S05.E17: Where Are They Now? Teretha & Chad

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Quote

A woman returns to Detroit to be with her family after weight-loss surgery, but the reunion threatens to undo the progress she's made; a trucker gets back on the road following weight-loss surgery, but the job puts any future weight loss in peril. 

Princess PurrsALot gets tired of typing weight-loss . . . .

This is the regular episode thread. It will unlock after the episode airs on the east coast.

[Brooklynista]

I'd really like to know how Chad and Aleisha became a couple. Just curious.

[MrsClaus]

To the person who commented in the Live Chat thread.  I believe it was mentioned that Chad's son JoJo is autistic.

[Armchair Critic]

Oops I called her Tenesha instead of Teretha on the live chat but now I can't edit it. See ya everybody, may the rest of your night be as bright as Chad's neon picture outfit. ;)

[55Unicorns]

Nice family pictures...  well, guys and dolls, see you next week!

[Anchorabu]

Really enjoyed chatting about the show y'all! Mom may either head to bed or watch this Lisa Joyner This is Life Live thing. Nite to all who are leaving, hope you all have a great night! May check back here in a bit! 

[CouchTater]

Just now, Brooklynista said:

I'd really like to know how Chad and Aleisha became a couple. Just curious.

I am basing this on absolutely nothing but assumptions:  she was hired as a caregiver, and they eventually.....fell in love I guess? 

Just my 600-lb fan fiction.

[Anchorabu]

TinkerBell said: "Your Mother is such a doll! *waving 'hello' all the way from Canada*"

Aww thx hon! *Waves from Missouri *

Nite!

[DC Gal in VA]

Well gee, we didn't get a few more minutes for tearful goodbyes and cyber hugs on the Live Chat, but at least we can reconvene here, LOL!

Wanted to say that I really like Chad and his family. Him arranging for the family portrait was so thoughtful and sweet. BTW, Chad looks tall, hadn't noticed that before. A huge weight loss really makes a difference.

[DC Gal in VA]

7 minutes ago, 55Unicorns said:

Nice family pictures...  well, guys and dolls, see you next week!

Hey, you forgot your well-soaked Speedos! Good night.

[Miss Chevious]

Yes, Chad and his family seemed like one of the most well-adjusted, happy families we've seen on this show. Very heartwarming. Especially when compared to the parade of dysfunction we've seen lately.

[DC Gal in VA]

Good night Anchorabu and Mama Anchorabu. You both were a total riot as usual!

[AVM]

Teretha another lost cause with nothing but excuses,Chad has the best family ever on the show....He will make it

[Brooklynista]

21 minutes ago, CouchTater said:

I am basing this on absolutely nothing but assumptions:  she was hired as a caregiver, and they eventually.....fell in love I guess? 

Just my 600-lb fan fiction.

Well my brain said they ran across each others profile on Lowered Expectations.com

[Tenarife60]

22 minutes ago, CouchTater said:

I am basing this on absolutely nothing but assumptions:  she was hired as a caregiver, and they eventually.....fell in love I guess? 

Just my 600-lb fan fiction.

In the first episode Chad was working as a truck driver but put on so much weight he had to quit and his wife had to get a job which she was not too happy about because she wanted to continue to stay home with their autistic son.  I don't think it was said how they met - maybe they did but if so I can't remember, but he was up, mobile and working when they met.

[aliya]

Wouldn't you know it, my son comes over while I'm watching the show, the show he can't stand for me to talk about. 

I did manage to spout off about Teretha leaving a rehab center in Houston and then realizing in Detroit that she and her helpers couldn't do what was needed at home. "We don't have the equipment..." Of course you don't. The equipment is in the rehab center. Jeez Louise. What an idiot. But like so many others, she knows better than Dr Now or anyone else, for that matter. What is the belt for? I noticed it, but since it wasn't holding her up (like suspended from the ceiling or something), I couldn't figure out its use.

