Jesus God, Leah!!

[Christina87]

@GreatKazu awesome story about God and the boat!!! That is exactly how I see Corey/Leah/dr. Tsao. I just cannot fathom Corey and Leah's culture, and thank god I was not born into anything like that. I can't imagine growing up in a family where being smart was overlooked in favor of whether you were good at tumbling, even if you had a disability, because that was the best path to having a husband and trailer by 18! Plus it's not like they're like, "little Susie don't need no book larnin' wit her pretty little head, but'n our johnny here's gonna be a doctor!" Education is looked down on for boys too in favor of manual work, with Jeremy's type being considered the ultimate catch. I just cannot imagine being in that environment, and looking down on one of the world's top specialists because of denial about how renowned and important he is, denial about your child's condition, and just sheer distrust and animosity towards anybody highly educated. I feel like, in that family, if Leah had stayed married to Jeremy and lived out the rest of her life in a trailer, while Victoria had gotten a full scholarship to college and med school to become a heart surgeon, Leah would still be considered the success story of that family. I just cannot with their culture!

[ReadMeLattice]

8 hours ago, Christina87 said:

@GreatKazu awesome story about God and the boat!!! That is exactly how I see Corey/Leah/dr. Tsao. I just cannot fathom Corey and Leah's culture, and thank god I was not born into anything like that. I can't imagine growing up in a family where being smart was overlooked in favor of whether you were good at tumbling, even if you had a disability, because that was the best path to having a husband and trailer by 18! Plus it's not like they're like, "little Susie don't need no book larnin' wit her pretty little head, but'n our johnny here's gonna be a doctor!" Education is looked down on for boys too in favor of manual work, with Jeremy's type being considered the ultimate catch. I just cannot imagine being in that environment, and looking down on one of the world's top specialists because of denial about how renowned and important he is, denial about your child's condition, and just sheer distrust and animosity towards anybody highly educated. I feel like, in that family, if Leah had stayed married to Jeremy and lived out the rest of her life in a trailer, while Victoria had gotten a full scholarship to college and med school to become a heart surgeon, Leah would still be considered the success story of that family. I just cannot with their culture!

Yes, I agree, it's unfathomable. This is actually why I think Leah's dim wittedness continues to matter. In their immediate circles, education appears to be so looked down upon that there don't seem to be many ways to better yourself, so her individual baseline level of intelligence-- not just school smarts, I'm talking just the natural ability to think critically and reason--is pretty much all she has to go on. She thought as a woman, she could get by on her looks, but that hasn't worked out because of her cheating, the show, the quick pregnancies, her bad judgment overall (and that of her partners) and her bad choice in Jeremy.

She suggested counseling to Jeremy once and he said with disdain that he didn't want to go talk to somebody with a PhD, as if that level of education actually was a mark against a person. Leah and Corey's attitudes about Dr. Tsao (i.e. that they know better, and even in some cases seeming to put him down and wanting to prove the medical system wrong) seems to be along the same lines and born of the same ideology that actively devalues education. You could get by in that environment in terms of making a living if you were hard working and had some practical common sense and a decent number of IQ points; Miranda, Corey and Jeremy are examples of that. Leah doesn't have life skills or the basic ability to reason and think critically about things, which is what I would call "intelligence," so she would have done well not to cheat on those who were propping her up.

Edited August 27, 2017 by Lm2162

[Christina87]

@Lm2162 I agree with everything you said, especially the last part! All of us knew how stupid Leah was being to cheat on her two hardworking husbands, because 1. Guys like that don't grow on trees, and 2. Even if they did, they're not going to be interested in hot mess, twice-divorced moms of three in their early 20's, and 3. Cheating usually means divorce and if she's going to be divorced for ANY amount of time, she needs marketable skills, of which she has none. 

All of us could see this, but she couldn't at the time. I really think she was so dim that she reasoned, hey, i've always been the center of attention when it comes to boys, so the best ones will be fighting for me because of my looks! Now she has a reputation in the holler, and it's not a good one! I bet she never, ever expected to be in the situation she's in now, and I'd imagine now she is forced to examine her part in all this!

[Scarlett45]

@Lm2162 and @Christina87 I concur with everything you said in your posts. Leah thought being a skinny blonde chick had a lot of value (which it does) BUT not if you're know to cheat on your husbands willy nilly. The world is FILLED with pretty skinny blonde women.

