S05.E18: Where Are They Now? Nikki

[PrincessPurrsALot]

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After losing 250 lbs, Nikki is on her way to skin surgery that will transform her body. But when a close friend dies from weight loss surgery, Nikki's progress goes off track.

[sickwithsin]

Nikki's positivity and up-beat attitude was refreshing. Too many times on this show when the patients talk about being in pain, it's related to things they don't want to do. Kudos to Nikki for not letting the pain scare her back into old habits.

[Cherrio]

hoosiermom,

    I was not on the live chat, so I wanted to express my sympathy to you about your cat.  

     Take care

[DC Gal in VA]

Gee, what happened to the West coast Live Chat? Just wondering.

Anyway, although I enjoy a good snarkfest watching and commenting on the horrible trainwrecks we've seen lately, catching up on Nikki's progress was such a treat. And what an amazing family she has. Her relationship with her brother was so sweet. I almost don't know what to do with myself after all this positivity. However, I'm sure TLC will remedy that next week.

[unoiamacutie]

Nikki did so well, and I'm really proud of her. When you get a patient like Nikki who stays on track constantly even through complications is really refreshing. I'm surprised that she was able to get all the way down to 194 pounds. She's even riding a bike!

Edited May 4, 2017 by unoiamacutie

[unoiamacutie]

1 hour ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Gee, what happened to the West coast Live Chat? Just wondering.

I'm a West coast viewer. I guess it's because it's not fun to enter a conversation where everyone is pretty much done watching the episode. I'd like to watch the episode and chat with the East coast viewers while it's on, but it comes on 2 hours later and everyone's pretty much said their piece so there's not much else to say that hasn't already been said before.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

We usually re-open the chat for the West Coast viewing, but your kitty Mod was on a plane.  We have had very little action in the Live Chat during the West Coast feed so I thought it would be okay.  We will be back to your normal posting experience next week.

With that said, way to go, Nikki.  Dr. Now seemed to give her better sutures than he does many of his patients.  They looked less Frankensteinian.  And yet that was still a very ugly wound closing experience. 

[auntjess]

Hoosiermom, sorry about you cat, and your shingles.

I was glad she did well, but wow, what a huge incision that had to heal. 
So glad she got the jeans.
And my google search has some of the same things, plus names of lots of killers.
I start on a show, and check if it's just the husband or wife whodunit, because I'll pass on that.
Glad there's a few more episodes.

[Miss Ruth]

I thought it was funny that she wore skirts for almost two shows then, felt "womanly" after she put on a pair of jeans.  Frankly, I was glad to see a woman in a skirt rather than those rolls of fat stuffed in stretch pants like we usually see.

Edited May 4, 2017 by Miss Ruth

[Hockeymom]

Loved when Nikki ditched those voluminous skirts! 

She did really well, her parents were great, the brother was great, and she even got a boyfriend!

What a fun job she had. So many of these people are bed bound and infantile. Nikki had an interesting career and managed to get herself to work every day.

Good for her!

[AnnaBaptist]

This was my favorite episode of this show ever. What a breath of fresh air she was. I know a lot of you enjoy watching the train wrecks, but I prefer patients like Nikki. Not that I don't watch the train wrecks! My mouth is usually agape as much as Nicole's husband's when I watch those. ;)

What I have learned from this show is how important it is to have sufficient education and skills to be able to support oneself. I made fun of Chad for constantly repeating "I need to be able to provide for my family", but having a job, or a prospect of a job, is so important. Here we have Nikki, who has a job that looks like a lot of fun. She's surrounded by creative people, and being able to hold this job must have been important to her, not just monetarily, but for keeping her grounded in reality. She makes connections by having conversations with her colleagues, and she has friends who seem to be able to keep it real. She does all the normal things that everyone else who has to get up and go to a job has to do. We didn't see her going to a grocery store because, in contrast to most of the other people on this show, that is probably a normal event, and not terribly interesting in comparison to what she does at work or for fun. For some of the others, going to the grocery store was a major, life-changing experience. Having a relatively normal life makes for healthier emotional and mental health, I think.

