S05.E16: Where are the now? Brittani and Sean

[MichelleTX]

Also, it wouldn't be impossible to eat a whole pizza in a day if you kept going back for more every hour. Add in snacks and you could easily eat tons of calories in a day and gain weight. Which is what I suspect some of these 600lbers are doing. 

[Whyyouneedaname]

I know of a couple of people where I live that has gotten the sleeve surgery and I swear it doesn't look like they've lost more that 30 or 40 lbs. I think they were approved by their insurance and it really looks like a waste to me, don't get me wrong I think that's great but not what I would expect after surgery. These are not your 600 lb people so I guess losing that much is ok. Thanks for the above info on gaining back.

[okerry]

26 minutes ago, MichelleTX said:

Also, it wouldn't be impossible to eat a whole pizza in a day if you kept going back for more every hour. Add in snacks and you could easily eat tons of calories in a day and gain weight. Which is what I suspect some of these 600lbers are doing. 

Some substitute one addiction for another and start drinking. Alcohol has a lot of calories.

[Standard Staples]

The saddest thing about this episode is, if you compare this to the typical story arc, it has taken Sean 2 full years to "begin" the journey.  He's over 500 lbs, bedridden, eating bologna and processed cheese sandwiches, being wheeled around with no shoes in the grocery store.  That's how they typically set up the "I make really poor food choices and get embarrassed in public due to my weight" segment.

I don't see any hope of long term success, especially if mother has her way.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Standard Staples

[Barb23]

I may be the only one thinking this but I'm thinking Sean's Mom going to the hospital may have just been set up by TLC.  It just seemed too convenient for me.  They were both at the point where neither of them was doing the other any good, so *poof*  Mom gets suddenly admitted to the hospital so we could see Sean trying to do things on his own.  IIRC, we never got a TLC explanation of what happened to her just what Sean told the psychiatrist which wasn't much.  Sean's segments really got to me because I have a son around his age, 27.  Seeing  how far my son has gotten in his life with his schooling & and a career he loves & just his life makes me so mad to see what Sean's mom has done to his. I feel like Sean has regressed.  There were a lot of shots of him staring out in space like he was on something. Then when Dr Now & Mom were having their battle, Sean puts the bed sheet over his head. I'm sure he did feel like doing that but that was 5 yr old behavior, not someone who is in their late 20's.

Love  Britani's progress & Dr Now should use her story as a teaching tool.

[auntjess]

7 minutes ago, Barb23 said:

 IIRC, we never got a TLC explanation of what happened to her just what Sean told the psychiatrist which wasn't much.

As long as she's out of the picture, I'm not going to worry about how it happened. 
Maybe she had a breakdown.

[PradaKitty]

There have been seven women in my office who have had gastric bypass surgery over the past few years.  Some of them looked fantastic for a while, but sadly,   they are all obese again...

[Miss Ruth]

2 hours ago, Dianaofthehunt said:

How can anyone GAIN weight after such a process? Isn’t your stomach made smaller?

If this has been answered already, excuse this post.  I haven't read them all yet.

I haven't had the surgery, but know a bit about it from watching television and reading.  Dr. Now tells his patients that they will still be able to eat pretty much anything they want, but cannot eat much at a time.  Even though the stomach is considerably smaller, it can stretch again from overeating.  Many patients we see on the show have easily piled the pounds back on.  Some also don't realize that the surgery is not a cure-all, and they will still have to practice self-control to lose the weight and keep it off.  I daresay that many of these people wouldn't have the surgery if they realized it beforehand.  To quote Penny Seager,  "I didn't know I'd have to lose weight after I got here."

[Wings]

3 minutes ago, Miss Ruth said:

To quote Penny Seager,  "I didn't know I'd have to lose weight after I got here."

What did she mean by that?  I assume she was a patient of Dr Now.  

[Miss Ruth]

Penny was featured on the show in 2014.  Suffice it to say that she was a real piece of work.  I understood by her comment that she is one of the many people who thinks the surgery is a magic pill or a cure-all, and the patient just has to sit back and lose weight. You may want to check this site for the comments on Penny, or watch the whole episode online.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Miss Ruth

[joh]

has anyone ever noticed all the NEW vehicles they drive on this show? where is the money coming from to buy all this food, please explain!!

[Wings]

4 minutes ago, joh said:

has anyone ever noticed all the NEW vehicles they drive on this show? where is the money coming from to buy all this food, please explain!!

Yes, I notice that every episode.  I assume they are rented by TLC.  Hard to believe everyone has a new model SUV, van or large car with leather interior.  

