S06.E02: Janine's Story

[auntjess]

19 minutes ago, aliya said:

was telling a coworker, who is a nurse, about this show and mentioned that Janine was too fat for the x-ray and that I'd never heard of such a thing. She said she hadn't either.  Good lord - too big to be x-rayed. 

I think it was the x-ray they used first wasn't  designed to penetrate as far or as much fat?
 

[kewpiedolls]

16 hours ago, swankie said:

 

And did anyone else see all of the shit that was on the inside rim of the toilet seat after she finished using it and got up?  Clearly the grabber thingy isn't really a good way to wipe a 600 pound person's ass.  I just hope that she cleaned it off before leaving the bathroom and they just edited that part out.  Damned editors could have edited out that whole scene as far as I'm concerned.  I think we've seen enough of these people going to the bathroom.  Ewww!  And using a metal grabber thing to wipe your ass sounds hella painful. 

When I was watching that I thought "What am I doing watching a morbidly obese woman sitting on the toilet and using a butt-wiping instrument?" Sadly, that isn't the worst or most unusual thing filmed on this show...We all know that. I kept staring at the seat when she got off, trying to figure out if it was broken because there was something that looked like a crack on the seat. I didn't even notice the inside!

[auntjess]

11 hours ago, kj4ever said:

almost think they should all get that balloon in the early period where they need to lose weight before surgery...

I think they should all be weighed in their home town, given the beginning weight loss assignment, along with diet/food list, and be dropped, if they don't lose the weight in 2 tries.
It would make their trips easier, too.

[Tabbygirl521]

22 minutes ago, WillowG said:

Fotflol!  I'll admit to dieting for 72 hours before a doctor's appointment and watching the scale intently in hopes I made goal.

I always make sure to wear as few clothes and the lightest shoes possible!

[auntjess]

45 minutes ago, WillowG said:

I'm a little behind.  Sooo, does she HATE it in the hospital?

Of course she hated it.  They did nothing at all for her bulemia.

[AZChristian]

32 minutes ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

I always make sure to wear as few clothes and the lightest shoes possible!

Because the scale is usually out in a hallway with patients and doctors walking by, I wear my sandals (which I slip off) and light clothes.  I take my phone off my waistband, and then I ask, "How much more can I take off before somebody is going to start complaining?"  LOL.

[ThisGirlAsh]

Me when Janine told Dr.Now she thought/thinks she's bulimic: 

[Jeeves]

1 hour ago, WillowG said:

I'm a little behind.  Sooo, does she HATE it in the hospital?

 

K, kidding, but that was the funniest moan and groan I've seen in a long time on this show.   "I hate it here, no actually I mean I hate it, I really hate it here in this Hospital, I hate the food the diet is terrible, I want to go home because, did I say I hate it here??!

Oh, lord,that was rich. And she kept talking about how she needed to get out of th horrible hospital and back home where she could be in charge of her diet. 

The delusion, it’s huge with this person. She got on my last nerve, but I think her future isn’t going to be good, which is sad.

[Armchair Critic]

That guy who she hired to assist her on the plane, can you imagine having to spend the night at her house? I would have paid for my own hotel room and met her at her house in the morning.

[Toaster Strudel]

14 hours ago, ThereButFor said:

Part of the delusion seems to be this idea that surgery will “fix” their desire to eat and/or free them from the consequences of overeating

Scratch that, it's only to free them from the consequences of overeating.

What happens if she needs to go to the bathroom while in the airplane? Which must happen pretty often, given the quantities that her digestive system processes.

[magemaud]

When I was watching the bonus scene of the men setting up Janine's bed in her new apartment and she was crying because it was too high, I was practically yelling at the TV, "Just take the damn wheels off it!" Later when they showed her living alone after Susan had left, I noticed that the bed was lower and the wheels were gone. (maybe they heard me?) 

Was that man who was helping Dr. Now's nurse move the scale with the handlebars into place his FATHER? 

[Noirprncess]

This was the waste of time episode.  It was pretty clear a few minutes in that she wasn't going to do well on the program.  She truly had near zero commitment and really seemed to think the surgery was magical with little work from her.

[auntjess]

52 minutes ago, Toaster Strudel said:

What happens if she needs to go to the bathroom while in the airplane? Which must happen pretty often, given the quantities that her digestive system processes.