While she seemed to have a strained relationship with her mother in the first episode, in general, she has a healthy family dynamic. The parents were good about having and preparing the right foods, and her father was supportive when it came to exercise. And I just loved the scenes with her and Chris. Instead of being self-absorbed and wallowing in self-pity, she was concerned for Chris's future and wanted her parents not have to worry about Chris's care. 

Contrast the above with someone like Sean, who never had a job and probably does not have the skills to get one. He has spent ages 18-24 - crucial years when people learn important life skills - lying in bed. He lost contact with his friends, and his mother is toxic. Even if he is initially successful with the weight loss, he lacks the supports to sustain him when the going gets rough. Sad to say, but I don't hold a lot of hope for his success.
 

And finally, holy cow - 56 lb. of skin! Looking at commercials for Skin Tight, those patients looked like they had relatively simple fixes by comparison.

[dahling]

How devastating for Nikki's friend to die from WLS complications. Especially after she had "mentored" him into it. However I do appreciate the reminder that the surgery can and does cause complications. My neighbor almost died from hers. I am still extremely happy with my personal decision to change my head instead of my plumbing. So tragic and what a waste of a life. He looked like a delightful person.

Nikki is the only person I have ever truly felt could not go on without skin surgery. That stomach was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Bless her heart, what a trooper. Best wishes to you, sweetheart, you deserve everything good in life. 

Edited May 4, 2017 by dahling

[Carolina Girl]

41 minutes ago, dahling said:

How devastating for Nikki's friend to die from WLS complications. Especially after she had "mentored" him into it. However I do appreciate the reminder that the surgery can and does cause complications. My neighbor almost died from hers. I am still extremely happy with my personal decision to change my head instead of my plumbing. So tragic and what a waste of a life. He looked like a delightful person.

Nikki is the only person I have ever truly felt could not go on without weight loss surgery. That stomach was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Bless her heart, what a trooper. Best wishes to you, sweetheart, you deserve everything good in life. 

This.  SO MUCH.  My first thought about the friend that died from the surgery was certainly condolences for the loss but that Nikki would be overcome with guilt over what she would perceive as her role in urging him to get the surgery.   

Another endearing and wonderful thing about Nikki was not only her desire to be productive with a job and get out of her parents' home and on her own, but that she wanted to take her brother to live with HER, to take care of him and make sure he has a happy life.  This is genuine affection and love.  You GO girl.  

I hope we get another update, one that shows us the "final" Nikki, after all her surgeries and at her target weight (which I have absolutely NO doubt she'll hit!), married and having a most wonderful life.

[suzeecat]

Nikki's story was very upbeat and inspiring and she is a beautiful girl.  Her face seemed to age 20 years after the skin removal though.  People who are headed in that direction should be warned just how hard it is to "go back".  I also hope that we get to see her after all of her surgeries, and I sure hope the next two aren't as bad as the first one. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Loved Nikki.  She was quite an inspiration.  I did really freak out when I saw her walking on that treadmill with a long skirt! OMG.  That is so dangerous.  The hem can get caught and take you down quick.  Do you know how many people are hurt or killed on treadmills?  I suppose that she's not wearing skirts to work out anymore though.  

I was impressed that the gastric sleeve worked for her.  I know someone who got that and she has never appeared to look like she lost more than 15 pounds.  I'm serious.  I can't figure it out. Apparently, like Dr. Now says, you have a window of time to lose that weight with the sleeve and if you don't, it has limited use.  At least, that's what I I recall that he has said.  

I was impressed that Nikki seemed to have a new relationship with food and that's so vital for long term success.  Even her mother appeared to have lost a lot of weight.  I guess they were eating the same things.  And her mom even scouted for healthy recipes.  

