S06.E08: Robert's Story

[Granny58]

On 3/1/2018 at 1:55 PM, chickenella said:

his legs look smaller than the rest of him. The doctor in me wondered about circulation problems after seeing that.

They were also blue...so yeah, very poor circulation. 

[dbell1]

Hey everyone, I was confused by the timeline too! It absolutely wasn't 9 months, unless they filmed in NJ for some scenes? 

Kathryn was still in NJ in July, that was when she told me about Rob and their hope to get on the show. A few days later, was when the hospital said they were sending him to a nursing home because his instead running out. They knew it was a death sentence and had already been in contact with the show. That's when the discussion about pain meds came up that I mentioned a few pages ago - he had to be off a certain medication before they would even consider him due to a prior patient who was a nightmare.

Now sure about September, Rob was rarely able to get out of bed, I remember a post from Kathryn in April (?) about getting him outside for the first time in a long time just to get fresh air. Staff didn't want to take a chance on putting him in a wheelchair, she managed to get him up and outside. (Horrible way to live) :(

He died in November, so it wasn't 9 months in Texas, more like 4 max?

There was another viewing the day after Rob's memorial. IMHO, the family was more concerned about that than the service. But, we all handle grief differently, and it had been a while since the passing, so there's that to consider.

Rob died November 15th.

[magemaud]

6 minutes ago, dbell1 said:

he had to be off a certain medication before they would even consider him due to a prior patient who was a nightmare.

Any guesses who that patient was...

[skippy]

7 hours ago, JJ1 said:

Yes, something seemed strange about the whole timeline. I can’t remember - did the show ever show Robert in an apartment in Houston? It seems like he was admitted to the hospital to get some quick weight loss and then moved directly into rehab. From rehab to surgery. Then directly over to long-term care.  In the past, people were sent home while they continued the diet and pursued physical therapy.   I think the medical team was fully aware that he had significant health issues in addition to the weight.  I’m sure privacy laws restrict how much information can be shared, but I wish we knew more about why certain decisions were made. 

Dr. Now suspected Robert had an opiate addiction when Robert called from PA asking for a prescription for pain killers, and it was confirmed when Robert and Kathryn told him all the drugs Robert was taking. Dr. Now wanted Robert to be off opiates and he knew he could only achieve that with Robert in the hospital.

[babyhouseman]

My cousin's wife, who is from the Roanoke, VA area, shared a Facebook post  from someone praising the local fire and EMS for helping with Robert.  There was a video of the hotel scene. 

[auntjess]

1 hour ago, magemaud said:

Any guesses who that patient was...

I remember it coming up with someone, but can't remember who.  I'm pretty sure it was a woman, but then maybe there were several.
And I think Steven Asanti asked for meds.
Here's a story on Robert.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2018/03/02/a-my-600-lb-life-participant-died-while-filming-his-fight-to-lose-weight/?utm_term=.44aa2a2bd89d

Edited March 3, 2018 by auntjess

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

Oh I'm pretty sure it was a man. A very rude, nasty, drug addicted man from last season.

[magemaud]

13 minutes ago, auntjess said:

1 hour ago, magemaud said:

Any guesses who that patient was...

I remember it coming up with someone, but can't remember who.  I'm pretty sure it was a woman, but then maybe there were several.

When they said “addiction nightmare” all I could think of was Steven Assanti

1 minute ago, Mom2twoNonna2one said:

 

Oh I'm pretty sure it was a man. A very rude, nasty, drug addicted man from last season.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! You win an extra large pizza! 

[auntjess]

3 minutes ago, Mom2twoNonna2one said:

Oh I'm pretty sure it was a man. A very rude, nasty, drug addicted man from last season.

That would be Asanti, but I'm remembering a woman from several seasons ago, I thought.

[magemaud]

Yes indeed, Steven Assanti did ask for pain meds. Many times, at many different ERs. Remember Dr. Now confronting him with the list? While I’m sure there were other addicts featured, I think he was by far the worst. 

[auntjess]

Come on folks, don't make me rewatch more shows.
I thought there was a non-walking woman, and in an appointment at the office, that she wanted more meds.

