S06.E01: Rena and Lee's Story

[AZChristian]

52 minutes ago, Drogo said:

I don't know, I kind of enjoyed the 94% of the session where all three were speaking at once, with no one listening to anyone but themselves...

So, you enjoy watching Jerry Springer and Maury Povich?

[Lynn]

17 hours ago, auntjess said:

It began as BSOD, blue screen of death, when your computer crashed.  Way back, into the days of DOS.

Has there been anyone on the show, who hasn't tried this, except James K and mattress that made look fat?

 

I missed her back story.  Does she have any family anywhere?

At one point, I believe Lee said both of her parents are deceased so she has no family. Also, she said several times that Lee gets angry when he doesn't get what he wants. When they first moved to Houston and actually followed the diet, she expressed surprised that he hadn't been getting angry. Different story after his bypass.

[LordOfLotion]

1 minute ago, Lynn said:

At one point, I believe Lee said both of her parents are deceased so she has no family. Also, she said several times that Lee gets angry when he doesn't get what he wants. When they first moved to Houston and actually followed the diet, she expressed surprised that he hadn't been getting angry. Different story after his bypass.

Didn't she say she had a brother that she was taking care of in the facility where she and Lee met? Did the brother pass, or is he somehow out of the picture now? Or am I getting my facts smooshed together?

[magemaud]

I loved it when someone said Lola reminds them of "LaFawnduh" 

[SunnyBeBe]

I realize that obesity is a serious issue and I don't normally laugh at people who are so unfortunate, but, one thing was said by Lee that cracked me up and I think he meant for it to be funny. It was when they went through the fast food line and got their food.  They pulled over in the parking lot in order to eat and some passersby were staring at him.  Lee says, "What's wrong with them people? It's like they never saw a fat guy shoving a cheeseburger in his face."    I did find that part amusing.  At least the guy had a sense of humor.  Not sure what happened though.  After he showed his true colors, I lost any patience with him.  

[Drogo]

18 minutes ago, LordOfLotion said:

Didn't she say she had a brother that she was taking care of in the facility where she and Lee met? Did the brother pass, or is he somehow out of the picture now? Or am I getting my facts smooshed together?

Yes.. and Lee said he was "jealous of her brother" because she was taking care of him. 

If he's alive, Rena's probably not allowed to talk to him.

[Bridget]

My DVD cut off early and I cannot believe how mad I was to miss the very End. I did see Lee buy flowers and another damn monkey (talk about additional stunted emotional growth!) and when he gave them to her. Did I miss anything else that warrants recording it again?

Also, what grown ass adult wants OR buys stuffed animals for other adults as a legit gift? He couldn't even pull a Gary -from -Teen Mom and buy her some cheap jewelry (bracelet or earrings) at WalMart?!?! (No offense to anyone who has a truly sentimental collection of soft toys.) I saw the crucified neon monkeys too. Was their significance ever explained?

Rena is/was prob his first girlfriend,  so he has no idea about buying small tokens to show love.

Dr. Now was hilarious with "you don't look like someone who is malnourished!" Perhaps we will see a new side to him as he has been on the battlefield with some grade A arseholes. I am looking forward to his possible quips when the patients tell him how to do his job or make insane excuses for failing to follow his instructions.

I did not like Dr. Now putting Rena's surgery off bc of psycho Lee. Someone somewhere should have found a way to fix that. Move Lee to his own place, let Rena stay in the apartment & Dave or another caregiver tends to her post-op. Or, if Dr. Now was so in fear for her safety, why not 5150 the jackass? I know it's only 72 hours, but surely Lee could have been placed somewhere after "to make sure he doesn't die."  Perhaps Dr. Now could have allowed Rena to convalesce briefly at the hospital and then send her to a post-op rehab facility? I know money/insurance claims probably made it impossible to do any of the aforementioned options, so maybe TLC could have sprung for it? 

Couldn't believe Dr. Lola did not have or implement a talking stick for couples like them Who. Never. Stop. Talking. Or. Take. A. Minute. To. Shut. Up. And. Listen. What a waste of 50 minutes for everyone involved.