It's great that she was devoted to her brother who had special needs, but, I really hope that her parents have advocated that Nikki make her own life and not plan to be an around the clock caregiver for a disabled person.  That is a huge responsibility and can wreak havoc on a person's mental and physical health.  Long term planning by the parents would be more appropriate.  I'm not being heartless.  If you share with around the clock caregivers of family members....you'll see that in that community it's full of despair and exhaustion.  

Edited May 4, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[Ocean Chick]

Oh, how I still love Nikki!  So positive and so hard working!  She had excuses and made missteps along the way, but she always knew that the hard work was up to her and she always followed up her missteps by getting back up and doing what she needed to do.  No expecting any "yellow brick roads" from Miss Nikki, unlike some of our other patients.  Nice family where everyone loved each other and enjoyed spending time with each other.  Ate dinner at a proper table AND said grace!  Used real dinnerware and utensils!  The only thing I ever worried about was those long skirts that Nikki wore - I kept being afraid that she'd step on the hem going up or down stairs and trip and break her neck.  And on the treadmill!  Argh!  But it came out okay in the end.  I hope we get to see her next follow up and her reaching goal and getting the arm and leg surgeries.  No one deserves them more than Nikki.

[cpcathy]

I enjoyed Nikki in her first episode, and was doubly rooting for her here. Always smiling, always positive (unless I missed a trantrum along the way). Hope she continues to do well, hope her brother also remains happy and well cared for.

[auntjess]

8 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

Frankly, I was glad to see a woman in a skirt rather than those rolls of fat stuffed in stretch pants like we usually see.

I was thinking that some spandex pants would have helped support that extra skin, because at least when she showed it to Dr. Now, she didn't seem to have anything extra supporting it.

[Complexity]

I was out when the episode aired last night so I've been having to wait to see it online. They finally have it available to stream on demand. I have intentionally not read all the comments about Nikki yet, but the little I have read, it looks like this will be a good episode. ??

[hnygrl]

Loved this one. And I too noticed that she aged 10 years in the face with the weight loss.

And then she smiled. "Oh hello, there you are!" The woman has a serious 1,000 megawatt smile!

I love that her parents are eating what she eats, doing what she does, 100% supportive. I noticed that her mom was way smaller now than she was last time. She had to have lost like 40, 50 pounds herself. I love that they took the time to get to know each other again, and actually get closer. Mother-daugher bonding time. And she didn't bitch. Not once. About how long it was taking, how much pain she was in (and and and!!!! She's not a junkie!!! Easy to become one when you're in that much pain), didn't try to "make" the pain go away completely, just soldiered through it.

Damn.

I wanna be Nikki when I grow up. Please TLC, if you're reading this forum? Can we have another Nikki update? I wanna see her get married, have a kid. It was (like everyone said) a real breath of fresh air to see a real live mature adult on this show.

Ya know? I think she may be the first.

[Barb23]

I felt for Nikki having to use the wound vacs twice & then finding out the second one wasn't necessary.  It's a shame there wasn't some kind of collaboration between Dr. Now & her doctor at home on her wound care so she didn't have to go thru that & waste healing time.  I've used a wound vac once for a non-healing (not surgical) wound on my ankle & it was a nuisance to lug around & take care of & ended up not working for me.

I wonder why there was no mention of her sister & why we didn't see her in this episode.  From what I remember from the original episode, the sister was embarrassed of Nikki because of her weight & didn't want her being around her kids.  There could have been other issues. I thought they had talked things out & were on better terms.  Maybe there was more to the story than what we were shown. 

Her long skirts drove me nuts too.  I'm amazed she hadn't fallen with normal walking and stairs yet alone the treadmill. I  know I would have ended up flat on my face after getting my foot caught in the hem being the klutz I am.

I thought taking her brother to the painting store was so sweet.  You can tell how artistically talented she is by  her finished plate.  

[SunnyBeBe]

I must have missed the part about a sister.  Oh well....