[PrincessPurrsALot]

16 minutes ago, auntjess said:

Come on folks, don't make me rewatch more shows.
I thought there was a non-walking woman, and in an appointment at the office, that she wanted more meds.

I will be taking this discussion over to the All You Can Eat Buffett, All Episodes thread. That's where this discussion belongs.  All will be revealed there . . .

[Emkat]

The only pain med that they said he was on was dilaudid.  (When they listed his meds in the parking garage) Obviously a strong opiate but it is certainly not that rare or unusual for people to be on it; seemed very odd to me that Dr. Now was so hung up on it.  There has to be something more to this aspect of the story.

[magemaud]

7 minutes ago, auntjess said:

Come on folks, don't make me rewatch more shows.
I thought there was a non-walking woman, and in an appointment at the office, that she wanted more meds.

No no, auntjess, don't make yourself crazy or subject yourself to more shower scenes or watching a bed bound woman eat enormous amounts of fast food. I'm sure you're right about the drug seeking woman

[MillieSparklepants]

On 3/1/2018 at 10:05 AM, Motor City said:

“seniorpatriot:

The only thing that irritated me was how that friend who helped them move to Houston, the, just STOOD there and watched Kathryn struggle to pull Rob out of his chair and so forth.  I wanted to say to say to him, “Geez be a gentleman, help her.”  He did this more than once in the show.”

I thought the same thing, the friend just stood there like dead weight.

I have to give the friend a pass on that because it seemed to me like Rob and Kathryn had done this so much they had the routine down and the friend would have just been in the way.

Wow. Sad episode. I wondered why they weren't showing more of Rob's jerky behavior, especially when Kathryn said he'd been mean to everyone. Usually they'll show that kind of stuff. I think they gave him the good guy edit out of respect because I'm sure they had more material that would have put him in a worse light.

Many condolences to Kathryn and Rob's family. 

[gardendiva]

They might have given him a good guy edit, but that didn’t stop them from slipping in the usual snarky details thanks to an astute cameraman. I noticed that when Kathryn was having a hard time getting Robert down the hallway in the motel with that wide chair, the cameraman zoomed in on the scratches left behind on the wall, kind of like an incredulous “holy crap this guy is BIG” wordless commentary. I made note of it and giggled at the time, having no idea what lay ahead for poor Robert.

[LeeAnn]

I wonder why Mom or any of Robert's other family didn't come for Robert's surgery.   For someone his size, the risks are tremendous, yet there Kathryn sat by herself in the waiting room.

And I don't understand why, in 13 years, they had not gotten married before if there was so much love there.  Maybe I just hate it when people say, oh, we're getting married when this happens or that happens. I know it was said he wanted to walk her down the aisle.  Well, he was mobile for at least the first 10 years, right?   I just don't get it.  Well, yeah, I do.

This episode was one of the saddest, but I'm not as sympathetic as most (here and on other comment boards or FB comments).

[Hellohappylife]

Finally got a chance to watch this but missed most of the start since I’m on Vacation in Hawaii currently with no DVR

Forgive me (I don’t ever like talking bad about the dead,since they don’t have a chance to defend themselves) 

But to be honest I didn’t see Robert try at all in this episode. And felt mean afterwards  for laughing at him,at the scene where the hotel bed was suppose to be a King size but you see rob in the wheelchair out of breath yelling “it’s a queen! No it’s a full!” As if his body was some type of measuring cup. 

I spent the whole episode waiting for the part of the “journey” where he was sent home to make the changes on his own without 24 hour hospital supervision. I didn’t see a man who was ready to make changes to better his life. 

I felt more sadness for Kathryn, even more after his death. I got married about 15 months ago it was the best day of my life. when she described the planned wedding & showed their bands my heart hurt so much for her. I hope she heals from this loss in a healthy way & finds happiness. She deserves it. 

[Starlight925]

3 hours ago, LeeAnn said:

And I don't understand why, in 13 years, they had not gotten married before if there was so much love there.  Maybe I just hate it when people say, oh, we're getting married when this happens or that happens. I know it was said he wanted to walk her down the aisle.  Well, he was mobile for at least the first 10 years, right?   I just don't get it.  Well, yeah, I do.