Edited January 12, 2018 by Bridget

[Caoimhe]

52 minutes ago, Drogo said:

Yes.. and Lee said he was "jealous of her brother" because she was taking care of him. 

If he's alive, Rena's probably not allowed to talk to him.

Apparently he died due to massive weight gain after bariatric surgery (according to the caption on the Supersized episode). 

[Bridget]

23 hours ago, fonfereksglen said:

Black screen of judgment.  It comes from the earliest years of Intervention, giving the viewers an update on what happened after treatment.  One of the best reality show acronyms ever.  

Does anyone feel up to creating a Reality Show dictionary with acronyms and their meanings? Or, is there a site I don't know about that provides one? I had no idea what BSOJ was either and I Googled the hell out of it until it brought me to pages on Asian languages...which was pretty much when I gave up and figured it'd be asked and answered at some point on this board.

I used to think I was up to date, lingo wise, but my high school students have failed me! 

I openly admit to having used a new tab to identify an acronym I've seen here because I had no idea what it meant.  I love UrbanDictionary.com as much as the next snarker, but I've read some things on there that I cannot unread! ??

Edited January 12, 2018 by Bridget

[gigiann]

21 hours ago, Carolina Girl said:

 solid sphere of cellulite

This made me laugh!!! LOL

[fonfereksglen]

5 hours ago, magemaud said:

I loved it when someone said Lola reminds them of "LaFawnduh" 

Indeed.  I have thought that every time she is on the screen!

Edited January 13, 2018 by fonfereksglen

[Carolina Girl]

On 1/11/2018 at 3:48 PM, Otter said:

Okay, the only good thing to say about the Assantes is that I didn't see any tats. 

Considering the attitude of that supreme asshat Steven, I imagine he'd be worried that the artist might get fed up with him, necessitating the taking of some creative license and tat "2 Tons of Dirtbag" in a pominent location.  

[Maggienolia]

On 1/11/2018 at 4:14 PM, PsychoKlown said:

This is a genuine question.  I am not trying to be snarky or jokey. 

Can the price of tattoos be adjusted according to the size of the person?

Those are some pretty large tattoos.  I suppose more ink is used in a case like Lee's rather than a tattoo given to Angelina Jolie.  So, would the artist charge more for Lee?  Or are tattoos charged by the hour?

Manufacturers charge more for plus-sized pants.  Does the same business model apply to tattoos?

This has been weighing on my mind most of the day.

I can tell you that last year I was looking at getting my first tattoo (on my wrist in memorial of a friend who had passed). One image that I had to show the artist as I began shopping around would probably have ended up being about 5-6" long and 2-3" wide at the widest point. It was black/gray-scale, not very complex so not a lot of shading or detail work involved. Quotes to put it on my forearm ran in the $200-250 range. I ended up with a smaller black dragon line-drawing on my wrist to to the tune of $80. My impression from price shopping at a few different shops was that yes, the artist sets the price and can adjust their quote based on size of tattoo, location, and whatever else they want to base it on (within reason). Amount of time to do the tattoo probably factors in too. Mine was small so it only took about an hour. But some can take several sessions so... I would imagine that all of those factors affect price. 

On 1/11/2018 at 4:31 PM, PrincessPurrsALot said:

There was a very telling statement that Rena made during the episode.  Lee is the only person she has left.  So while he may not have been physically abusive before now, he did segregate her from her support system, friends and family.  He is an abusive jackass. 

Oh. I took the "she has no one left" to mean they had died. Them mentioned her brother (I think it was) who passed away from complications due to his obesity. Maybe it was an uncle or cousin. I don't remember. 

[Maggienolia]

8 hours ago, seniorpatriot said:

I have never liked this "therapist" Lola. She has always got under my skin with that extremely phony "compassion" that she tries to portray. She annoys me as much as some of obese people do on this show. 

And here particularly she seemed to be on valium with a side of botox. Even when she was trying to get them to listen to her...such flat affect. And her "point" about people dying from family violence in the minutes we've been sitting here. Totally lost on the room. Even I was thinking, "and?". I'm not a fan of Lola's. The hair, the voice, the dead eyes. 