She probably had heavy-duty Depends, or some such, and probably didn't drink much before flying.

[Gbb]

3 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Yeah, she “a bad week” amd regained 63 lbs. I’ve done that. 

Sure. She’d just need to take an extra 30,000 or so calories a day for that week. Easy peasy. 

[JDAlexander]

Quote

1 hour ago, magemaud said:

Was that man who was helping Dr. Now's nurse move the scale with the handlebars into place his FATHER? 

 

 

 

I saw him too--he looked exactly like Dr. Now!

[AntAnn]

6 minutes ago, auntjess said:

She probably had heavy-duty Depends, or some such, and probably didn't drink much before flying.

Well, pretty clear she doesn’t go very long without her “comfort” foods. That would have been trauma enough and then just anticipating the plane ride of a few hours without sweets and drinks. Plus, no coddling and no scooter...omg...meltdown...and we saw it. 

IMHO, mental...yes...and a master manipulator. They are bringing them this season. 

Last time I flew from Texas to Ca, last year, we had a three hour wait for a pilot after flying from Lubbock to Dallas, before CA. Seriously, it was that long. I guess I drank almost a bottle of wine or almost two because the stew gave me one corked to take home! Intervention much, but, I, would like to say that I was a very nice respectful, and happy passenger. Lol 

I also saw the Dr. Now look alike with the scale. Weird.

[auntjess]

I just started reading the real time topic and it's a hoot the way it starts out supportive, because she does make a good first impression, and then the posts start

to change.
I recommend it!

[magemaud]

I’d be pretty pissed if I was a passenger waiting for them to preboard Janine, especially for the first flight when  she had to be taken off after her meltdown. I can only hope that production allocated plenty of time for the camera crew, airport personnel and fire rescue to film those scenes without inconveniencing everyone else on the flight. 

[PCB]

Do ANY of these people watch the show before they apply to be on it?  You would think so or otherwise how else would they know about it?  Take the show America's Top Models.  You just have to know those girls have watched those shows over and over before before sending in their application.  So why would this show be any different?  I know it's all about TV Drama, but really.   That plane thing was just stupid.  How many times have we seen patients sent there in a Medical transport or anything other than a plane?  This episode was a failure from the get go.   She was distressed the first plane trip so why wasn't she medicated the second one?  I just found it highly unbelievable. 

[bethster2000]

15 hours ago, AVM said:

I think I love you ?

Love you?  Hell, I'm having her baby.

LOL so hard that I peed a little bit.  OK, a little more than a little bit.

ETA: I would not want to be a passenger on a plane with someone that large.  Plane travel is so safe, it borders on the ridiculous, but in the minute chance that you were in an accident, would you want to have to maneuver past her?  Have her block the aisle, or an exit, screaming about how her knees won't work and they hurt?  Maybe I'm a bitch, I don't know.  I also want to know the size of the plane flown between Dallas and Houston?  Is it a shuttle-type flight, 20 or so back and forth a day?  Those are usually left to smaller planes to do the flights.  How on earth would she get on board her connecting flight?  And MAKE her connecting flight without delaying an entire planeload of passengers?  You know, Houston is a big international hub (as is Dallas).  If I missed my connection because of OW MA KNEES PANIC ATTACK, I'd be having some issues with the airline who approved her flying.

ETA Again: American Airlines flies the Airbus 319, the MD-80, the 737, and the Embraer CR-J from Dallas to Houston.  All of them are "narrow body," but some are more narrow than others, namely the MD-80 and the Embraer.  The Embraer is a notoriously tight fit for even "normal" sized passengers (my husband had to fly it all the time and he is a tall man who felt like he was a sardine for the entire flight!).  

Edited January 19, 2018 by bethster2000

[alegtostandon]

I missed the first hour on Wed night, so I did not see her childhood trauma & early pictures. I came in where she was seeing Dr Now for the first time. Just listening to her tone and the way she'd respond in that sickly sweet voice, then when the "caring" niece came to visit, she greets niece with "hey girl!", I thought she may have been attractive at one point in her life & was use to flirting.   Saw the first hour Thurs night, sure enough, there were the popular 80's Glamour Shots photos. 