Forgive me if I'm projecting my personal situation, but I ended a relationship about 6 months ago, and with a ton of reading and learning, I have discovered that my ex is a true narcissist.

Robert is a narcissist.  His and Kathryn's relationship followed a truly narcissistic relationship pattern, which includes:

--Lovebombing:  Robert was so "crazy" about Kathryn and reeled her in

--Idealizing:  Robert made Kathryn think she was the center of his world

--Living a parasitic existence:  Robert eventually had Kathryn believing he was so "in love" with her, that he ended up living off of her (and his mother).  He was a parasite in every way, needing care, food, drugs, travel, picking up from the wheelchair.  Every time I saw Kathryn wipe him clean after his bathroom use, I wanted to scream.

--Future faking:  This is a big one.  Narcissists love to future fake, as it keeps their victims hooked.  We'll get married when.....We'll have this great future when.....except "when" never happens.

--Devalue:  It's a huge part of a narcissistic relationship.  Devaluing their victim keeps them on top.  We watched as Kathryn said that Robert said some really nasty things to her, after all she did.

Narcissists choose someone based on the amount of empathy they perceive that person to have.  Kathryn obviously has an enormous capacity for empathy.

On the drive to Houston, I wanted to smash my own t.v. every time she said that the trip took longer because of all the food she had to stop and buy, and then all the "bathroom breaks" they had to take....which meant her going back in the van, literally letting him shit on her.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Sterling

[dbell1]

Since that's all the backstory I know, and speculation is all that's left to me, I'm bowing out of the thread. 

Thank you everyone for your support of Kathryn. This relationship wasn't perfect, but it's what she wanted, and I supported her choices. And I still support every step she makes these days. I know a beautiful, flawed, giving woman who was mentally and physically drained. Knowing she's making healthy choices now excites me. 

And thank you to everyone for getting me through the episode the other night. Live chat is just what I needed in an empty house. 

[LGGirl]

@Sterling   I think you hit the nail on the head.  But I can say we have seen that same dynamic on other episodes, too.  

Robert was an addict.  His true love was the drugs.  Just goes to show that you can’t change an addict and wasting your time if you think you can.  I think Kathryn would be doing him more of a favor if she did leave him long ago and was crystal clear with him why.  

It’s just too bad he didn’t go to years Texas sooner.  His relationship with his mother was toxic.  I think he would have survived.  

In the end, he just got to Texas too late.  He was lucky he survived the trip.  

Edited March 3, 2018 by LGGirl

[KateHearts]

20 hours ago, Emkat said:

I just noticed something: when he was doing PT at the last rehab place he has a wound vac. Which tells us his incision was opened up and not healing.

I didn't see a wound vac; I did see a drain which is indicative that an incision is draining.

It's interesting to me that people point out how he'd made great "progress," which really only refers to his total weight loss. He didn't progress at all, once that surgery was completed. And the sheer high volume of loss can contribute to more physiologic disequilibrium.

[MillieSparklepants]

35 minutes ago, LGGirl said:

@Sterling   His relationship with his mother was toxic.  I think he would have survived.  

Yes! There was something really off about that. I was really shocked when she said he was "The most delightful of all my children" or something similar. That seemed like a really passive aggressive dig at her other kids. And the scene at dinner was painful when Kathryn was trying to get Robert to stop eating and the mom totally undercut her by offering him more wings. The little grin she flashed when Robert took another wing was a total victory lap. The best thing for Robert would have been to get him out of that house 400 pounds ago.

[Starlight925]

54 minutes ago, LGGirl said:

Robert was an addict.  His true love was the drugs.  Just goes to show that you can’t change an addict and wasting your time if you think you can.  

Perhaps it wasn't shown, but was there any therapy done for Robert?   He talked about his molestation as a young boy, but we didn't see any therapy for this.

And yes, he was truly an addict, which would probably necessitate him going into rehab with full-on counselors trained in dealing with drug addiction.  Perhaps the rehab facilities aren't well enough equipped medically to handle his physical issues?

[surveyandprotect1]

This is the first time someone has died while filming on the show, correct?