 Also culturally there's a VERY large stigma against a visible disability. Ali's lack of "physical perfection"(that phrase makes me barf) is important in a world where girls are valued for how pretty they are. Not that Leah doesn't love Ali, but I think she's still coming to terms with her guilt (not that she has anything to be guilty about, but you know how Moms can be), the idea that she had a child that was "less than perfect" and what life will Ali have if she cannot WALK (ableism at its finest). I see this type of behavior among parents all the time, especially in my Sib Group- combine that with a low IQ and no education and you have  THAT situation. 

[Mkay]

[guilfoyleatpp]

3 minutes ago, Mkay said:

oh look, it's discount Carrie Underwood!

[Scarlett45]

16 minutes ago, Mkay said:

She looks really nice here. Her hair is a warm bright shade, her skin looks good, she's smiling. 

[BitterApple]

Leah looks really pretty there. Her makeup is flattering and I like the nude lip much better than those garish LipSense shades she normally wears.

[GreatKazu]

17 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

Leah looks really pretty there. Her makeup is flattering and I like the nude lip much better than those garish LipSense shades she normally wears.

Agree. The red lipstick just does not work for her. This shade works for her and actually makes her look young. 

Quote

Leah doesn't have life skills or the basic ability to reason and think critically about things, which is what I would call "intelligence," so she would have done well not to cheat on those who were propping her up.

Maybe Leah has a mental disorder. 

[Miss Chevious]

1 hour ago, BitterApple said:

Leah looks really pretty there. Her makeup is flattering and I like the nude lip much better than those garish LipSense shades she normally wears.

I agree, It's the best she's looked in quite a while. Now if she'd only worn a pair of long silvery earrings, that would've set off the look to perfection.

[Brooklynista]

20 hours ago, Christina87 said:

@Lm2162 I agree with everything you said, especially the last part! All of us knew how stupid Leah was being to cheat on her two hardworking husbands, because 1. Guys like that don't grow on trees, and 2. Even if they did, they're not going to be interested in hot mess, twice-divorced moms of three in their early 20's, and 3. Cheating usually means divorce and if she's going to be divorced for ANY amount of time, she needs marketable skills, of which she has none. 

All of us could see this, but she couldn't at the time. I really think she was so dim that she reasoned, hey, i've always been the center of attention when it comes to boys, so the best ones will be fighting for me because of my looks! Now she has a reputation in the holler, and it's not a good one! I bet she never, ever expected to be in the situation she's in now, and I'd imagine now she is forced to examine her part in all this!

I had to read this post twice to realize we were talking about Leah and not Kail. She's another one who has overvalued her marketability w all her baggage.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Brooklynista

[Mkay]

She looked pretty. I haven't said that about her in a long time. 

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

On 8/14/2017 at 4:49 AM, Calm81 said:

Your post almost mimicked my life. I especially could relate to the "just have someone watch the kids so I can go to the grocery store alone" part. I, too, live 1-hour away from relatives that work or are too elderly to help often.

It's so hard to shuffle around 3 kids when two are in car seats from store to store when it could take me MINUTES to run in and out for milk and fruit. But no, it's an hour long hassle just to leave the house with kids and dealing with rude customers that will cut me in line or won't let me cross the parking lot to get into the store.

One child yanking things off of shelves while the other two beg me for every item they want to try that I forget most of my important items. By the time I'm done I'm covered in sweat and filled with anxiety lol. And some people think parenting isn't a job. I have a full time job and I come home to another full time job.

My husband and I only have date night on our wedding anniversary and Valentine's Day/birthdays because we will make the hour drive four times a year on a relatives day off from work. Which means it may not actually be the day of our birthday or anniversary but the only day a family member was off from work. Yeah, our parents are in their 70s and still have jobs after they retired from their older jobs. Too expensive for anything these days especially daycare. Our mortgage is high enough to where daycare would feel like we doubled it.

I guess I needed to vent lol. Didn't mean to hijack your post! I feel better now. ??

@CALM81, we are soul sisters (soul moms? soul sister-moms?) for sure! Too bad you aren't my neighbor or live close by in real life - we could share a glass of wine and discuss how good some of these trainwrecks on TM have it while our kids played. We can do it vitually, though. :)

Leah's VMA look is good....until you see the bottom of the dress. Yikes! Now I know why she took that picture in the car showing only the upper part of the dress. Also, Leah, please stand with your legs together when posing for full-length pics. It makes it look even weirder at the bottom.