Still not sure about Chad taking the family around, but it seemed to be working. The son and I got into a whole discussion about 1) the low rate of black marriages, 2) what did Aisha see in Chad at first, 3) what a decent person Chad must be to take on someone else's autistic child, 4) Chad talking about supporting his family, which was refreshing, and 5) dang those stitches look awful. Wouldn't the prospect of skin surgery, which seems traumatic, be enough to get you to watch the scale? Son then proceeds to tell me his weight loss and exercise secrets and why he's so special. : )  

If Nikki is next week, I hope she's done well. I think she's another one who will need skin surgery for mobility as opposed to looks. She had a very large stomach area.

[unoiamacutie]

Teretha sounds like Penny when she was trying to convince Dr. Now about her lymphedema getting smaller.

Edited April 27, 2017 by unoiamacutie

[DC Gal in VA]

40 minutes ago, Brooklynista said:

Well my brain said they ran across each others profile on Lowered Expectations.com

It's official. With this comment Brooklynista has snatched First Place in the foot race to Hell from 55Unicorns as well those gasoline soaked Speedos. Winnah, winnah, greasy fraaaaaaahd chicken dinnah girlfriend!

[tpel]

1 hour ago, aliya said:

I did manage to spout off about Teretha leaving a rehab center in Houston and then realizing in Detroit that she and her helpers couldn't do what was needed at home. "We don't have the equipment..." Of course you don't. The equipment is in the rehab center. Jeez Louise. What an idiot. But like so many others, she knows better than Dr Now or anyone else, for that matter. What is the belt for? I noticed it, but since it wasn't holding her up (like suspended from the ceiling or something), I couldn't figure out its use.

The belt is called a "gait belt" or a "transfer belt". Basically, it gives the therapist or caregiver something to grab onto if the person wearing it loses balance, and can help them maneuver the person more safely. 

Although she certainly didn't make the kind of progress that Chad did, I was heartened to see that Teretha was at least not completely bed-bound at the end.

[Barb23]

I'm so glad Chad has done so well but he really seemed to age with the weight loss.  I dozed off during part of the show & when I woke up, it looked like he aged 10 years.  

I've been in a rehab facility before for physical therapy.  Don't know how Taretha made it thru a month at the Houston rehab place without showing progress.  Staying in bed is not endorsed at these type of places.  One of the patients at the place I was at got read the riot act by one of the therapists for not wanting to get better to go home. She ended her tyrade with something like "Why am I the only one that cares you get better to go home? You surely don't."  Yes, he was the large guy splayed out in his wheelchair wearing a hospital gown (which is frowned upon, they want you to wear your clothes so it is more like being at home) sitting in the hall & commenting he wished he could walk as well as everyone else when we went by on our walkers. He was also full of excuses in the therapy gym.  I'm sure he loved being waited on so he was in no hurry to get better to leave. Same thing for these people when we ask why do they want to stay in bed.  It drives me nuts when their beds end up looking like trash dumps with all the trash & clutter & junk around. 

[Anchorabu]

9 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

 

Good night Anchorabu and Mama Anchorabu. You both were a total riot as usual!

 

Awww thx sweetie! We had a blast and loved your comments as well! Have a great day! ?

[Hockeymom]

So...

I liked Chad, but I thought there was a certain creep factor to the whole family dynamic. Did he actually pack the family in the truck and have them on the road all summer to keep him from grabbing an energy drink? They all had to keep him on track? How was any of this fun for the kids? It wasn't a sight seeing vacation. It was work. With schedules and deadlines. And the trip to the zoo. Families go to the zoo every day. It's not some big thank you for years of being waited on hand and foot. 

Teretha was a jackass. Why wasn't her weight going down? First, she needs to spend months in the hospital on a controlled diet to loose weight. Why does she get that accommodation? All she did was bitch about how badly she wanted to get out of bed. So, maybe help yourself a little?  Then, she's in rehab. Still not loosing weight,still not walking.  I love all these people who need to do it "their way". Um, if your way was working, you wouldn't need ten firemen to stuff your ass in a car. 

Brilliant idea to check yourself out of rehab to drive 20 hrs. just to turn your physical therapy over to your son!

Cant imagine why it wasn't successful. 

[Azubah]

It finally dawned on me that when many of these folks say "I need help", or "I need someone to help me", they mean "I want someone to do this for me." Maybe when they needed "help" with their homework or with household chores, they just got someone else to do it for them. Unfortunately, with weight-loss and walking, no one can do it for you. And for a few of them, they never seem to figure it out.