[dreadfulLeigh]

So, perhaps this is colored from the fact that he died (which I figured out in the first minute), but I thought editing did a pretty fair job of creating a three dimensional person. He wasn't all "awwww mahhh legggsss, you fuckers wipe me up!!" nor completely saintified. He had some genuine moments, some shitty  moments (honestly I thought his reactions in the hotel were kinda justified--I'd have been pissed and bitching) and I can kinda understand his shitty behavior towards Kathryn at the longterm facility. Especially in light of the absence of light in his eyes. Whether that was from chemical depression, untreated pain or situational depression of having to return to a care facility, who knows, he did not seem engaged or attached to this earthly plane. Likely all of it.

Having said that, I do not believe he took much personal responsibility for any of the weight loss he experienced. Even the walking...the bar is set so low (side eyes Lisa's sitting up "accomplishment), he still struggled so much even after hundreds and hundreds of pounds of weight loss. So much you'd think he would have been bouncing out of bed feeling light and spritely. Yet, no where in the episode did he ever seems excited about gaining mobility. I wonder if they kept him on Prozac or changed/added another anti depression med?

I believe the mother was a total enabler. Rob was sickly as a child, mother was a wee bit obsessed with their connection. I wonder how the dynamics played out after the father left (they divorced, no?). Was he the surrogate spouse? Babied by momma to avoid adulting and dealing with the loss of a husband/father and son/brother (both of them)? Ugh. Whatever the dynamic between those two, I thought she clearly ruled the roost (it was her house after all) and Kathryn could constantly fight her babying Rob or step aside and resign herself. Perhaps thats why he lost so much weight in Houston with only Kathryn there. As much as she physically assisted him, I don't believe she was the main enabler. She was the grunt worker. People are saying she should find a caregiver job. Fuck that. She should find a job that requires no physical exertion or wiping up piss and shit for a long long time. Although, if she is a substitute teacher, depending on the grades, she might still have some pee or other bodily fluids exposure lol.

As far as the pain...I'm torn. I, like a pp, have Crohn's. It started when I was young, 5, 6, or so. I was in pain constantly but no one believed me. I had doctors tell me I couldn't be in that much pain. From elementary school age to teenager to my early twenties. It's all in your head, they'd tell me. It was just all in my head. I was trying to get attention. Blah blah blah. It still fucks with me even after a legitimate diagnosis. I said as much to my GI after emergency surgery for a bowel rupture "See, you could see it, right? It really is something, right?" As if it could still just be all in my head. I've never had an issue with taking painkillers (although I get not so nice side effects, thus limiting their benefit for me), so I don't know the struggle from that. But I absolutely believe he was in pain. And even if he didn't have a chemical dependency on them anymore, psychologically he seemed to need that crutch to believe he could be mobile. Wonder why we never saw/he didn't have any therapy? Between the molestation, pain med dependency and obvious morbid obesity, something was not OK in his head.

[Groovitude]

I’m sorry Robert passed away. Condolences to his family and to Kathryn. 

[Delete]

RIP Robert.

Dr. Now nailed it when he spoke of the challenges facing obese people. They are often forgotten about , and over medicated. While I admire the love and dedication of Kathryn, and Robert’s Mother, they also enabled the him for many years. For instance,  I truly don’t understand the mentality for feeding a man who is over 800 pounds fried chicken and fries for dinner. 

Anyway, I felt rather mixed emotions about the whole episode. Robert gave it is best shot, but it was way too late.

Edited March 5, 2018 by Ravenna
Spelling, grammar errors

[Miss Ruth]

2 hours ago, Ravenna said:

I truly don’t understand the mentally for why you’d feed a man who is over 800 pounds fried chicken and fries for dinner.

While his mother bought what he wanted at the grocery store,  I didn't see anyone feeding him.  If he had access to a telephone, he had access to food. 

[Concerned]

1 hour ago, Miss Ruth said:

While his mother bought what he wanted at the grocery store,  I didn't see anyone feeding him.  If he had access to a telephone, he had access to food. 

She was like the doctors who sent him away with a prescription for opiates. She was giving him fried chicken, not to help him, but to pacify him. She knew he was at the end of the line and after seeing husband and older son die, she saw death as his next step. She didn’t go to Houston because she didn’t want to watch another loved one in his final stages.