Edited August 28, 2017 by MyPeopleAreNordic

[Calm81]

10 hours ago, Mkay said:

She looked pretty. I haven't said that about her in a long time. 

She looks pretty but kinda ruined it with that awkward pose (legs spread apart weirdly) and that darkish shadow over her top lip. Lol. Otherthan that she cleans up nicely and gives Amber the queen of haute not and Catelynne the queen of bingo fashion a run for their money.

8 hours ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

@CALM81, we are soul sisters (soul moms? soul sister-moms?) for sure! Too bad you aren't my neighbor or live close by in real life - we could share a glass of wine and discuss how good some of these trainwrecks on TM have it while our kids played. We can do it vitually, though. :)

Leah's VMA look is good....until you see the bottom of the dress. Yikes! Now I know why she took that picture in the car showing only the upper part of the dress. Also, Leah, please stand with your legs together when posing for full-length pics. It makes it look even weirder at the bottom.

I have a feeling I'd love to be neighbors with a lot of y'all. Aside from the anxiety of living in close proximity to some of the snarkiest people around - I'd be wondering what you guys were saying about me ...karma for all the snarking I do. ?#LookWhatYouMadeMeDo - Yeah, I had to do it ?

Edited August 29, 2017 by Calm81

[Tatum]

On 8/27/2017 at 7:19 AM, Lm2162 said:

 

She suggested counseling to Jeremy once and he said with disdain that he didn't want to go talk to somebody with a PhD, as if that level of education actually was a mark against a person. Leah and Corey's attitudes about Dr. Tsao (i.e. that they know better, and even in some cases seeming to put him down and wanting to prove the medical system wrong) seems to be along the same lines and born of the same ideology that actively devalues education. You could get by in that environment in terms of making a living if you were hard working and had some practical common sense and a decent number of IQ points; Miranda, Corey and Jeremy are examples of that...

Husband is from a small town way up north (think like, Deliverance: the Scandinavian version), and there is a complete mistrust against those with higher education. There seems to be this underlying thought that those that are school smart and educated are somehow trying to game the system by not putting in their time at blue collar jobs. I don't know if the blue collar people just assume that those with degrees look down at them, and are preemptively offended, or if they really feel that you are somehow less of a person if you make a lot of money not doing physical labor. 

 

There seems to be the notion that "that doctor only went to med school because he wasn't strong enough to swing a sledgehammer and now he thinks he's fancy. Stupid jackass, I could've gone to medical school too if I wanted, and I bet I know just as much as he does. Medical treatment is just common sense."

 

That actually is a mishmash of assertions I have actually HEARD.

[ReadMeLattice]

5 minutes ago, Tatum said:

Husband is from a small town way up north (think like, Deliverance: the Scandinavian version), and there is a complete mistrust against those with higher education. There seems to be this underlying thought that those that are school smart and educated are somehow trying to game the system by not putting in their time at blue collar jobs. I don't know if the blue collar people just assume that those with degrees look down at them, and are preemptively offended, or if they really feel that you are somehow less of a person if you make a lot of money not doing physical labor. 

 

There seems to be the notion that "that doctor only went to med school because he wasn't strong enough to swing a sledgehammer and now he thinks he's fancy. Stupid jackass, I could've gone to medical school too if I wanted, and I bet I know just as much as he does. Medical treatment is just common sense."

 

That actually is a mishmash of assertions I have actually HEARD.

This makes a LOT of sense in terms of what we see on the show/from their families.

Edited August 29, 2017 by Lm2162

[Mkay]

[Miss Chevious]

1 hour ago, Mkay said:

Then how come we never see her transporting it? Only for show when she goes to see Dr. Tsao. (And has MTV crew to do the heavy lifting.)

[Polliwollidoodle]

Watching the fiftieth replay of the episode, talking about the wedding on Mary's porch... I couldn't hear well and their accents don't help. First of all- who is angie? she was holding the baby at Mary's house.

[GreatKazu]

4 hours ago, Miss Chevious said:

Then how come we never see her transporting it? Only for show when she goes to see Dr. Tsao. (And has MTV crew to do the heavy lifting.)

Someone please tweet her this question!!

What an effin' bitch she is with her rolling eyes emoji and then the laughing emoji. Why does she find it funny and annoying that someone asked an honest question? As if viewers are supposed to know she rents a van just for filming purposes? *snort*  Leah is acting like a straight A bitch there like Kail with her fucking tweet responses. 