[Awfarmington]

Just now, wings707 said:

Yes, I notice that every episode.  I assume they are rented by TLC.  Hard to believe everyone has a new model SUV, van or large car with leather interior.  

Last night, Sean's mom had a nicer mini van to haul him in. But later they showed her driving what looked like an old cop car. I'm betting the mini van was rented by TLC and the older model car was her actual vehicle. 

[Granny58]

15 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Okay, this show makes me into a horrible person. I was really thinking that both Sean and his mom should be written off. Neither of them is making any contribution to society. They are both total drains on societal resources. Keep serving up the mac and cheese and shut the F up, losers. If you die? At least we save some money.  See what I mean about the horrible person? I feel differently about someone who cares and tries to improve. Sean is not that.

I know...it's frustrating, but Sean is damaged.  He could improve if he had some independence. 

[Granny58]

5 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Dr Now himself looked like he was going to blow up when she brazenly declared that she was counting calories, but adding just a little more because her 1000-lb baby was hungry.  He gained over 50 lbs... after bariatric surgery!  That didn't add up!

I marveled at that myself.  I am 50 pounds heavier than I was at 14, but I was skinny then and that was over 40 years ago, desk job and menopause included and I'm still not 200 pounds.  I cannot even imagine how one thinks they are eating well but still putting that wt on, or, has their metabolism changed such that even slightly overeating is enough to do it?  I've heard tale after tale of how these people cheat "just a little bit" but put on masses of weight IN A MONTH.  It really makes me suspect a huge metabolic dysfunction and strict adherence to the diet. is absolutely crucial.  

[Miss Ruth]

One person's "just a little bit" can be vastly different from someone else's.

[amacmom]

I haven't watched yet, but want to circle back around to the bare feet. I live in a Southern California beach area and it's very common to see barefoot customers in grocery stores. My surfer son worked as a beach lifeguard and was shoeless more than not in the summer. I don't see bare feet any different than dirty shoes, but it is a good reminder to wash any produce you eat whole and that may have hit the floor at some point. I agree the barefoot rule is more of a liability issue than a hygiene issue.

Edited April 20, 2017 by amacmom

[LocalGovt]

14 hours ago, Diamond Dog said:

Dr. Now smackdown was epic. When he gets pissed, there is no stopping him. 

Even if Sean's Mom is out of the picture, Sean will never have a normal life. He didn't even know what a friggin' mango was. What a sad life. When he talked about his mom being in the hospital, he went into a disassociated state. He was saying he was worried about her, but didn't know how she was doing -- does he not know how to operate a phone?  Very weird. When she dies, he'll end up in a group home, and knit away his life. He has no clue how to function even at a basic level. 

I was thrilled to see Dr. Paradise again. He's a great therapist. 

Brittani did great! She's so cute. Hopefully, her husband will get on board, and try and get healthy too.  

I was wondering if the mom was unconscious, and  maybe that's why he didn't call her?

1 hour ago, Miss Ruth said:

If this has been answered already, excuse this post.  I haven't read them all yet.

I haven't had the surgery, but know a bit about it from watching television and reading.  Dr. Now tells his patients that they will still be able to eat pretty much anything they want, but cannot eat much at a time.  Even though the stomach is considerably smaller, it can stretch again from overeating.  Many patients we see on the show have easily piled the pounds back on.  Some also don't realize that the surgery is not a cure-all, and they will still have to practice self-control to lose the weight and keep it off.  I daresay that many of these people wouldn't have the surgery if they realized it beforehand.  To quote Penny Seager,  "I didn't know I'd have to lose weight after I got here."

I've never heard him say you can eat pretty much what you want. But maybe I missed that part. :) He touts the low to no carb, veggies, no fruit, absolutely no sugary desserts,chips or bread, diet - before surgery, and the soft food diet for quite a while after surgery.

[Complexity]

I finally got a chance to watch it. And before I read any of the comments already posted, I just want say...

YAY BRITTANI!! You go, girl! ? Whoohoo, congratulations!! ?

[DC Gal in VA]

7 hours ago, Toaster Strudel said:

Anyone else chuckle when the Seanmom recap included a moan of "Owe mah knee!" when they shoved him in the ambulance?

Or when mom handed him a roasted leg of prehistoric bird, Flintstones size?  Memories...

First of all kudos to you for giving us the brilliant "Seanmom" Toaster Strudel! That's a perfect description for the two of them since they were always creepily saying "we" as if they were one entity.

And yesssssss, I remarked on that "Ow, mah knee" during the Live Chat and shamelessly laughed my ass off when Sean said it.

But, back to Seanmom.