17 hours ago, surveyandprotect1 said:

This is the first time someone has died while filming on the show, correct?

We don’t know. It’s the first death broadcast, but others may have died during filming and there either wasn’t enough footage, or family told the production company to get lost. Roberts family saw the show as a tribute.

[skipnjump]

I had to think a few days about this episode before posting.  I thought that the show did a good job of putting together clips and all to provide a sympathetic picture of Robert.   He was articulate and well spoken.  I admit that I thought he was very manipulative.  For example, on the drive to Houston, while Kathryn was driving, stopping for food and bio breaks, and arranging for hotels, what was Robert doing?  Laying in the back complaining and eating.  Why couldn't he have researched hotels along the way or called them to make sure that he got the room and bed that he wanted?  I know he had a phone.  Why didn't they have a cooler with some snacks to tide him over between stops.  All he did was complain and I don't really remember him thanking her for all the work she was doing for him on that trip.  He didn't know the meds he was on and relied on Kathryn to know that.  I'm wondering what he actually did with his day?  Did he do anything like read a book or did he just play on his phone?

In regards to him losing all that weight, I was impressed, but then I realized that it was when he was in the hospital where everything was controlled. I do think there were counseling sessions, but they didn't get captured on video, maybe the therapist didn't agree to be shown or they weren't able to go back and edit them after he died. 

It was a sad episode in many ways, but still better to watch than Lisa's from the week before.

[Delete]

5 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

While his mother bought what he wanted at the grocery store,  I didn't see anyone feeding him.  If he had access to a telephone, he had access to food. 

What are you talking about? They were feeding him fast food and junk constantly. Kathryn even mentioned having to stop for food constantly on the road. If that isn't enabling then I don't know what is. 

He only started losing weight while in the hospital on a calorie restricted diet. However, it was a little too late at that point. 

Edited March 4, 2018 by Ravenna

[Starlight925]

The enabling for almost all the 600-lb'ers is off the charts.

Robert's mother blamed Kathryn, saying "She eats this way too", while she (his mother) was standing in line at the Italian market, buying Robert his meal PLUS two huge loaves of bread.

Has anyone watched "685-lb. Teen"?  So disturbing to watch as this kid's mom buys pounds and pounds of junk food, fried chicken, etc., as she says that when she was growing up, she was "forced" to eat healthy, so she lets her kids eat whatever they want.  This boy reached 685 lbs., and his sister looks like she could lose 100 lbs.  

So, the boy undergoes gastric bypass (not by Dr. Nowzaradan), and his mother comes home from the grocery store with at least 10 bags full of junk food, and she snaps at him when he asks her to keep that stuff away from him.  And his sister sits right down in front of him, scarfing a burger and fries.

The therapy time needs to include the enablers.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Sterling

[crazycatlady58]

19 minutes ago, Sterling said:

The enabling for almost all the 600-lb'ers is off the charts.

Robert's mother blamed Kathryn, saying "She eats this way too", while she (his mother) was standing in line at the Italian market, buying Robert his meal PLUS two huge loaves of bread.

Has anyone watched "685-lb. Teen"?  So disturbing to watch as this kid's mom buys pounds and pounds of junk food, fried chicken, etc., as she says that when she was growing up, she was "forced" to eat healthy, so she lets her kids eat whatever they want.  This boy reached 685 lbs., and his sister looks like she could lose 100 lbs.  

So, the boy undergoes gastric bypass (not by Dr. Nowzaradan), and his mother comes home from the grocery store with at least 10 bags full of junk food, and she snaps at him when he asks her to keep that stuff away from him.  And his sister sits right down in front of him, scarfing a burger and fries.

The therapy time needs to include the enablers.

Yes but most would  refuse, then the one who needed  the surgery  would not  get it. 

[dreadfulLeigh]

I was also thinking of Kathryn’s frame of mind. She met him at 18 or 19? Has been with him for 14 years. That’s so young and such a huge chunk of her life spent in the caregiver mindset. Even if he wasn’t immobile when they first started dating, he was already morbidly obese. She’s spent her entire adult life with a man who chose food over her. Where she did all the scut work and physical labor.