[Toaster Strudel]

When they strapped Teretha on that gurney and started to lift the gurney to sorta make her stand up, they have to stop halfway because Teretha complains about "pain" - she sounded just like Pervert Steven who called his pain a "9"  while being all smiley and bushy tailed.  She could have done way more.

[Pepper Mostly]

I agree, @Toaster Strudel! WTF was that? She just mutters "it hurts" and the whole team just quits for the day? Doesn't she expect it to hurt a little? She kept whining "I want to get out of this bed!" and I kept replying out loud "no you don't". She just thinks if she says so enough people will be taken in. You are not fooling me, Teretha!

Chad and his family were very refreshing. Did you all get the sense that he cared about his family and wanted to provide for them? LOL. The daughter was delightful--so positive and always seeing the bright side. I was really glad to see him succeeding.

[Miss Ruth]

1 hour ago, Hockeymom said:

All she did was bitch about how badly she wanted to get out of bed.

I'll bet she would have gotten out of that bed, lickety split, if they had put her food tray about six feet away.  I'm confused as to why Dr. Now didn't read her the riot act the way he has done to many others.  She should have been on a controlled diet in the rehab facility.  I also think Dr. Now was placating her, on the video chat, when he said he noticed she had lost weight, when she looked to me like she had gained.  Why does she need a catheter now that she can walk?  It is my understanding that long-term use of a catheter can cause more health problems.

[chopperchopperbell]

I enjoyed this show.  Chad's family seems really sweet, but his wife was looking unhappy towards the end.  Not sure if it's because she liked having Chad around when he's not working?  I thought taking his family on the road would be a disaster, but the kids didn't seem to mind, and it worked out well in the end.  The whole family seems really sweet.  I hope things continue to improve.

Teretha was a mess. I felt sad her husband on dialysis was taking care of her, and not the other way around.  Seeing her mom just as obese and in a wheelchair makes me think this is the example that was set for her.  I think she enjoys being helpless and being waited on hand and foot by other people.

[Hockeymom]

4 minutes ago, Pepper Mostly said:

 

Chad and his family were very refreshing. Did you all get the sense that he cared about his family and wanted to provide for them? LOL. The daughter was delightful--so positive and always seeing the bright side. I was really glad to see him succeeding.

 

No, I saw him as kind of selfish. Their lives revolved around him for years. They all struggled when he was jobless. I remember in his original episode that they couldn't afford some of his medications.

Then, they all have to uproot when he decides to get help. He could have done that at home. But ok - fine - go to Texas if you think you need to. Then, he does make progress. Terrific! But instead of using that as motivation to keep moving forward, he starts to backslide. Instead of taking personal responsibility, he moves the entire family into a big rig to "spend time" with them, but really, it's just so the wife can keep him "on track". Really? 

If you truly care about them, man up and let the kids enjoy the summer at the pool, not stuck in a truck for thousands and thousands of miles because you cannot control yourself at a truck stop.

He kept saying he loved them, and I'm sure he did, but his needs totally came first. And yes, it's great that he wanted to provide, but isn't that his job anyway?  His wife was taking care of him, her autistic child, the house, and working. Now, he's some hero because he's finally doing what he should have been doing all along?

I agree that the kids were a delight. They deserved more.

[Pepper Mostly]

Chad's voiceovers were remarkably repetitive, more than the usual fortune cookie stuff we hear each episode. Chad's seemed to be exclusively "I love my family. I want to provide for them" and  "I want to stay on track". Please, TLC, hire some new writers!

[TicketToHellPaid]

12 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

It's official. With this comment Brooklynista has snatched First Place in the foot race to Hell from 55Unicorns as well those gasoline soaked Speedos. Winnah, winnah, greasy fraaaaaaahd chicken dinnah girlfriend!

See you all when you get here?

[Guest]

Something hinky with the editing last night. In one scene, Chad and his family are packing up their house and talking about spending months on the road seeing "America" (apparently only the West Coast of it). In the very next, the family is talking about their trip to somewhere and how great it was -- but everyone was wearing the exact same clothes they were in the scene before when they were packing up the house. So, basically, they never went anywhere at that point but pretended they did. 