One thing that I wish they would get straight is aftercare of surgery patients who leave Texas.  It seems that Dr. Now could arrange some kind of set up with a localcompetent facility who could see his patients when they have emergencies or need follow up and they can't get to Texas.  It seems to cause a lot of issues.  Maybe, one in each state or one in each region of the country.  I sure do hate that NIkki got poor advice and treatment that set her back from a local doctor.  It seems it wouldn't have been a problem for him to call Dr. Now, send a photo and agree on treatment.... 

[xwordfanatik]

I'm just watching the ep, and they did Nikki's skin surgery on her stomach area.  

She has a great personality, and I love that she is able to help with her brother.  He always has a smile, too.  So wonderful to see their relationship.

I remember she had at least one sister (maybe two) in her intro ep.  They didn't have a good relationship.  Mom wasn't there for her in the earlier years, either.

Oh damn.  She now has internal bleeding.  Dr. Now is saying that she went thru the repair well.  

Her dad is super great.  I've never heard of Llewellyn for a first name (mom) and it would be wonderful if Nikki and Mom could finally become close.  

I'm so hopeful for Nikki.  This episode so far has been the best this season IMO.

[Azubah]

2 hours ago, Barb23 said:

From what I remember from the original episode, the sister was embarrassed of Nikki because of her weight & didn't want her being around her kids.  

I remember that. "I can't let my kids see you because they'll be so scared! You're so horribly, terrifyingly fat!" Yeah, die in a fire, honey.

[chopperchopperbell]

I don't have cable and I'm not seeing this episode on Amazon.  Any idea on where I can watch it? Thank you!

[Complexity]

2 hours ago, Barb23 said:

I wonder why there was no mention of her sister & why we didn't see her in this episode.  From what I remember from the original episode, the sister was embarrassed of Nikki because of her weight & didn't want her being around her kids.  There could have been other issues. I thought they had talked things out & were on better terms.  Maybe there was more to the story than what we were shown.

I wonder if her sister caught hell for her behavior from viewers of Nikki's first episode and didn't want to be filmed anymore so she could avoid reminding people of how horrible she was. What kind of person actually says she doesn't want her kids to be around her own sister because of her weight?! I know if I was that kind of person, I'd want to hide my face, as well.

[IvySpice]

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And finally, holy cow - 56 lb. of skin! Looking at commercials for Skin Tight, those patients looked like they had relatively simple fixes by comparison.

Yeah, a lot of the Skin Tight folks are "only" losing 150 lbs. or so, vs. 400+ for patients like Nikki. I imagine that makes the repair a lot easier.

Quote

I sure do hate that NIkki got poor advice and treatment that set her back from a local doctor.  It seems it wouldn't have been a problem for him to call Dr. Now, send a photo and agree on treatment.... 

Yeah, but then the local doctor would have to acknowledge that he was beyond his limitations and needed help. That's not the kind of thing that doctors (especially surgeons) tend to be good at.

[aliya]

Watching the rerun before going out (and while eating PopTarts, sorry Nikki). I knew dad was sending food up the stairs, but didn't realize he was sending a 'snack' before breakfast. Wow. Why don't the parents ever say 'no.' Dad knows when he's enabling. A sugary drink and donuts before breakfast, even if it is a biscuit and gravy, is enabling.

[ClareWalks]

1 hour ago, chopperchopperbell said:

I don't have cable and I'm not seeing this episode on Amazon.  Any idea on where I can watch it? Thank you!

I have found it on iTunes before (but had to pay for it). 

[chopperchopperbell]

44 minutes ago, ClareWalks said:

I have found it on iTunes before (but had to pay for it). 

I will look there thank you!  I usually buy the episodes from Amazon but for some reason this episode is not up yet.