6 hours ago, AZChristian said:

So, you enjoy watching Jerry Springer and Maury Povich?

Hey! Jerry Springer had his moments. And who doesn't love the anticipation of Maury's "you ARE the father" ??? :)

[Maggienolia]

1 hour ago, Mu Shu said:

 

Except with Steven, he is possessed. 

I'm not sure even the Devil would want him. 

[sainte-chapelle]

3 minutes ago, Maggienolia said:

I'm not sure even the Devil would want him. 

Wasn't he the one on drugs yelling about the devils playground? 

[Mrs. Hanson]

58 minutes ago, Maggienolia said:

I'm not sure even the Devil would want him. 

Now I have an image of Steven looking down a sewer grate and Pennywise popping up and suddenly saying, "Uh Steven.....nevermind......you won't float down here."

[the-grey-lady]

On 1/11/2018 at 6:42 PM, Giant Misfit said:

I just tuned into the Super Sized episode and heard Lee say to the therapist, "It's not like I beat her every day." One more time, "It's not like I beat her every day." 

Poor Rena. She looked so broken during that session. Please leave him!

This made my skin crawl. And him telling her that she drove him to hit her! No. No no no no. I started this episode rooting for both of them, but halfway through I wanted Rena to push Lee and his scooter onto the highway, and I sure as hell wasn't buying Lee's so-called turnaround by the end of the episode, carnations or no.

Hearing that Lee is all Rena has scares the crap out of me. There is no way she'll leave him when he's "it" for her. So damn sad.

[bethster2000]

I did a quick consultation with Dr. Google, and it is entirely possible for a morbidly obese patient to suffer from malnutrition, especially after the bariatric surgery is complete.  I know a flippant Dr. Now makes for great television, but a fact is a fact.  There was another patient who had a feeding tube installed at some point by another doctor at a nearby hospital because that doctor deemed her to be malnourished...Dr. Now was outraged, but it seemed to be more about some other doctor questioning his decisions than any genuine care for the patient.  That has bothered me for a long time.

Lee is proof that abusers come in all shapes and sizes.  I hope Rena gets to the point where she tells him to hold his own damn piss bottle.

Edited January 13, 2018 by bethster2000

[notyrmomma]

2 hours ago, bethster2000 said:

I did a quick consultation with Dr. Google, and it is entirely possible for a morbidly obese patient to suffer from malnutrition, especially after the bariatric surgery is complete.  I know a flippant Dr. Now makes for great television, but a fact is a fact.  There was another patient who had a feeding tube installed at some point by another doctor at a nearby hospital because that doctor deemed her to be malnourished...Dr. Now was outraged, but it seemed to be more about some other doctor questioning his decisions than any genuine care for the patient.  That has bothered me for a long time.

Yes, but mostly with the gastric bypass (I can't remember if that's what he had).  That's why after bariatric surgery its all about protein protein protein and vitamin supplements (and NOT salad/lettuce, even from Panera).  You are at most risk of iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 deficiencies which can have a huge range of symptoms from hair falling out to neuropathy.  

The feeding tube person was Angel and that was just idiotic though.  I was on Dr. Now's side with that one.  Why the fuck would you let a doctor do SURGERY to input a tube in your stomach without contacting the doctor who did the original bariatric surgery??? They could have given her some IV fluids and vitamins and sent her back to Dr. Now.  Also, remember Angel was the one who lost like 100 pounds in a month (or some ungodly short time) before her surgery because she was starving herself, so she was probably in terrible shape before going in for her surgery.  

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Pounders,

This is the episode thread for Rena and Lee.  He's an enormous man with anger issues.  She's a seemingly lovely woman trapped with him (for now - Run, Rena, run!)  Let's try to keep the conversation to this episode.

We have moved the posts regarding childhood obesity over to the Small Talk thread.  If you want to continue that conversation, head over there.  There's virtual biscuits and gravy and piles of scrambled eggs bigger than your head.  Come on in!  The posting's fine!