From watching the original episode on Sean, my take on their relationship was that Sean was a just another nasty, manipulative, ungrateful man-baby who used his mom's guilt about getting a divorce, which Sean hinted was so traumatizing for him, to get her to feed him whatever he wanted and wait on him hand and foot. I really loathed Sean because of how hateful and manipulative he was to his poor, misguided mom. She frustrated me as his enabler, but part of me felt sorry for her, especially since Sean said that his father was not a kind or loving person which made me hate Sean all the more for punishing her for getting out of a bad marriage.

Boy, did last night's show cause a major change in my opinion of both of them. My sympathies towards her went out the window, especially after her epic meltdown with Dr. Now, and his take no prisoners approach to her hysterical bullshit. That was Dr. Now at his finest! When he directly accused her of Munchausen's, it really rang true to me and I was able to make sense of why she allowed him to just lay there at 18 years old--didn't even graduate high school I believe--never bothering to fight for him to get his foot and ankle properly taken care of, and just feeding, feeding, feeding him.

Afterall, before his injury, he had a life separate from her. Sure he was huge, but he played high school football, probably a defensive lineman or middle line backer, and was good at, which must have been great for his self esteem, and meant he had a life apart from her. After the injury, he's bedbound and she can have him all to herself 24/7. And him being on 30 different medications at his age? That was all her. Disgusting.

So, utilizing my completely non-existent medical degree from the internet, my expert diagnosis of her is that she is a total creep.

Sean has been so damaged and infantalized by her that he may never have a normal life. I really feel for him now and hope he proves me wrong.

Edited April 20, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To add additional comments and clarification.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

1 hour ago, Awfarmington said:

Last night, Sean's mom had a nicer mini van to haul him in. But later they showed her driving what looked like an old cop car. I'm betting the mini van was rented by TLC and the older model car was her actual vehicle. 

Sean mentioned that his mother rented a van and put a mattress in it to take him to the doctor.   And yet, he did not say, "Ow, mah layg!" 

[Complexity]

8 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Also, I had switched the channel over to check on something else  and missed the part of what happened to Sean's mother.  I saw her meet with the therapist and then Sean, but, then it appeared that she was no longer in the apt.  What happened to her?

She ended up with the hospital for stomach pain. Sean said her stomach got larger. No word on if it's something serious or just gas, but I agree with what many others have said that it may be psychological.

[gigiann]

10 hours ago, Miracle Maxie said:

I kept getting a horror movie vibe from Sean's mother. (Bette or Joan would have to play her part, of course.) I really wondered how she was counting 1200 calories - did it bear any relation to what is really 1200 calories and was the discrepancy deliberate or accidental? I'm convinced it was deliberate.

YES!  I kept wondering how his mom kept saying "sometimes we up the calories a bit to about 1200 to 1500, cause 800-1000 is too few".  That is downright impossible for Sean to have gained 40-50 lbs from being 200-500 calories over budget.  Where did she get her calorie counts from?  Did she view on her website that pizza is about 300 calories and she thought it meant a WHOLE PIZZA and fudged up his calorie intake with stupidity or purposely?

[auntjess]

I somehow missed the 30 medicines bit, and I've erased the episode.
What types of things, and did Dr. Now end them?

Thanks.

[Complexity]

3 hours ago, Standard Staples said:

The saddest thing about this episode is, if you compare this to the typical story arc, it has taken Sean 2 full years to "begin" the journey.  He's over 500 lbs, bedridden, eating bologna and processed cheese sandwiches, being wheeled around with no shoes in the grocery store.  That's how they typically set up the "I make really poor food choices and get embarrassed in public due to my weight" segment.

I don't see any hope of long term success, especially if mother has her way.

I'm a hopeless optimist. I prefer to hope for success even when it doesn't appear very likely. I'd rather celebrate any success, no matter how small, than to discount the possibility even before the outcome is known.

In Sean's case, I think he has a chance. It won't be easy and it's not very likely, but I won't write him off completely. What we've seen so far is how he behaves under his mother's "care". But he showed some promise as he was given a chance to be on his own.

While in the hospital when his mother's visits were restricted, he said he understood why Dr. Now separated them and that he was going to start trying to do more things on his own. And he did! He began to care for himself for the first time. He began to make his own meals. True, they weren't very healthy meals, but it's a start. Baby steps. He wasn't fighting the process. He was doing his best given his level of knowledge at the time.

Also, when his mother was in the hospital, he didn't moan and groan about having to do stuff himself. Instead, he actually tried. He also made some achievements, such as standing longer, doing his own wash, and going to the grocery store to buy his own food for the very first time.