I wonder if, as dbell said how he constantly texted Kathryn while out that one time, he had a history of controlling behavior towards her? It’s a lot easier to control and manipulate a young, barely fully formed teenager than an adult woman his age. (Not that age discrepancies are inherently bad). I’m not sure we as an audience were shown enough to suggest NPD, but at the very least, I’d believe it if you told me he had controlling tendencies. 

Thankfully she seemed to still maintain a separate life and career. It seems like every other 600 pounder’s family/caregiver/hostages are completely consumed by the obese person. At least, it seems she has the benefit of education and social support. 

[MillieSparklepants]

I agree, DreadfulLeigh. Kathryn is articulate, pretty, and seemed much more with it than many of the enablers we've seen. I think her love for Rob was genuine, but I wonder what in her past would make her attach herself to a morbidly obese man at the age of 19 and stick with him for so long. He showered her with praise on camera, but there were hints around the edges that he was manipulative and cruel. I don't understand why she didn't walk away much earlier.

Her friend who was posting here said since Rob's death, she's dropped a lot of weight and is working on getting her life back. I hope so; she deserves to be happy.

[ButterQueen]

Did Kathryn have a job, or just live with Robert and his mom?

[ava111]

On 3/2/2018 at 4:12 PM, Granny58 said:

@ava111  Wow, so sorry to hear about all you went through.  That sucks.  But, Robert was on Prozac already.  

Thank you. It's really difficult. I just wish for few good months so I  could enjoy my life like back in 2006. Everything afterwards just got more and more difficult. We used to just pack our tent, dog and us and drive 3-4 days to Yellowstone twice, visiting gorgeous places on the way... Even did it through Canada couple time too... Now I can barely stay in the car to drive to near parks, anything over 8 hours we have to split it and stay in hotel...  And at that point I already had to take extra large dose of hydrocodone just to arrive. I can't drive either because the opiates make me drowsy. I'm not even 50 and look 15 years younger  so people don't think that I'm sick because I don't look like anything is wrong with me. And now from these two experiences it's incredibly difficult to get my pain under control because everyone is making their own assessment before they give me something that will actually work which takes forevef, even from sister to sister. I understand there is opioid problems everywhere now but it makes it really difficult for people in pain to have it properly managed. I was just crying for over 3 hours and I still didn't get anything until I was transferred and got on pain killers schedule that was mostly maintained. It was horrible for my husband to see me like that, just completely helpless. I never tried any drugs, not even marijuana, nor even a cigarette  and don't drink but everywhere I go I get looked at like I'm there seeking drugs. I have to now start any conversations in medical facility telling them about my high daily dose of prescription opiates that I took for over 7 years and having really high tolerance for painkillers and hoping someone will actually take me seriously and it won't take 3 days of me crying from pain to get something that will actually work for me instead trying the morphine and other things on me that won't do absolutely nothing because it's like giving me sugar water and candy. Before my  1st hospitalization I didn't even know what dilaudid is. Now I know that it works for me and I can get of it easy without any problems once my pain gets under control. I never craved any of the opiates I have been on. They either work or they make me sick but never had the feeling of high that people chase. Once I tried 6 hydrocodones but instead of making me feeling great or whatever people crave to feel  they made me sick. I guess I was lucky because since the opiates didn't provide the feeling people chase for me I never in 7 years asked for increased doses and other tricks that are considered suspicious. But I still wanna be given appropriate amount of pain pills to deal with my pain when I found myself in that position without being considered a criminal.

 

If he was on Prozac maybe they should switch it for something else after his demeanor changed so drastically and it became obvious the prozac wasn't working anymore. Or increased dosage to see if he would go back to the way he was before. It was such a huge change and it shouldn't be ignored.

[kj4ever]

13 hours ago, MillieSparklepants said:

I agree, DreadfulLeigh. Kathryn is articulate, pretty, and seemed much more with it than many of the enablers we've seen. I think her love for Rob was genuine, but I wonder what in her past would make her attach herself to a morbidly obese man at the age of 19 and stick with him for so long. He showered her with praise on camera, but there were hints around the edges that he was manipulative and cruel. I don't understand why she didn't walk away much earlier.

Her friend who was posting here said since Rob's death, she's dropped a lot of weight and is working on getting her life back. I hope so; she deserves to be happy.

