs to do that and it was painful in the hips to keep them in that position.

Also, every time he moves his bowels it must be the size of a cow pie. That thought just occurred to me and I generously thought I would share it with all of you. You're welcome.

Oh gawd, just getting a mental picture of that!  I am SO thankful they haven't invented smell-o-vision!

[Granny58]

On 3/15/2017 at 11:44 PM, mamadrama said:

I've had cellulitis. I actually got it from a cat scratch. Apparently, cat scratch fever is a real thing and not just a song! :-) And yes, you can't just scrape them and let them drain. As an infection, you risk spreading it and getting it on other people. 

OMG this guy. I hate to see my state represented like this. Tech. All the yelling and screaming and whining...I couldn't take it. In fact, that was worse than the cellulitis to me. 

With that being said, couldn't they have doped him up for the ride down to Houston? It probably would have made the ride more peaceful. I've been transported from one city to the other many times (not because I am 600 pounds but because my organs rupture regularly and it's not something my local hospital can handle). They always give me pain relievers and at least some Valium for the trip, just to make my ride easier. It IS very uncomfortable in the back of the ambulance. 

Still, the EMTs were the MVPs of this episode. I am constantly amazed at how respectful they are. One will usually ride in the back with me and I always feel like I have to entertain him to make up for the fact that he has to be back there for hours at a time. Luckily, I am hilarious on morphine. 

Can't believe they took the poor girl out of school to take care of him. I hope she ran away from home while he was in Houston. 

you seem pretty groovy even not on morphine.

[Kid]

1 hour ago, BabyRocker said:

I feel a bit bad ragging on this guy, but he really does epitomize the worst sort of addict.  I try to stay clear of addicted persons because I grew up in an addict's home.  I have lived enough of my life with the anger and the hate and the never ending need to put more of the toxin in the body - - - and the damage, oh, the damage it does to those who love the addict!  Lisa (the girlfriend) is guilty as sin of fueling his addiction, but it seemed clear she couldn't stop, either.  She is addicted to him and he to the food.  The real "victim" in the story was the child, little miss Bailey, who could see how bad everything was but hadn't a voice loud enough to make the adults listen.

From what I saw of that man, it seems highly doubtful that there is any hope for him to have a life worth living, with or without weight loss.  I wish him well and never wish to see him again.

I hear you!  Your story is my story and you are right on with your analysis of the situation! 

[Carrie]

1 hour ago, operalover said:

I have fibromyalgia too and I love sweets and can eat them all day long, day after day. I do exercise like a maniac (about 8-10 hours per week 3 hours or so is very hard effort) although it's often very painful. This is the only way to keep my weight down. The minute I stop exercising I gain 10 pounds in 2 weeks. Right now I stop eating after 7PM every night. This has helped the acid reflux and the weight. It's really hard but a lot of us eat for boredom, stress and emotions. I lost my dad a few months ago so turned to food for comfort but as soon as I hit a point of about 12 pounds over where I want to be, I get with the program. I get myself back on track. I used to not get myself back on track until I was 25 pounds over weight, but since losing that 25 pounds in 2008, I don't let myself get more than 12 pounds over before snapping back to reality. Middle age and a family history of obesity plus medical problems, it does seem like we are fighting a losing battle. 

Hang in there!  I'm so sorry about losing your dad. Listen - as much as many of us enjoy the snark  - none of us is perfect.  People with weight problems and food disorders abound on this thread, not to mention health problems, employment problems, relationship problems, money problems and recent tragedies. Don't be so hard on yourself. It sounds like you're doing great!  ❤️

Edited March 17, 2017 by Carrie
Grammar issue!

[auntjess]

On ‎3‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 8:10 PM, Pers said:

This guy's life is like a bad country music song. "Mom died, house burned down, dog ate my homework and ran away."

No Pers, he was really hungry and ate the poor dog.
I'm only at the $300 stage of the GoFundme, and think they should charged for taking that girl out of school.  He's not worth it.