Also notice that he lost weight when he was on his own. That's very encouraging!

What I was seeing was a young man taking his first steps. Yeah, he fell a lot. The steps were wobbly. They were nothing like what one would expect from someone who's been walking for years. But for Sean, his level of independence, self-care, and self-responsibility was his first baby steps. I am happy for him and hope he continues on that road. It will be extremely hard and the odds of him becoming fully independent are low, but he does have in his favor that he is young and willing to learn. I'm not counting him out yet.

It may have taken him 2 years to get to this point, but that's better than never.

Edited April 20, 2017 by Complexity
Clarification

[Carolina Girl]

3 hours ago, Barb23 said:

Love  Britani's progress & Dr Now should use her story as a teaching tool.

I think one of the things so endearing about Brittani is that she never felt sorry for herself or blamed anyone else.  She gained 27 lbs. during vacation?  Okay, one little tear of disappointment when she didn't get approved for surgery and she went home with determination and grit.  Loses what she gained and then some.  

And I've heard of a resting bitch face.  Brittani has the exact opposite.  She seems to have a resting cheerful face.  

[Cherrio]

With so many of these patients, another aspect of Sean's mother is that she may be addicted to opiates that Sean takes. In order for her to maintain her drug supply, she has to keep him in bed and huge.

Of course I agree with all the other pathological stuff going on too.

[Tabbygirl521]

2 hours ago, amacmom said:

I haven't watched yet, but want to circle back around to the bare feet. I live in a Southern California beach area and it's very common to see barefoot customers in grocery stores. My surfer son worked as a beach lifeguard and was shoeless more than not in the summer. I don't see bare feet any different than dirty shoes, but it is a good reminder to wash any produce you eat whole and that may have hit the floor at some point. I agree the barefoot rule is more of a liability issue than a hygiene issue.

Flip-flops aren't a whole lot different from bare feet, either, and I live in them as much as possible.  But I won't be sticking my toes on any food-prep areas ?

Brittani is fabulous. She is clearly very self-aware as well as apparently a super nice person. I love to see her succeeding like this. 

Sean's mom = FEH. 

[55Unicorns]

Watching the supersized version of Sean and Brittani...

[gigiann]

1 hour ago, Cherrio said:

With so many of these patients, another aspect of Sean's mother is that she may be addicted to opiates that Sean takes. In order for her to maintain her drug supply, she has to keep him in bed and huge.

Hmmm, good point.  Would make sense.  That's why she keeps saying how much pain he is in and needs meds and runs him to ER.  Then when she suddenly ends up in the hospital, maybe it was because she realized she might not get meds from Dr Now for Sean in ER and went to ER herself.  Might be, might not be, but good point.

Edited April 21, 2017 by gigiann

[Granny58]

2 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

So, utilizing my completely non-existent medical degree from the internet, my expert diagnosis of her is that she is a total creep.

LOVE THIS.

[TicketToHellPaid]

I have not read the threads on this episode as I just started it.

but..

is it weird Dr. Now suddenly got sexy to me while telling Sean's mom what is what?

Damn Dr. Now, you're getting hotter by the tirades?

[Wings]

5 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

I have not read the threads on this episode as I just started it.

but..

is it weird Dr. Now suddenly got sexy to me while telling Sean's mom what is what?

Damn Dr. Now, you're getting hotter by the tirades?

Sit tight, I am on my way.  Breathe through your nose and drink water.  It is going to be okay. 

Edited April 21, 2017 by wings707

[DC Gal in VA]

27 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

Watching the supersized version of Sean and Brittani...

Oh you are a bad influence on me 55Unicorns, now I'm watching it too!

[55Unicorns]

1 minute ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Oh you are a bad influence on me 55Unicorns, now I'm watching it too!

See how I am, lol?

[Wings]

1 hour ago, Cherrio said:

With so many of these patients, another aspect of Sean's mother is that she may be addicted to opiates that Sean takes. In order for her to maintain her drug supply, she has to keep him in bed and huge.

Of course I agree with all the other pathological stuff going on too.

Oh, I think you may be right!  She is probably in rehab, thus her long absence.  

[Miss Ruth]

The only time I saw Sean lose weight "on his own" was when he was in the hospital on a controlled diet.  Even though his Mother's visits were restricted to once a week, I don't call that "on his own."  I also didn't see him fix one bite of food for himself, or do a lick of work around the house, until his Mother went to the hospital.  It took all the compliments Dr. Paradise could rake and scrape to get Sean to just stand up!  He has a long way to go, and I'm not sure he can work up enough incentive, with or without his Mother.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Miss Ruth

[55Unicorns]

WHY does Sean have to get undressed to crawl back in bed?  Waiting for Mama Munchhausen?  (Awww, I'm SO bad)>

[Miss Ruth]

2 minutes ago, wings707 said:

...., thus her long absence.  