Robert reminded me of my friend's husband so much it made it hard for me to feel to bad for him (although I didn't want to see him die). He sings her praises and how he loves her and how he would just do anything for her, but the minute he is not getting what he wants, the minute he thinks she is thinking for herself, he has a big baby fit like he did over the stupid freakin' chicken wing.

If he wouldn't have died I think we would have seen much, much more of that, especially considering how she said he was being so cruel in the hospital to everyone.  They didn't show that out of respect I suppose.

That being said I think they handled this show well.  If they showed any rages they would be considered monsters, and he isn't around to defend himself anymore.  

I think it is important that they aired this episode.  Dr. Now totally hit the nail on the head with how they just over-medicate obese people or don't listen to them instead of finding the underlying problem.  Look I know a lot of these people have caused their own fate, but it doesn't mean that they don't have real issues.  A friend of mine kept swelling up and his doctor told him to go on this diet.  Turned out he had acute heart failure and almost died.  He urinated SEVENTY FIVE pounds of urine while in the hospital.  the doctor assumed because he was obese that he had just ate his way to gaining that much weight, even though most humans cannot gain 75 pounds in a couple of months.

Dr. Now kept saying Robert didn't realize how urgent his condition was, and I don't think we as viewers did either because we hear that so much on the show, and never really saw the consequences of it.

[CousinOliver]

On 3/3/2018 at 2:59 PM, surveyandprotect1 said:

This is the first time someone has died while filming on the show, correct?

This is the first time a 600 lb life branded show has shown a death.  

Earlier shows featuring Dr Now have shown deaths.  One was Murphy Springs from the one installment of Half Ton Teen* (mostly featuring Billy Robbins).  

Renee Williams died during the filming of Half Ton Mom.  

Ricky Naputi died, and a special was put together called The Man Who ate Himself to Death.  In the original US documentary, 900 lb Man: The Race Against Time, Naputi reaches out to Angie, a (former?) patient liasion for Dr Now.  She also had WLS, but wasn't bed bound or anything before WLS.  He was not a Dr Now patient, but I believe Angie was instrumental in trying to get him help. 

And, of course, there have been others that have died, but their shows were not affiliated with Dr Now.  

(*All shows had a different name in the UK. Also, I believe all three Half Ton Teen installments were produced as a one hour show, Half Ton Son, for the UK audience.)

[QuinnInND]

12 hours ago, kj4ever said:

He urinated SEVENTY FIVE pounds of urine while in the hospital

Wait. What???? That's insane!! How is that even possible? 

[auntjess]

12 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

Ricky Naputi died, and a special was put together called The Man Who ate Himself to Death.  I

Ricky lived in Guam, and geography added to the problem.  An Australian surgeon was going to help him, and I can't remember whether he'd gotten OK to do it in Guam, or what, but Ricky never lost the weight, or stuck to the died, before, and as I remember, was like Lisa in saying no one would help her.
There wasn't a casket big enough for Ricky and I remember his body lying on a catafalque with something draped over him.

[CoachWristletJen]

On 3/3/2018 at 2:02 AM, gardendiva said:

They might have given him a good guy edit, but that didn’t stop them from slipping in the usual snarky details thanks to an astute cameraman. I noticed that when Kathryn was having a hard time getting Robert down the hallway in the motel with that wide chair, the cameraman zoomed in on the scratches left behind on the wall, kind of like an incredulous “holy crap this guy is BIG” wordless commentary. I made note of it and giggled at the time, having no idea what lay ahead for poor Robert.

It sort of was a statement of how he was going through his life, carelessly destroying things without giving a thought except for how he was getting from Point A to Point B. It's sad what happened to the guy but it doesn't change the fact that he was who he was.

On 3/5/2018 at 9:44 AM, CousinOliver said:

This is the first time a 600 lb life branded show has shown a death.  

Earlier shows featuring Dr Now have shown deaths.  One was Murphy Springs from the one installment of Half Ton Teen* (mostly featuring Billy Robbins).  

Renee Williams died during the filming of Half Ton Mom.  