[Carrie]

I too admire Nikki and like her family very much.  But let's not idealize this group; Clearly some serious dysfunction led to her becoming 650 pounds by the time she was 32. I respect the efforts of the parents - assisted by Nikki's preternatural maturity - to improve  family dynamics and heal old wounds.  But Mom and Dad -especially Mom - are quite overweight still  -so it doesn't seem to me as though they are all eating healthier.  (Maybe in front of the cameras.). Also, I have a lot of skepticism around Mom - who apparently rejected Nikki when Nikki was a child. Her style reminds me somewhat of the mother of that girl from the original episodes whose beloved father died.  

In terms of her looking older than her years: of course she has flesh hanging from her face and chin!  As Dr. Now says, extreme weight gain damages the skin permanently.  I wonder if she should also consider a chin lift or a mini facelift - on top of all her other "skin" surgeries?

[ClareWalks]

6 minutes ago, Carrie said:

In terms of her looking older than her years: of course she has flesh hanging from her face and chin!  As Dr. Now says, extreme weight gain damages the skin permanently.

Yes! The skin totally loses its elasticity and hangs much looser. But every episode people comment that the person looks so much older once they lose weight. I say I'd rather look older to be able to actually GROW older, since their youthful "filler" was a death sentence.

[Pretty5Vacant]

Nikki's first episode is on and its so cool to see her going out and having fun with her friends. They got her to go on stage and she was a good sport to do it. Go on girl!

[MichelleTX]

5 hours ago, chopperchopperbell said:

I don't have cable and I'm not seeing this episode on Amazon.  Any idea on where I can watch it? Thank you!

Try YouTube 

[Complexity]

5 hours ago, chopperchopperbell said:

I don't have cable and I'm not seeing this episode on Amazon.  Any idea on where I can watch it? Thank you!

Check TLCgo.com in the next week or two. They will usually have new episodes available shortly after it airs. Sometimes the episodes are free and sometimes they require a cable account to view, but it's worth a shot to check.

https://www.tlcgo.com/my-600-lb-life-where-are-they-now/

Edited May 5, 2017 by Complexity
Thought I had found it, but it was her original episode.

[DeeReynolds]

Nikki rocks! One thing I noticed was that she actually parked in a far parking spot at Dr Now's office to get some extra steps in. That's real commitment. Unlike those patients who have to be wheeled in for a checkup even after two years. Cough cough *Teretha, ASSanti, Paula, etc*

[auntjess]

7 minutes ago, DeeReynolds said:

One thing I noticed was that she actually parked in a far parking spot at Dr Now's office to get some extra steps in

Did she also mention parking farther away as one of the things she did to keep losing?  I know someone said that recently.

[Complexity]

11 minutes ago, DeeReynolds said:

Nikki rocks! One thing I noticed was that she actually parked in a far parking spot at Dr Now's office to get some extra steps in.

I thought the same thing when I was watching the show. Then I realized she was getting into an Uber car. Notice she's getting into the back seat.

2 minutes ago, auntjess said:

Did she also mention parking farther away as one of the things she did to keep losing?  I know someone said that recently.

That wasn't Nikki. I think it was Doug, but I'm not sure.

Edited May 5, 2017 by Complexity

[Pretty5Vacant]

If it were any other of Dr. Now's most lazy  patients they'd of had uber pull up to the front spot. Sidewalk maybe, go Nikki

[sickwithsin]

1 hour ago, auntjess said:

Did she also mention parking farther away as one of the things she did to keep losing?  I know someone said that recently.

 

1 hour ago, Complexity said:

I thought the same thing when I was watching the show. Then I realized she was getting into an Uber car. Notice she's getting into the back seat.

That wasn't Nikki. I think it was Doug, but I'm not sure.

I'm pretty sure Chad (the trucker) was the one who mentioned it.

[Lunula]

Really love Nikki and her positive, yet realistic, attitude and I was happy when I learned she was the subject of this update. Though her family isn't perfect, (and whose is?) I could see that both mom and dad were making an effort to help Nikki. 

I had forgotten about the sister until coming here and I am glad I did - this episode was so full of positive energy I would've been pissed if she had screwed my zen.