PrincessPurrsALot and FrenchToast

[AZChristian]

PPAL and FT . . . I just want to commend you on the Mod's Post above.  It proves that it IS possible to re-direct people in a way that accomplishes the goal of getting a thread back on target . . . but with humor and grace.  Thank you!

[dahling]

15 hours ago, Maggienolia said:

And here particularly she seemed to be on valium with a side of botox. Even when she was trying to get them to listen to her...such flat affect. And her "point" about people dying from family violence in the minutes we've been sitting here. Totally lost on the room. Even I was thinking, "and?". I'm not a fan of Lola's. The hair, the voice, the dead eyes. 

Oh yes! Seriously, what was that? "Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, EXCUSE ME!" I'm thinking she's going to say, "I'm reporting this to the police, Rena, you are coming with me to a shelter." Or something of life-changing import. But no, she busts out the total non-sequitur of people dying of family violence while they've been arguing. Um, what?  I usually fast forward through the therapy sessions, because I have a cold, cold heart and I just don't care "why" they eat, but this story was engrossing enough that I decided to watch.  Big mistake. Terrible therapist. 

[HeHe]

2 hours ago, notyrmomma said:

Yes, but mostly with the gastric bypass (I can't remember if that's what he had). 

IIRC Lee had the full gastric bypass (+ gallbladder removal) while Rena just had the sleeve.  

[joh]

Did anyone wonder how this enormous man was able to abuse this woman when he can barely move?  Just run lady!

[AZChristian]

18 minutes ago, joh said:

Did anyone wonder how this enormous man was able to abuse this woman when he can barely move?  Just run lady!

Shoot.  She could just take the battery off his wheelchair, and she could walk!!!

[joh]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 0:50 PM, AuntiePam said:

Yeah, she was awful.  If she had any training, it must have been at the same place Alan Harper got his chiropractor license.  But I was biased against that therapist as soon as I saw her.  What is it with blonde wigs on African-American women?  Even Halle Berry can't pull that off. 

I fast-forwarded most of the session so don't know if anything the therapist said was helpful.

I was thinking the same thing and I am African American!  A Blond Wig????

[Mrs. Hanson]

On 1/11/2018 at 8:47 AM, dahling said:

First of all, I thought this was going to be a show about a lesbian couple, and it was hard to shake the misconception because Lee looked more like a woman than a man.  I couldn't figure out why TLC wasn't blurring out her naked breasts until later I realized they were moobs not boobs.

I did not see the entire episode but when we did switch over my husband said the same thing!!!  "Man?  Woman?"  "Man!" followed by "No......woman!!!"  And that bick wad/roll of fat on the back of his neck?  Ugh.

[joh]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 3:14 PM, PsychoKlown said:

This is a genuine question.  I am not trying to be snarky or jokey. 

Can the price of tattoos be adjusted according to the size of the person?

Those are some pretty large tattoos.  I suppose more ink is used in a case like Lee's rather than a tattoo given to Angelina Jolie.  So, would the artist charge more for Lee?  Or are tattoos charged by the hour?

Manufacturers charge more for plus-sized pants.  Does the same business model apply to tattoos?

This has been weighing on my mind most of the day.

hehe

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, joh said:

hehe

No Joh... I said I was serious. 

Just like now.  I am wearing my serious klown face.

Honest.

[joh]

41 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Shoot.  She could just take the battery off his wheelchair, and she could walk!!!

haha

[calpurnia99]

There was an episode where a woman did indeed get malnourished. She didn't tell the Dr. Now and went to a different doctor who did some procedure which really fucked her up. Dr Now was FURIOUS that she didn't call him, but she was malnourished from whatever the other doctor did to her, I can't recall. It is possible but Dr. Now knew in this case Lee was just overeating due to the lack of losing weight. 

[aliya]

On 1/12/2018 at 1:44 PM, Bridget said:

 I saw the crucified neon monkeys too. 

Somehow I missed that. They had a collection of crucified neon monkeys? WTH? On the other hand, I might want one for work.