Ricky Naputi died, and a special was put together called The Man Who ate Himself to Death.  In the original US documentary, 900 lb Man: The Race Against Time, Naputi reaches out to Angie, a (former?) patient liasion for Dr Now.  She also had WLS, but wasn't bed bound or anything before WLS.  He was not a Dr Now patient, but I believe Angie was instrumental in trying to get him help. 

And, of course, there have been others that have died, but their shows were not affiliated with Dr Now.  

(*All shows had a different name in the UK. Also, I believe all three Half Ton Teen installments were produced as a one hour show, Half Ton Son, for the UK audience.)

I remember Half Ton Mom. She acted like a gigantic toddler and threatened to make her own daughters homeless every time she didn't get her foodstuffs. She may have had a large body, but there was a child's brain inside. Very sad how she tormented those poor girls. Again, sad what happened to her, but doesn't change the fact that she was a poor excuse for a mother.

[auntjess]

The Ricky Caputo show, 900 Lb Man: Race Against Time, is on TLC tomorrow, 3/7, at 11AM, ET.  He's the guy in Guam.

[Miss Ruth]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 8:54 AM, Concerned said:

She was giving him fried chicken,

But she didn't make him eat it.  HE was ultimately responsible for every bite that went into his mouth.  No one fed him.

[Redbundy]

I personally feel it was the doctors fault for Robs death. Yes he was addicted to pain killers but you have to remember a doctor prescribed them in the first place. And for Dr Now to take him off completely at this point in his life!?! IMO it was absolutely careless and remorseless of him to do that! And the lies about him being in danger of dying from the drugs? I don’t understand that, he wasn’t getting heroin off off the street, he was taking prescribed medication. He was in absolutely NO danger of dying from the meds. But unfortunately in this day and age doctors think they can just solve the problem by taking these patients off their medication cold turkey and be damned if the consequences. Well, this is the result! If he would have continued to safely monitor Robs medication use while gradually going through with his weight loss plan I honestly believe Rob would still be alive today and in much better shape. Yes, he might be still battling the drug addiction but he’d still be alive. Drug addiction is battled for years rather than weeks as in Dr. Now’s Case with Rob. IMO, very unprofessional of him to do this because not only did Rob have to battle his food addiction he also had to battle his drug dependency. And as any alcohol or drug counselor will tell you, ‘You battle one addiction at a time’. Not all at once like in this case. It’s too bad, Rob seemed like someone who might have beaten his food addiction, or at the very least, was motivated enough to give it his best effort.

[goodbyeglittergirl]

This is not the first time we've seen Dr. Now belittle a patient's pain. It really bothers me. I was in pain for EIGHT YEARS and saw probably 16 different doctors before finally seeing a doctor who diagnosed me with endometriosis. The other doctors? They said things like, "there's nothing wrong with you. This is all in your head. You are convincing yourself you are in pain." I have a REAL problem with denying a patient's pain. Now, should he hand over the opioids - no, of course not - but he could have treated the pain in a different way or at least made an attempt. 

[gonecrackers]

I can't say whether Rob's case was mishandled or not, but there are a lot of questions his story left. 

Given family history & his condition, was his heart monitored?  Where were the therapists in this episode?  He certainly needed one in his depressive state after having the meds taken away so abruptly. He looked like he was just giving up & he needed help for that.

Dr. Now is kind of cold reg. pain. Maybe he just gets jaded from so many who do use it as an excuse, & he doesn't differentiate well anymore.

Sad story.

[Tabbygirl521]

16 hours ago, Miss Ruth said:

But she didn't make him eat it.  HE was ultimately responsible for every bite that went into his mouth.  No one fed him.

Oh come on now. If you know someone is an addict, you don’t put their substance of choice under their nose and expect them to withstand the temptation. 

[cynicat]

6 hours ago, Redbundy said:

And for Dr Now to take him off completely at this point in his life!?! IMO it was absolutely careless and remorseless of him to do that!

We don't know that he didn't have anything else prescribed for pain and I highly doubt they would have him do a cold turkey withdrawal from something as powerful as dilaudid.  We also don't know if he had therapy, heart/lung monitoring or other tests, however I'd be incredibly surprised if that didn't occur since that would be a standard baseline.  All we see is a snapshot intended to make for good TV, with the filler removed.