Show was super boring last night. I wanted to throw a shoe at the TV every time I heard the word "progress," but I don't own enough shoes to have accomplished that goal.

[Cherrio]

Teretha is another one in a loooooooong line of people who repeatedly say "Dr. Now doesn't understand".   Right.......

They are dumb to the point where it never enters their mind that he has heard it a thousand times before.

I don't see either Chad or Teretha as success stories.   I think they are both extremely immature and selfish. It is all about them.

No thought or concern about her husband who looked very ill.    And, as another poster said, man up Chad, do you stupid job without babysitters.

The husband, the wife and her children all deserved a whole lot better.

[TicketToHellPaid]

43 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

Something hinky with the editing last night. In one scene, Chad and his family are packing up their house and talking about spending months on the road seeing "America" (apparently only the West Coast of it). In the very next, the family is talking about their trip to somewhere and how great it was -- but everyone was wearing the exact same clothes they were in the scene before when they were packing up the house. So, basically, they never went anywhere at that point but pretended they did. 

Show was super boring last night. I wanted to throw a shoe at the TV every time I heard the word "progress," but I don't own enough shoes to have accomplished that goal.

Hmmm, I'm watching it now. Will have to back up and rewatch.

He did say 1.5 months on the road though because the kids had to go to school.

The inside of that truck was so nice.  It actually looked pretty fun.  

I don't remember the wife having missing teeth I. The original, did she?

 

cherrio,
They all know better than the Dr. 

And they all want to live in their beds and be waited on hand and foot and strangely, many want to do that.

Just saw Taretha walk, can't believe she actually made effort.

[LeeAnn]

I'm very happy for Chad, and it was so nice to see just a nice family with a non-enabling spouse/partner/parent.   That's how you do it.  Chad is one of the nicest males we've seen.  Loved the pictures.  I know some commenters were bothered by him taking the kids and wife on the road, but I really didn't see any dissatisfaction from them.  They probably have not traveled much, if at all, so they probably enjoyed it.  The kids will probably always remember the summer they went on the road with Dad.  I guess it depends on what their summer would have been like otherwise.  Looked like an adventure to me.   I think Chad's a good father and I do see long-term success for him.  But I really hope he thinks long and hard about getting any more skin removal.  Those were some rough-looking stitches.  To me, they didn't look healed enough to put him back in the truck.   I'm not a doctor, but still.... yikes!

As for Teretha, at least she was getting up and walking "some" at the end.  I'll give her that.  It took too long to get her there, but at least she's doing it now. I hope she keeps it up. 

This episode was entirely too long.  I actually had to record the last 20 minutes and I fast-forwarded through 7 minutes of commercials on one break.  Ridiculous.

Can't wait for Nikki next week.  She was one of my favorites.  If you've never seen her original episode, which I think was the first episode last season,  you should watch before next week.  I've held back looking her up on Facebook afraid she might have gained again.  So I'm really hopeful.  It looks like she gets the full two hours to herself, so we'll see.

[Ocean Chick]

I really cheered for Chad.  Yes, he got himself into a bad place before we met him, and his poor wife and daughter were having to care for him, and he wasn't working.  But he manned up, lost the weight he needed to in order to get the surgery.  But as soon as he could get into the cab of a truck, he went back to work.  And yes, he did backslide for a bit.  But most of these people DO backslide once or twice.  We saw Amber backslide when she went home to visit family.  But Chad didn't make excuses or blame the scales being wrong, but figured out what he needed to do to break old habits, and get to where he could do the work he knew/could do without regaining the weight.  I don't h ave a problem with him taking his family on the road with him during the summer, as they could see some of the country and also have time at the end of the runs together, before they started another run.  The kids seemed to enjoy it.  The only problem I had with it was that the kids were just sitting on the bunk while he was driving, and not safety belted in, unlike Chad and Ayesha.  That was painful to watch.