[Otter]

3 hours ago, calpurnia99 said:

There was an episode where a woman did indeed get malnourished. She didn't tell the Dr. Now and went to a different doctor who did some procedure which really fucked her up. Dr Now was FURIOUS that she didn't call him, but she was malnourished from whatever the other doctor did to her, I can't recall. It is possible but Dr. Now knew in this case Lee was just overeating due to the lack of losing weight. 

That was Angel as noted upthread.  Her husband had the most fabulous sexy voice, like Barry White; I loved listening to him.  They lived in Texas, but it was a long haul to Houston and she was very ill so off to the local hospital.  The last thing her husband wanted was to do any harm but he needed immediate help for his wife and the last thing he thought of was to call Dr. Now.  Though I did think it was odd that that the local docs didn't notify him for a consult.  I was never clear as to why the stomach tube was inserted unless tests showed she was malnourished.  People close to Dr. Now's office fail to keep appointments so a 100+ mile drive, especially if you're already sick guarantees no follow-up.  I liked them.  She did well finally and hope she got joints replaced.  

[Guest]

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 2:44 PM, Bridget said:

Couldn't believe Dr. Lola did not have or implement a talking stick for couples like them Who. Never. Stop. Talking. Or. Take. A. Minute. To. Shut. Up. And. Listen.

The joke in my office is that PsychoKlown is not allowed to have a talking stick.

They are afraid that I'll get so frustrated with everyone talking out of turn that I'll insert the stick in an area of the client that would require surgical precision to remove.

I do not balk at that rule because I think they are exactly 100% correct.

Edited January 13, 2018 by PsychoKlown

[cynic]

Sigh

 

This 'My 600-Lb Life' Couple Says Weight Loss Allowed Them To Have Sex For The First Time

[Drogo]

[Suzywriter]

10 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Shoot.  She could just take the battery off his wheelchair, and she could walk!!!

That was an absolutely brilliant  observation! Heck, she could just stand there, and he couldn't catch her.

[bethster2000]

[LocalGovt]

On 1/11/2018 at 11:16 AM, Tabbygirl521 said:

I dropped $13 at Five Guys for one burger, the smallest size of fries, and a “regular” drink (the smallest available). So $44 for one regular-sized human and two super-obese humans is barely over three times what I paid. So I dunno. I didn’t notice which restaurant they went to; if McD or Jack in the Box, $44 could have bought a hell of a lot of stuff, of course. 

Yet, the eternal question. How DO they afford this type of binging for years on end?? Three meals a day plus snacks. Of course, they saved a lot of dough not buying clothing for Lee...

True. But maybe she thought he’d take it out on Rena, who did get within arm’s reach?? But yeah, I think it is actually the emotional bullying that kept her in line, so to speak. Very hard to understand. But these folks are very damaged. The sister might feel some guilt for not having protected Lee from the sibling who abused him as a child. More therapy needed for all!

Maybe TLC gives them food money, specifically to buy junk/fast food? I've always wondered about this -- as a way to gather more salacious stuff to film.

[hoosiermom]

What I did like about Dr. Lola is when she said something like “ If he will slap you, he will punch you. If he will punch you, he will kick you. If he will kick you, he will squash you. If he will squash you, he will kill you.” And both of them were listening but not sure hearing. Gave me chills.

[Guest]

12 hours ago, cynic said:

Sigh

 

This 'My 600-Lb Life' Couple Says Weight Loss Allowed Them To Have Sex For The First Time

Thankfully, nowhere does it mention in the article that Lee is having sex with anybody. It only restates his voiceover from the show that they "can" have sex now—not that they ever actually did. 

I also enjoyed the stock photo used on the article which featured poorly dressed senior citizens on a walk. 

While the article was pretty click-baity, it did include a link to a Newsweek article about the two. Standard fare, nothing insightful. But someone had posted in the comment section that Lee was always a hateful person and had been married to a woman named "Cookie" who died during the filming of the show?! Surely that person's mistaken, right? Did Lee admit to being married before?