Speaking of the niece...haven't we already had the "caring niece" in a previous episodes?

[Tabbygirl521]

57 minutes ago, alegtostandon said:

I missed the first hour on Wed night, so I did not see her childhood trauma & early pictures. I came in where she was seeing Dr Now for the first time. Just listening to her tone and the way she'd respond in that sickly sweet voice, then when the "caring" niece came to visit, she greets niece with "hey girl!", I thought she may have been attractive at one point in her life & was use to flirting.   Saw the first hour Thurs night, sure enough, there were the popular 80's Glamour Shots photos. 

Speaking of the niece...haven't we already had the "caring niece" in a previous episodes?

They showed some pictures of Janine as a young woman and I thought she was very attractive. Not thin, no, but NBD to me. She looked lovely. 

[cynicat]

My favorite exchange of the night was when Janine told Dr. Now that her problem was that she didn't want to eat.  Dr. Now raised his eyebrows and said something like, "do you seriously think that's a problem?  That's a great problem for you to have!"

[Pepper Mostly]

12 hours ago, seasons said:

Good grief. After the corndog and the ice cream, she laid back and rubbed her belly.  Rolled her eyes. Head back. Food orgasm. Really sad.

She comes across to me as a really sick woman on many levels. That calm creepy voice is super weird.

There is no way she is in the least serious about losing weight. No. Way. If anything, she wants to lose weight so she can luxuriate in gaining it all back.

The calm creepy voice, and the "charming" smile she'd paste on. She gains 63 pounds, Dr. Now reads her the riot act, and at the end of the visit, when he disgustedly leaves the room, she cranks up that rictus grin and sweetly says "bye! have a good evening!"

6 hours ago, auntjess said:

I just started reading the real time topic and it's a hoot the way it starts out supportive, because she does make a good first impression, and then the posts start

to change.
I recommend it!

The live chat thread gives me life. I don't watch in real time but I enjoy the hell out of the thread, its hilarious!

45 minutes ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

They showed some pictures of Janine as a young woman and I thought she was very attractive. Not thin, no, but NBD to me. She looked lovely. 

She was very pretty. Her story is fishy as a hatchery, though. Diet pills at four? I doubt that, seriously. She's been telling her story for decades. I think it has been heavily embroidered, which may be one reason her brothers stay away. If she's talking lots of smack about their dead mother, I do not blame them one bit for not engaging with that. Then there's the "I hurt my knee" story. "I hurt my knee and had to stay in bed for 6 months", or something like that. She glossed over that pretty quickly. She couldn't go back to her old job? She couldn't find another job in fashion? She "had to" become a "model"? (Geez, I had no idea it was that easy. All those times I was unemployed in my youth, I could have just become a model, who knew?). So she was a fetish model, right? She must have made a tidy sum at it-she did not seem cash strapped at all. There are a lot of holes in her story.

[AZChristian]

8 hours ago, magemaud said:

Was that man who was helping Dr. Now's nurse move the scale with the handlebars into place his FATHER? 

I honestly thought it might have been his brother - quite a resemblance!

[SunnyBeBe]

15 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

My mind refuses to go there.  Nope.

Therapy should be arranged before traveling that distance.  Come on, couldn't Dr. Now have arranged for Janine to see a doctor in Seattle first, and then prescribed some anti-anxiety meds for the trip?  I'm sure they skip over some of what goes on, but this whole thing just seemed so haphazard to me.

Yes, a plan for travel, would likely have involved pre-counseling, anti-anxiety meds. for boarding and staying on the plane.  ( They can prescribe 2 pills.)  And even a life coach type person to accompany her.  That would likely have paid off in the longrun.  Dr. Now's team has seen all of this stuff many times for many years with lots of patients.   Why in the hell can't they figure it out?  I'm not even a health care professional and I get it. It seems like it's probably fabricated for tv.  Sad, really. 

[aliya]

10 hours ago, auntjess said:

I think it was the x-ray they used first wasn't  designed to penetrate as far or as much fat?
 

Maybe, but wasn't it in Dr Now's office? Like a bariatric clinic office - with fat people? : )

[aliya]

9 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Oh, lord,that was rich. And she kept talking about how she needed to get out of th horrible hospital and back home where she could be in charge of her diet. 