[DC Gal in VA]

Closely watched last night's Supersized episode because, after watching the original one, and reading all of your comments here, I realized that I had missed a lot of details in the first one. One detail which I managed to miss twice was the screen message about being an expert on the "female persuasion."

Do any of you think it's possible that James spotted poor, abused, downtrodden Lisa all those years ago as an easy mark to fulfill his needs? My thinking is that after becoming her "friend" and comforting her when he saw she was upset with a kiss on the cheek, where she said she fell instantly in love with him, was just the beginning of his grooming process, much like the way a pedophile can spot and groom a young child to get what he wants.

I mean, he wasn't exactly a catch when she met him, already obese at 400 pounds, but being the slime ball that we know him to be, saw an opportunity for free booty on demand knowing how physically abusive her husband was. All he had to show her was a minimal amount of affection and he could get anything he wanted. Just like a large predator can sniff out their prey, I think he saw a sad, desperate woman and pounced.

Once that sick dynamic was in place, he could get her to do anything: cheat on her husband, have two kids by him, but being a lazy bastard, allow his children to be raised and financially supported by someone he knew was violent, and even after the divorce, not bother to marry her, which leads us to the truly sick relationship we have all been witnessed to.

After years of that treatment by him, it was a cakewalk (pun intended) to get her to do all of the humiliating things he does to her--wash his ass, pull their daughter out of school to help wash his ass, clean his wounds, empty his bags full of pee, spend God knows how many hours shopping for, preparing, and serving him food, sleep on the floor in case he pisses or shits himself in the middle of the night--all the while getting bigger and bigger, and more nasty and infantile with each passing day.

We know he is beyond all help, but I wonder if, after decades of abuse by her ex and this giant turd, she's so beaten down that there's no saving her either. Also, she'll likely never leave him because for her one of the most painful things she is desperately trying to emotionally or psychologically avoid is the fact that not only does not love or even like her now, he never did.

At least that's how I see it.

Edited March 17, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To correct typo and add additional comments.

[operalover]

DC gal in VA- that is pretty grim but nice synopsis of what her life is and what she does and has done. I mean they are co-dependent so it seems they sought each other out. It is true that the other guy raised his kids! What a lazy sack of shit.

I also noticed in the very beginning of the show, when she walks over to his bed, she is limping. She is 56 years old and looks in horrid shape. She is also a physical mess from all this. I'll bet she has her OWN medical problem and aches and ouchies.

[Tenarife60]

1 hour ago, Tiger Lily said:

I watch Hoarders, Intervention and this show. I'm fascinated how life can beat people down and how they deal with it. I usually have empathy towards most of them, but this episode bothered the hell out of me. 

I've been thinking about it, and I think James is the most selfish s.o.b. I've ever seen in my life.

What would he do if god forbid something happened to Lisa and the daughter meets someone and moved away? It's like he's never thought about it? Dude can't even get up, can't even wipe his own ass. What would the city do if he was stuck in that house with no people to take care of him? He hasn't had any of these thoughts I guess, cos that alone should be enough to put the freaking fork down. 

Most likely he would have a live-in caregiver paid for by the state.  I think some people do that, even though they aren't morbidly obese.  Possibly he would be put into a nursing home too.

[EtheltoTillie]

4 hours ago, Stephanie1216 said:

.

yes, his legs really get worse over the course of the seven months that were filmed. It starts off as cellulitis but the bubbles that come after I can't find anywhere online.

 

My husband is a dermatologist.  I may have to make him watch part of this so we can get an answer.  My husband has books and journals all over the house with gross pictures like this.  I'm used to it, and yet I found James's feet gag-inducing.

[Honey]

On 3/15/2017 at 9:51 PM, Maggienolia said:

Probably would end up with a hernia if she even COULD push all that bulk off a cliff. 

Totally worth it.