[TVWatcher12]

Does anyone else fast-forward through the childhood part? Soooo tired of the same blame game! I have struggled with my weight forever - was molested and had an abusive husband. I am an adult! I chose to get control and watch what I eat, exercise and I did it without surgery or blaming everybody under the sun! Sometimes I really think shows like this encourage the “poor-me” victim mentality...really grates on me’

[dahling]

Quote

Lee tells Newsweek that things are better now. He’s even able to walk and drive, which he wasn’t able to do in the past. He also went on Facebook and thanked people for their support. “Me and Rena are better people now,” he said.

I guess Rena finally stopped whatever behavior that was driving him to hit her. Good for Rena. [/sarcasm]

[Tabbygirl521]

2 hours ago, Giant Misfit said:

Thankfully, nowhere does it mention in the article that Lee is having sex with anybody. It only restates his voiceover from the show that they "can" have sex now—not that they ever actually did. 

I also enjoyed the stock photo used on the article which featured poorly dressed senior citizens on a walk. 

While the article was pretty click-baity, it did include a link to a Newsweek article about the two. Standard fare, nothing insightful. But someone had posted in the comment section that Lee was always a hateful person and had been married to a woman named "Cookie" who died during the filming of the show?! Surely that person's mistaken, right? Did Lee admit to being married before?

Probably he was married to **A** cookie, or all of them. 

58 minutes ago, dahling said:

I guess Rena finally stopped whatever behavior that was driving him to hit her. Good for Rena. [/sarcasm]

I wonder if he has quit barging through doors ahead of her. A couple of times he just about bowled her over. 

[seniorpatriot]

23 hours ago, joh said:

Did anyone wonder how this enormous man was able to abuse this woman when he can barely move?  Just run lady!

I think it is kind of like those enablers who keep over feeding the bed bound fat people. They says things like "he will get very mad if I dont give it to him", etc. When he can't even get out of bed!  I think the enablers a lot of time just think they cannot do any better and so they give in to keep an argument from happening.

[Bridget]

9 hours ago, LocalGovt said:

Maybe TLC gives them food money, specifically to buy junk/fast food? I've always wondered about this -- as a way to gather more salacious stuff to film.

I know that many people get a daily per diem when traveling for work with the idea that it will take care of the cost of their meals, so if the candidates for surgery are "working" for TLC the minute that the cameras roll, it would make sense that they get a per diem while on their way to Houston. I would also imagine that they also receive additional money for gas and accommodation, as that is typically covered when one travels for work as well. The only thing that is odd about the money possibly being "fronted" prior to travel (from what I know about my own experiences & other people U know who travel for work) is that one either uses their own money or credit card (personal or corporate) to pay for things and are then reimbursed upon return. Given the financial difficulties that many of the people on the show face, maybe TLC gave them a prepaid debit card? 

I wouldn't be surprised if they were also fronted some of the money from their participation fee while they are on the road since they are still technically "working", even if filming via dash camera or with the TLC folks.
 

[aliya]

Can one of the medical people on here explain Rena's breathing issue?  I don't understand how weight loss can improve your breathing ability (other than when you are lying down and not having your fat shifting up around your neck or weighing on your lungs).  If you have asthma or COPD or emphysema, for example, can they be affected by weight loss? 

[TurtlePower]

It's seriously hard watching these people eat their humongous breakfast. They aren't even tasting it! 

[dahling]

5 hours ago, aliya said:

Can one of the medical people on here explain Rena's breathing issue?  I don't understand how weight loss can improve your breathing ability (other than when you are lying down and not having your fat shifting up around your neck or weighing on your lungs).  If you have asthma or COPD or emphysema, for example, can they be affected by weight loss? 

I'm not speaking medically, but as a former obese person (380 lbs). The body has to work very hard to supply a body that large with the oxygen it needs. I look back with embarrassment on videos I took at my highest weight because I can clearly hear myself panting from the exertion of standing up, and any of my spoken words are clipped due to the effort of breathing (silly me, I thought my fat was a secret when I was  behind the camera because no one could see me). Being that heavy is hard on the body in every way, and breathing is no exception.