Did anyone else notice in the final bike-riding scene that even though the screen flashed, "Two weeks later" she still had a vacuum pump? Bad editing or more bad medical advice?

Here is hoping we get more updates from her!

[chopperchopperbell]

The episode is up on Amazon now, yay!  I liked Nikki and her family.  I didn't like that Marc ate a dessert in front of her, and the fact that he is obese makes me worry that he won't be good for her long term success.  Very sad about her friend Michael dying.  I wish her and her family the best.

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, chopperchopperbell said:

The episode is up on Amazon now, yay!  I liked Nikki and her family.  I didn't like that Marc ate a dessert in front of her, and the fact that he is obese makes me worry that he won't be good for her long term success.  Very sad about her friend Michael dying.  I wish her and her family the best.

I agree. I realize that people in the real world have to see temptation and deal with others eating all kinds of things that the formerly obese patient just doesn't need to have, HOWEVER, I really wonder why a so called friend of a person who has struggled to lose over 200 pounds or more would eat indulgent foods right in front of them and even OFFER them some.  Yes, people who are on MAINTENANCE may have TREATS that are not a normal part of their diet, but, that is something they need to plan and chose and not something that should be dangled in front of them.  It seems cruel and like sabotage to me.  I'd be wary of people who do that, especially, if the person providing the sabotage is overweight. 

[marz]

Nikki is doing a fabulous job and I'm so happy for her.  Her family is lovely and I loved her brother.  Keep up the good work Nikki - you are so pretty and have a bright future in front of you.

[Trees]

What a great episode!  I found it meaningful that this "where are they now" episode devoted the full 2 hours just to her.  VERY GLAD they did.  Shows that at least somebody at TLC appreciates the value of a positivity-filled episode featuring a successful and likeable person.

Honestly, those horrible episodes this season had me convinced that they were only going for gross sensationalism.

[Morgalisa]

14 hours ago, Carrie said:

I too admire Nikki and like her family very much.  But let's not idealize this group; Clearly some serious dysfunction led to her becoming 650 pounds by the time she was 32. I respect the efforts of the parents - assisted by Nikki's preternatural maturity - to improve  family dynamics and heal old wounds.  But Mom and Dad -especially Mom - are quite overweight still  -so it doesn't seem to me as though they are all eating healthier.  (Maybe in front of the cameras.). Also, I have a lot of skepticism around Mom - who apparently rejected Nikki when Nikki was a child. Her style reminds me somewhat of the mother of that girl from the original episodes whose beloved father died.  

In terms of her looking older than her years: of course she has flesh hanging from her face and chin!  As Dr. Now says, extreme weight gain damages the skin permanently.  I wonder if she should also consider a chin lift or a mini facelift - on top of all her other "skin" surgeries?

I agree.  Even as she was speaking about how she and her mother had healed their relationship, towards the end of the episode there was a strange tension/vibe between them.  I noticed it more on Nikki's part than her mother.  There was the loving, permissive. over-indulging father and the mother who maybe withheld affection, not a good combo.  If they need more therapy, I hope they get it.  But kudos to Nikki.  She is a lovely person and I can't wait for Part 2.

[gunderda]

I was so excited when this episode was all about Nikki!  She's been my favorite person on this show by far.  And I'm glad they dedicated an entire 2 hours just to her. 

[auntjess]

I want to watch her original one, because I don't remember the sister. 
 

[AdorkableWitch]

I never saw her original episode so I had no idea that she is a friend of a friend until I started watching. Really kind girl from a good family. I can almost guess where her house is based on the exterior shots. Little Rock is a really big small town. Everyone knows everyone. 

[mamadrama]

Loved this update. My only snark is for the editing. The bike ride at the end actually happened earlier, not "two weeks later." We had previously seen her dressing for it. Plus, she was wearing the vac on the bike ride, despite it supposedly being filmed after Now said she didn't need it.