I don't see much more "success" for Teretha beyond what she's already achieved.  No great weight loss in her future.  No walking without the aid of a walker.  But at least she's got that far, so yeah?  I just hope her kids manage to break the cycle of obesity that plague both Teretha and her mother.

[gonecrackers]

It looked like the kids were enjoying the truck trip. I'm just hoping they actually got out here & there & not just at rest stops, & weren't 'seeing' several states from only inside the cab.

I think Chad's wife is tired. I know what it's like to be an autism parent & parent an 'adult'. Not in the least fun & very draining. My hat's off to her & I hope she gets to take care of herself too.

Teretha was annoying with the amount of complaining most of the episode. It seemed like she needed her family support to move forward at all. I was glad to see her standing & walking at the end & hope that momentum continues for her. And I hope her husband gets a break & has good care too.

I'm also looking forward to Nikki's story & hope things are going well for her.

[AnnaBaptist]

4 hours ago, Hockeymom said:

So...

I liked Chad, but I thought there was a certain creep factor to the whole family dynamic. Did he actually pack the family in the truck and have them on the road all summer to keep him from grabbing an energy drink? They all had to keep him on track? How was any of this fun for the kids? It wasn't a sight seeing vacation. It was work. With schedules and deadlines. And the trip to the zoo. Families go to the zoo every day. It's not some big thank you for years of being waited on hand and foot.

I snarked on Chad (or rather, TLC's depiction of Chad) in live chat, but I am going to cut him some slack here. He just wanted to save money on two months rent because money was tight. You can tell that Ayesha was not thrilled about the prospect of keeping her children (one with autism) occupied in a truck for two months, but the reality is that many families suck it up if it's just going to be a temporary situation and there is an end in sight. It was nonsense to depict this as some exciting adventure, though. Truckers need to get from Point A to Point B as quickly and safely as possible. That means taking the interstate and spending a lot of time at rest stops for truckers. It's no pleasure ride.

In the original episode, when he couldn't get in the truck, he had a job at a car rental place. I guess that didn't pay well enough.

[joh]

Spoiler

1. Has anyone ever noticed how some people age years in the face after this surgery? The more weight Chad lost the older he looked.

Edited April 27, 2017 by joh

[Tenarife60]

54 minutes ago, AnnaBaptist said:

I snarked on Chad (or rather, TLC's depiction of Chad) in live chat, but I am going to cut him some slack here. He just wanted to save money on two months rent because money was tight.

I haven't seen all of the patients episodes, but that was the first one I saw where they talked about paying rent and struggling to pay their rent.  Most of them seem to live in Houston for several years, don't appear to have a job, but they never say how they are paying for everything.   That's always been a mystery.

[Complexity]

1 hour ago, Giant Misfit said:

Something hinky with the editing last night. In one scene, Chad and his family are packing up their house and talking about spending months on the road seeing "America" (apparently only the West Coast of it). In the very next, the family is talking about their trip to somewhere and how great it was -- but everyone was wearing the exact same clothes they were in the scene before when they were packing up the house. So, basically, they never went anywhere at that point but pretended they did. 

I went back and looked at that, and you're right. They were all wearing the same clothes when they packed up the apartment, began their "vacation" in the truck, and then were close to the end of that "vacation." It was clear the video was filmed on the same day.

I think it was because of TLC being either lazy or cheap. They didn't want to send a crew out on the road to get video of them in the truck on different days. Maybe they figured one scene of them all sitting in a truck was just as good as the next one.

I don't think the whole "vacation" was a hoax though. I think they really did pack up their apartment, spent the summer on the road in the truck, and then got a new apartment at the end. I believe the voice over is accurate. It's just TLC's fault for not getting video for those events.

Having said that, it does put into question how well the kids enjoyed living on the road in a truck for the entire summer. We see them appearing happy, but that video was taken when they first started out on the road. They may have been happy the first 10-30 minutes of the trucking with dad idea. That doesn't mean they stayed happy about the trip  in general.

Perhaps the kids did enjoy it? Perhaps they got tired of living in a box for so long? I don't think we can know for sure.

Nevertheless, the family did what they needed to do for the family's sake. I would think saving two months on rent helped out when Chad couldn't work after his surgery. It's definitely not what I would want for my family, but if it worked for their family, then more power to them.