The delusion, it’s huge with this person. She got on my last nerve, but I think her future isn’t going to be good, which is sad.

They always want to be in charge of their diet - the one that got them to 600 pounds. 

I noticed the resemblance of the guy with the scale to Dr Now as well.

Edited January 19, 2018 by aliya

[AZChristian]

44 minutes ago, aliya said:

Maybe, but wasn't it in Dr Now's office? Like a bariatric clinic office - with fat people? : )

One of their filmed patients actually broke the toilet in Dr. Now's office.  There's obese, and then there's "we have to invent special equipment for some of these people because there's a classification PAST morbidly obese that we haven't yet designed for."

[Lesia]

If I'm not mistaken, I think Dr. Now's son has been in other episodes, or specials dealing with obese patients.   Like from years ago.

so it could be possible that was Dr. Now's brother helping with the scale?  Family business and all?

[auntjess]

10 hours ago, PCB said:

Do ANY of these people watch the show before they apply to be on it?

Apparently not, because they all seem to think that if they get to Houston, the pounds will start dropping off, while they eat their pizzas and ice cream.

8 hours ago, bethster2000 said:

ETA: I would not want to be a passenger on a plane with someone that large.  Plane travel is so safe, it borders on the ridiculous, but in the minute chance that you were in an accident, would you want to have to maneuver past her?  Have her block the aisle, or an exit, screaming about how her knees won't work and they hurt?

She wouldn't be able to get up without help, and I'm afraid she'd just be a write-off.  She'd never be placed in a row with an emergency exit.

5 hours ago, alegtostandon said:

Speaking of the niece...haven't we already had the "caring niece" in a previous episodes?

Diana and Erica both.  I think of them together, because they were both better off than the average 600lber we see, both had nieces to help them, and both took advantage of their family.  Erica is the one with really bitchy sister, I think.  
Diana is the one who assured Dr Now that her family would stay with her for more surgery, without asking her niece, who was right there.

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

One of their filmed patients actually broke the toilet in Dr. Now's office. 

Lupe!

[gingerormaryann]

I am getting a kick out of how Dr. Now is getting bitchier and bitchier.  You could almost hear the laughter in his voice when he said Janine said she was bulimic.  When Steven said he wasn't eating in the hospital, Dr. Now said "are you on a food strike?" 

Janine was actually quite nice to the some of the people who helped her but was not nice to those in Dr. Now's office or in the hospital.  I agree that she nearly ran that guy down and it did show how she had no regard for anyone but herself.

So many of these patients have animals that they obviously can't care for.  And it's always cats or little dogs, things they think they can control with little work.  And sadly, when there is an exceptionally irritating patient like Janine or Steven, your mind does come up with the terrible old joke "where is the cat?  Did (s)he eat him".

[magemaud]

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

12 hours ago, magemaud said:

Was that man who was helping Dr. Now's nurse move the scale with the handlebars into place his FATHER? 

I honestly thought it might have been his brother - quite a resemblance!

You're right, probably his brother as Dr. Now is 74 and that man moving the scale certainly wasn't in his 90s. He had grayer hair, but Now isn't fooling anyone with his jet black comb-over. 

oh wait, I just found this info from his 2007 divorce paperwork: "The clinic employed several family members, including Younan's brother who served as office manager for approximately 15 years". That also makes me wonder if the dark haired young woman on the staff who is frequently shown weighing the patients (including Janine, Lee and Rena) might be his daughter. 

Edited January 19, 2018 by magemaud

[libgirl2]

I watched some of it last night but had to turn it off. She was so whiny! The entire time! I just couldn't. 

[CaughtOnTape]

On 1/18/2018 at 0:07 AM, Gbb said:

I’m her age and very overweight (though I weigh less than half what she weighs) and flying is very difficult for me. The seats are uncomfortable and the rows so close together that you can’t move your legs enough to really change the position of your knees very much. After awhile it becomes painful. When I fly, I’m always moving my legs just a fraction this way or that’s just to alleviate the pressure of sitting in one position for so long. I imagine that if you’re so large you can’t shift your position at all, especially when you’re likely in a strained position to begin with, it would become excruciating after a couple of hours. That’s the one time in the whole episode when I understood her tears. (The rest of the time I wanted to run over her with her scooter). 