Do we even know how long she was in the hospital?

[fonfereksglen]

6 minutes ago, Miss Ruth said:

Do we even know how long she was in the hospital?

She doesn't disappear for another 45 minutes or so.  So hopefully we'll find out more so we can send out a missing persons report! 

Edited April 21, 2017 by fonfereksglen

[DC Gal in VA]

16 minutes ago, TicketToHellPaid said:

I have not read the threads on this episode as I just started it.

but..

is it weird Dr. Now suddenly got sexy to me while telling Sean's mom what is what?

Damn Dr. Now, you're getting hotter by the tirades?

*** Note to self. Since TicketToHellPaid knows she's headed straight to the Devil's playground some day -- I mean shit look at her screen name -- her assigned gasoline soaked drawers will no longer suffice and we can't have a "wardrobe malfunction" on such an important trip. Therefore, I am ordering her a custom made, nuclear soaked unitard. Of course, if she continues with these comments, I may have to improvise. ***

[Wings]

6 minutes ago, Miss Ruth said:

Do we even know how long she was in the hospital?

Long enough for him to lose a good amount of weight.  I have forgotten the amount but it seemed he was on his own for at least a month.  

[TicketToHellPaid]

1 hour ago, DC Gal in VA said:

*** Note to self. Since TicketToHellPaid knows she's headed straight to the Devil's playground some day -- I mean shit look at her screen name -- her assigned gasoline soaked drawers will no longer suffice and we can't have a "wardrobe malfunction" on such an important trip. Therefore, I am ordering her a custom made, nuclear soaked unitard. Of course, if she continues with these comments, I may have to improvise. ***

I bought my ticket years ago, hell will be more fun.

I rewound it twice to watch him again. 

I swear he is 6 feet tall with good hair and a body that won't stop now...In my mind.

take that D.C. Gal????

Edited April 21, 2017 by TicketToHellPaid
Typo

[DC Gal in VA]

2 hours ago, auntjess said:

I somehow missed the 30 medicines bit, and I've erased the episode.
What types of things, and did Dr. Now end them?

Thanks.

I'm watching the Supersized version right now auntjess and one of the pop-ups says he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and prescribed medication which he is still taking. That's one.

Edited April 21, 2017 by DC Gal in VA
To add additional comments.

[Cherrio]

18 minutes ago, wings707 said:

Oh, I think you may be right!  She is probably in rehab, thus her long absence.  

or out scoring drugs with that Ashleys dad?

Sean looked like he was getting ready to growl at Dr. Now when he said they both had to go to therapy.

Oh I forgot , I love how Dr. Now says Mudder.....

[Complexity]

15 minutes ago, DC Gal in VA said:

he was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and prescribed medication which he is still taking.

One of the biggest side effects of ADHD stimulants is that it takes away a person's appetite. I wonder what Sean is taking.

ETA: Moreover, I can't imagine why he would be taking them. He's clearly not having problems with hyperactivity while laying in bed all day. And what does he need to focus on? Crocheting? What doctor is prescribing that?

AND if that's not enough, those stimulants can only be prescribed in person (not over the phone) and only when the doctor sees the patient in person. The most a person can get is usually 30 days, but they might get 90 days using a mail order prescription service. So how is he getting to the doctor to get his prescriptions?

Edited April 21, 2017 by Complexity

[Miss Chevious]

I am watching Brittani & Sean's SuperSized episode now. Just caught a snippet last night so was looking forward to watching the whole thing tonight. 

Why is it only a  few minutes into the Sean & Norma oops, I mean Renee segment all I can think of is the immortal line from Psycho, "A boy's best friend is his mother." Ugh, getting such a creepy vibe from those two. Bates Motel, anyone? Sean's mother needs to take a seat. So glad Dr. Now read her the riot act.

Brittani is so upbeat. Good for her! Wish all Dr. Now's patients could all be like her.

[MrsClaus]

Am I the only one wondering what Sean's mom is carrying around in a backpack?  Just me?  Okay.

[Miss Ruth]

19 minutes ago, fonfereksglen said:

She doesn't disappear for another 45 minutes or so.  

Nope.  She "disappeared" last night.

[55Unicorns]

1 minute ago, MrsClaus said:

Am I the only one wondering what Sean's mom is carrying around in a backpack?  Just me?  Okay.

Sean's leftover drugs?