[chopperchopperbell]

1 hour ago, joh said:

  Hide contents

1. Has anyone ever noticed how some people age years in the face after this surgery? The more weight Chad lost the older he looked.

I thought Chad looked much older than 42.  Some people don't age well I guess.

 

That being said, if you have fat to fill in your wrinkles, it makes you look younger.  So it makes sense that losing weight will make your wrinkles show more.

[auntjess]

4 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

She should have been on a controlled diet in the rehab facility.

I understood her to say that they didn't provide one, which sounded unlikely.

1 hour ago, Complexity said:

Perhaps the kids did enjoy it? Perhaps they got tired of living in a box for so long? I don't think we can know for sure.

I was raised on road trips, and would have loved it on the whole.  Of course there would have been times when you were bored, but I imagine them stopping at interesting places, and the kids were looking forward to seeing snow.
And a live chat comment I want to reply to:
      16 hours ago, Cherrio said:

Play ''These Boots Were Made for Walkin"   by Nancy Sinatra non-stop until Teretha gets up and walks out of the room to escape the song.

That's a trick from 'The Walking Dead', Negan will get her moving.

It was used to get Manuel Noriega, and later at the Waco siege.
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/28/weekinreview/it-s-got-a-beat-and-you-can-surrender-to-it.html

[auntjess]

Seeing Teretha makes me wonder about how Marla is doing.  Wasn't she another non-walker, "my own pace" person?
I'd love to see them as roommates in rehab, and see if they'd recognize themselves in the other.
 

[LocalGovt]

6 hours ago, Pepper Mostly said:

Chad's voiceovers were remarkably repetitive, more than the usual fortune cookie stuff we hear each episode. Chad's seemed to be exclusively "I love my family. I want to provide for them" and  "I want to stay on track". Please, TLC, hire some new writers!

As much as I enjoyed watching Chad's success, if I hear, "I want to provide for my family" one more time, I'll scream.  Every third sentence of his was, "I want to provide for my family". We get it, buddy, that's important to you, and you're happy you can do it now. We're all glad for you, too, but we heard you the first 50 times you said it!

In regards to the taking his family in the truck -- I think they enjoyed it -- I thought it was a cool way to spend the summer.  They were going to see sights they probably wouldn't get to see, otherwise.  I bet they never forget that summer.

[gonecrackers]

They must've had trouble writing narratives for this show, since they both kept repeating themselves constantly.

Much of the footage was dull. Sitting around, looking at phones, etc, while we're listening to the same comments in voice overs again & again.  This show was not put together well. Maybe they didn't have much to work with on this one.

[fonfereksglen]

23 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

They must've had trouble writing narratives for this show, since they both kept repeating themselves constantly.

Much of the footage was dull. Sitting around, looking at phones, etc, while we're listening to the same comments in voice overs again & again.  This show was not put together well. Maybe they didn't have much to work with on this one.

Two hours is the problem.  

[marz]

Not only was Teretha's mother obese, but her daughter was as well.  AND her granddaughter was quite chunky.  It is a complete cycle of obesity and government assistance in that family.  Sadly, this seems to be the way of so many families on this show.

[xwordfanatik]

18 hours ago, AVM said:

Teretha another lost cause with nothing but excuses,Chad has the best family ever on the show....He will make it

I'm just now watching the ep.  Teretha is really pissing me off, just like Penny, Pauline, and Marla did.  Ugh...

They don't have a clue, yet they all know better than the doc!  Dumber than dumb.

I'm cheering for Chad & family to be a great success story!  I like them very much.

[Cherrio]

2 hours ago, auntjess said:

And a live chat comment I want to reply to:
      16 hours ago, Cherrio said:

Play ''These Boots Were Made for Walkin"   by Nancy Sinatra non-stop until Teretha gets up and walks out of the room to escape the song.

That's a trick from 'The Walking Dead', Negan will get her moving.

I was actually inspired by an episode of The Sopranos.

[Trees]

I wish the threads were combined - live during the show, and after. 

Anybody else notice that they had a cat while they were renting the apartment but when they hit the road, no cat?