[DC Gal in VA]

29 minutes ago, operalover said:

DC gal in VA- that is pretty grim but nice synopsis of what her life is and what she does and has done. I mean they are co-dependent so it seems they sought each other out. It is true that the other guy raised his kids! What a lazy sack of shit.

I also noticed in the very beginning of the show, when she walks over to his bed, she is limping. She is 56 years old and looks in horrid shape. She is also a physical mess from all this. I'll bet she has her OWN medical problem and aches and ouchies.

Gee operalover it is grim isn't it, but it's the only way I can make sense or even begin to understand their relationship. She does look horrible doesn't she. I'm not critiquing superficial stuff like hair, make up, clothing although I can't think of anyone who deserves a makeover more than she does. What I mean is that beaten down demeanor and those dead eyes; positively haunting. But now that you mention it, one of the screen messages said she had hernias from all the years of lifting/roll his humongous, ungrateful ass. What kind of childhood must she have had to believe she deserves a lifetime of abuse?

Edited March 17, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To correct typo.

[Maggienolia]

6 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

One thing I am curious about.  Lisa said that James would yell if she didn't bring him food.

That's not what I observed.  Mostly she was offering him food, even offering second helpings using her sweetest voice.  Instructing Bayley on the exact manner in which he enjoys his gargantuan breakfast - doused in gravy.  Quickly running to get Chinese food.  Bringing him huge portions of dessert while cooing, is it good?  Do you like it?  Are you pleased? How 'bout that pie?

He didn't need to put up much of a fuss for Lisa to excitedly deliver the calories, like he's doing her a favor somehow.  She was abjectly submissive.

I'm guessing she was so beat-down when they met that he really only had to pitch one or two "fits" with yelling to train her to just bring him food -as much and as often as he wants- to avoid the conflict. Just the threat of his yelling and throwing a tantrum is enough to keep her "in line". If he's happy and being coddled then that keeps the peace (sick, twisted, unhealthy, oppressive peace) and she doesn't get yelled at (which having been abused by her husband, would be a huge thing). 

[Barb23]

2 hours ago, LuciaMia said:

 

Mine was the inevitable "The scale must be wrong. The nurse must be reading it wrong."

I'm sure he thought he did lose weight because the nurse read the weight as kilograms first, I think it was in the 300's. I'm sure in his mind he was hearing 300 POUNDS. Then she gave him the  pounds number in the 800's.   

 

2 hours ago, poeticlicensed said:

When I went to Europe a couple of years ago, it was shocking how much smaller the portions in the restaurants were. 

Ever since then, I find that I am hypersensitive to portion size and  I steer clear of some restaurants. It's literally disgusting watching people devour piles of food. 

My son said the same thing when he went to Italy.  Evidently it's an insult to the chef if you ask to take your leftovers home.  Compare that to a recent dinner I had at a local restaurant.  There was 7 of us & 5  took home at least 1/2 of our meals.  I was able to divide my leftovers into 2 meals. 

[AZChristian]

Don't get me started on portion sizes!

We just came back from a short cruise.  Our personal rule is to never eat at the buffet.  The dining room has European-sized portions, so we get wonderful food, but only appropriate amounts.  HOWEVER, one day (because of scheduling), we did go up to the buffet.  We picked up small pieces of a few different things, but NO potatoes, low carbs, etc.  What was disgusting was to see what other people were hauling back to their tables.  They looked like a whole bunch of plates set up for people like James.  And they clean those plates up and head back for a stack of desserts.  

A little self control goes a long way.  If you can't self-limit what you eat at a buffet, DON'T GO THERE.