I have to say I’m thrilled to have the show back on. I’ve been having difficulty getting back on track after a month of holiday eating. I’m already planning low-carb meals in my head for tomorrow.

I'm 5'11" and not overweight and flying is painful for me because there is NO leg room on a plane.  I can barely handle an hour before I start getting testy and pissed off if I can't move.  The pain in my knees can reach excruciating levels if I don't move.  I also get why she was crying on the plane.  For me, I just move a bit or switch butt cheeks and I'm good for another bit.  She can't do that.

[Bugfrey Von]

That niece seriously has taken this "opportunity" to an entirely new ridiculous level. Sobbing because they can't recount family stories?  What?  Huh?  The lipstick and extreme contouring was too much.  Lort.  Help that woman's tiny broken brain.  Maybe she and her bulimic aunt can start a reality show and realize everyone's dreams.  I'd watch, who am I kidding?

[ThisGirlAsh]

6 minutes ago, Bugfrey Von said:

That niece seriously has taken this "opportunity" to an entirely new ridiculous level. Sobbing because they can't recount family stories?  What?  Huh?  The lipstick and extreme contouring was too much.  Lort.  Help that woman's tiny broken brain.  Maybe she and her bulimic aunt can start a reality show and realize everyone's dreams.  I'd watch, who am I kidding?

When I first watched the episode I felt bad for her and thought she was sincere and sweet (I may or may not have been a little tipsy), but after watching it a couple more times (I have no life) that last final scene was cringe worthy.  I thought she was rehearsing a monologue or something.  What WAS that???  The way she started listing off a bunch of things and crying, I thought I sat on the remote and switched to The Notebook or Love Actually.  And her running out of the room as well....oh geez.  Glad to see she's been attending her acting classes.

[trashtvaddict]

9 minutes ago, Bugfrey Von said:

That niece seriously has taken this "opportunity" to an entirely new ridiculous level. Sobbing because they can't recount family stories?  What?  Huh?  The lipstick and extreme contouring was too much.  Lort.  Help that woman's tiny broken brain.  Maybe she and her bulimic aunt can start a reality show and realize everyone's dreams.  I'd watch, who am I kidding?

I am so glad some people are saying this. For me the niece was fake from word one.

[ChicksDigScars]

13 hours ago, auntjess said:

I just started reading the real time topic and it's a hoot the way it starts out supportive, because she does make a good first impression, and then the posts start

to change.
I recommend it!

The live chat is indeed AWESOME. 

[treeranchlady]

7 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I honestly thought it might have been his brother - quite a resemblance!

It seems to me I read somewhere that D. Now's brother does help him at the clinic.

Edited January 19, 2018 by treeranchlady
spelling

[SunnyBeBe]

I considered some of the things that she said about growing up and thought they were odd.  Were these actually thoughts she had as a child or are they thoughts that she came up with as an adult and she claims she thought them as a child.  Specifically, I question if she really thought that her mom was starving her at age 10.  She appeared to be at least 25 pounds overweight.  How would a child of that size feel they were being starved?  I just don't believe she thought that as a child or if she did, she must have been a very unusual child.  Does starved mean, that you can only have 1 bowl of cereal, not 2 or only 2 pop tarts and not 6?  I just wonder where she got those resentment feelings from.  Really, not what she said on air. 

Edited January 19, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[calpurnia99]

That whole scene in the hospital where she pretended she couldnt stand up to get weight, LMAO. At the end when Dr Now said Okay forget it she says "well at least I tried"!! she wanted praise for trying. She was trying to make it look like she was trying. 

[QuinnInND]

20 hours ago, Tabbygirl521 said:

Yeah, she “a bad week” amd regained 63 lbs. I’ve done that. 

Who hasn't? 

[AnnaBaptist]

This episode left me very sad. I think her chances of successful weight loss are nonexistent. She has more issues than Newsweek, and I don't see any real lifestyle changes happening until she gets some psychiatric help in dealing with these problems. 

As for her brothers not helping her out, they live in different states, don't they? It's difficult to hold down a job and then be able to take time off to meet her in Houston and help her get settled, or help her out in Seattle. It was hard enough for me to look after my aging parents (as well as take care of my children and have a 9-5 job), and they lived in the same metro area as me. We don't really know enough of their story to judge their circumstances.