[Ocean Chick]

I'm guessing James was looking for a "mother figure", and Lisa was looking for someone to take care of.  He probably also wanted to be the knight in shining armor who could save the damsel in distress and be the hero.  They were both broken in just the right way for each other.  So he has his mommy who feeds him and wipes his bottom and takes care of all his needs.  And she has someone who doesn't beat her (and who she can convince herself isn't being emotionally abusive).  She IS a prisoner, but only of her own mind.  She talked about how once she got him on his feet, that she'd probably leave him.  But we see how she makes sure he'll never get back on his feet by over-feeding him.  She's like a animal that's been caged all it's life - she's afraid of freedom.  The cage is familiar.   She talks a great game about helping him be healthier, but she really doesn't want that.  She has the freedom to walk away any time (after first calling APS), but she doesn't.  There's a strong strain of martyrdom in her.  And the keep feeding each other's sickness, and will until one of them is dead.

 

ETA:  she's around MY age?  My goodness.  I knew she was probably younger than she looked, but I was estimating her to be in her mid-late 60s at least!  That is some "rode wet" right there.

Edited March 17, 2017 by Ocean Chick

[KateHearts]

On 3/16/2017 at 4:26 PM, Runnergirl said:

I've had artery catheters too and his shrieking at having it removed, what a pansy.  I keep hearing that shriek over and over. 

It wasn't in an artery, that's a central line in a large neck vein. Seems that he probably was impossible to stick for a wrist vein because of his size.  But the whimpering "Am I gonna bleed out??" just reinforces my belief that many, many of these people have stopped their emotional development for some reason in their childhood.  

[marz]

4 hours ago, Whyyouneedaname said:

hafta admit when he was eating the Chinese take out I was shocked that he left some on the plate. Of course he could have been in a hurry to inhale the cheese cake. Dude needs some intervention, and the GF & daughter completely out of the pic, he is abusing them.

That was actually his 10th plate - they didn't show the first 9.  He was finally full.

[SuzieQ]

13 hours ago, Dru Blood said:

I am not trying to gross anyone out but I googled "severe cellulitis" (on the off chance) I would see James' legs represented there.  DO NOT DO IT.  How does anyone un see black, rotting holes in flesh.

 

I did it already and am ready to throw bleach in my eyes to get rid of the images.  I will see you right there in hell!!

[SuzieQ]

9 hours ago, Michael Stabosz said:

Most of these episodes there is an enabler.  Sometimes there are patients who are still functional enough to get out and get their own food, but that's the exception.  When asked why the enabler keeps feeding the patient, they often say something like "if I don't, he gets angry and abusive and yells a lot".  This I believe was the first time they actually showed that in practice.  I wish they would do it that way more often.  You know that the film crew is capturing it.  More of this, fewer disgusting shower scenes and boring therapist scenes.

This is so true!! And I really hate when the Dr. yells at them.  They aren't force feeding anyone! How about the person who is 700 lbs. takes some accountability?!?

[cpcathy]

I noticed Lisa would tell Dr Now how James would get angry and scream when she didn't bring him the food, then Dr Now asked James, James would get all innocent and say something like, "oh, well, I ask her for food, not yell...."

[Toaster Strudel]

17 minutes ago, KateHearts said:

It wasn't in an artery, that's a central line in a large neck vein. Seems that he probably was impossible to stick for a wrist vein because of his size.  But the whimpering "Am I gonna bleed out??" just reinforces my belief that many, many of these people have stopped their emotional development for some reason in their childhood.  

I think it was in his carotid artery.  I had one for a couple of days earlier this month, and I felt nothing but relief when they removed it.  No "ow mah nack!!!" from me.

[aliya]

Hand me a pair of them gasoline soaked drawers. I swear this is all I've been able to think of since James' show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJjMnHoIBI

[Toaster Strudel]

1 minute ago, cpcathy said:

I noticed Lisa would tell Dr Now how James would get angry and scream when she didn't bring him the food, then Dr Now asked James, James would get all innocent and say something like, "oh, well, I ask her for food, not yell...."

We didn't see him yell... he did just ask for food!

[Granny58]

On 3/16/2017 at 2:05 AM, Muffyn said:

I do have one very important question.  I'm typing from bed.  Does this mattress make me look fat?

HA HA HA HA HA