[calpurnia99]

The thing is if the mother were alive today and saw what became of her...well this is exactly what she was trying to avoid! I mean I think you are right the adoption agency should not have said anything- however, it sounds like the birth mother was very morbidly obese, not just like 300 pounds range for the adoption place to say anything.  It doesn't sound like she had any major trauma, because when her mother died of cancer she was already well on her way to being 679 pounds.  She then blamed her father dying for 5 years of stuffing her face, as if he had not died she would not be so heavy?

[AZChristian]

People will often find a way to blame others for their own lack of control.  Many of us have had major crap (abuse, abandonment, etc.) happen when we were younger.  But that doesn't make it a requirement that we will be abusive/obese/drug addicts etc. as adults.  We all have the choice to deal with our issues and turn the past trauma into something positive in our adult years.  But some see it as a lot easier to just sit around moaning and groaning, eating, drinking, and ingesting illegal drugs.

I chose a better life.  I'm overweight, and there are lots of things I could blame that on, but I recognize that it's MY responsibility if I want to lose weight.  It's also my responsibility if I choose to continue to eat and live an unhealthy life.  Not my parents' . . . mine.

[raiderred1]

15 minutes ago, calpurnia99 said:

however, it sounds like the birth mother was very morbidly obese, not just like 300 pounds range for the adoption place to say anything.

She was born around 1963 or so and back in the day it was very unusual to see a morbidly obese person heavier than say, 350 lbs so yes, I'm sure her mom was heavy just not the weights we see today.  I had an elementary school teacher in the 70's that seemed absolutely huge(300 lbs-350 lbs range) at the time and today I doubt she would even get a second look for being so heavy.  People are SUPER SIZED nowadays!

[dahling]

A few things on rewatch:

I still feel sorry for her during both plane episodes. The struggle, the pain, the panic, the public embarrassment, all of it. It took superhuman resolve for her to even attempt it once, let alone twice. 

How the hell is her blood pressure 140/88? A lot of healthy-sized people would give an eyetooth for that.

Ok, the scene in the hospital where she can't stand up for the scale, then collapses back on the bed and thinks she's going to fall off, so she lays backwards, with her legs still dangling over the side. And Dr. Now just calmly continues the conversation while she lays there like a peeled banana. I guess he's seen everything because nothing phases him. He doesn't miss a beat. 

[xwordfanatik]

18 hours ago, auntjess said:

She probably had heavy-duty Depends, or some such, and probably didn't drink much before flying.

Do they even make Depends in that size?  I thankfully don't know.  Whoever upthread said that if Penny and Pauline were to have a kid, it would be Janine, was so right. 

I should probably put this in the update thread, but there was an InTouch article (I know, a lot of what they post seems to be bullshit) that had a link to a GoFundMe page, for Penny.  The page is suspicious, too, but the comments were unbelievably awful (not undeserved, if she's really begging for money.)  I'd link it, but I'm technologically impaired (well, I didn't grow up with this stuff, is my excuse!)

[xwordfanatik]

18 hours ago, AntAnn said:

Well, pretty clear she doesn’t go very long without her “comfort” foods. That would have been trauma enough and then just anticipating the plane ride of a few hours without sweets and drinks. Plus, no coddling and no scooter...omg...meltdown...and we saw it. 

IMHO, mental...yes...and a master manipulator. They are bringing them this season. 

Last time I flew from Texas to Ca, last year, we had a three hour wait for a pilot after flying from Lubbock to Dallas, before CA. Seriously, it was that long. I guess I drank almost a bottle of wine or almost two because the stew gave me one corked to take home! Intervention much, but, I, would like to say that I was a very nice respectful, and happy passenger. Lol 

I also saw the Dr. Now look alike with the scale. Weird.

I flew on a 2,300 mile flight five years ago.  We sat for three hours as well, because there was a problem with the plane.  Finally, they made us switch planes, but when we were sitting and waiting, there was an obnoxious woman with the most irritating laugh I have heard in my life!  I would have given anything for a bottle of wine!  No one offered one up, unfortunately.

I missed the Dr. Now guy.  Damn.  I don't think I want to watch Janine come unglued, again.