Edited September 6, 2017 by GreatKazu

[evilmindatwork]

I read it as she sometimes rents a van to MOVE Ali's wheelchair. Which makes me wonder why she doesn't get rid of one of her two vehicles and buy one that accommodates Ali's wheelchair. It seem as though Ali doesn't use her wheelchair too often if Leah has to rent a van just to transport it. 

[MissMel]

That is where Leah took the girsles, instead of Mexico.

[Tatum]

On 9/6/2017 at 0:48 AM, evilmindatwork said:

I read it as she sometimes rents a van to MOVE Ali's wheelchair. Which makes me wonder why she doesn't get rid of one of her two vehicles and buy one that accommodates Ali's wheelchair. It seem as though Ali doesn't use her wheelchair too often if Leah has to rent a van just to transport it. 

Leah only uses that wheelchair when she wants to jump the line at public places like airports.

Also, why does Leah have 2 vehicles? She's going to pay for insurance and maintenance on two vehicles just so she can pick whether she's going to drive the Ford Edge or the Dodge Charger every morning? (I just made the last one up, I only know of the Edge). Her money, her choice, but how wasteful. And the eyeroll, as though everyone should've known, was so unnecessary.

[ghoulina]

I don't know. I realize there's only one driver in the house, but she has 3 kids. I might keep two vehicles so I have a backup if one breaks down or something. Of course, if it were me, both my vehicles would be equipped to haul Ali's CHAIR!

[Tatum]

25 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

I don't know. I realize there's only one driver in the house, but she has 3 kids. I might keep two vehicles so I have a backup if one breaks down or something. Of course, if it were me, both my vehicles would be equipped to haul Ali's CHAIR!

I don't know...I think you could just buy a reliable car with a good warranty rather than waste hundreds or thousands of dollars per year on a back up vehicle you may never need, if that was your concern.

 

But as to your second point- even if Leah's vehicles physically could hold a wheelchair, you know she'd have that baby so crammed full of her shit it would be moot. She probably would consider the wheelchair a waste of space considering how infrequently she actually uses it.

[MyPeopleAreNordic]

Leah needs an extra vehicle for Robbie to drive around when he's intermittendly interested in her, ya'll! And all her hollar-family-member-hanger-on-ers too, like Victoria, cousin Chasity (with one T), Victoria's former husband, her brother's baby mama, etc). Also, the other car we never see anymore is probably filled to the roof inside with unsold Mary Kay, Lipsense, bags, etc. so she probably can't fit any passengers, just the driver.

[Tatum]

1 minute ago, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

Leah needs an extra vehicle for Robbie to drive around when he's intermittendly interested in her, ya'll! And all her hollar-family-member-hanger-on-ers too, like Victoria, cousin Chasity (with one T), Victoria's former husband, her brother's baby mama, etc). Also, the other car we never see anymore is probably filled to the roof inside with unsold Mary Kay, Lipsense, bags, etc. so she probably can't fit any passengers, just the driver.

You are probably right. It probably is a car in Leah's name that she lets her family use. 

 

I do love the idea though of her wanting to sell the 2nd vehicle and not being able to because she's too lazy to remove all the crap from it.  Reminds me of my sister in law and her husband- they have two nice cars that are permanently parked in the driveway because their garage is full of boxes and other odds and ends. Like, they have $75K worth of vehicles sitting outside to be hailed on or whatever because they don't want to clean out the $200 worth of junk they have in the garage.

[ReadMeLattice]

To be fair, a wheelchair van can be upwards of $100,000, but I assume they could manage that unless they've spent it all. Leah isn't the best with money.

And omg I wish to heaven that wheelchairs got you first in line at airports! They make airports total hell, it takes up to four hours longer to get through a plane ride from start to finish with a wheelchair and has added up to six total extra hours to our flights. Sometimes I wonder if Leah is just too disorganized to deal with all the major downsides. Everything pretty much takes longer and is more inconvenient. She's not the hardest working person and I think anything mildly difficult intimidates her. A long drive for college, nope. A job, too difficult. Online classes, too hard. Healthy meals, meh, takes too long. She is lazy, tbh. 

A wheelchair is incredibly hard to deal with on an everyday basis, from people not being trained to handle them to places not being equipped for them. She's frankly not up to it and unfortunately would likely choose the convenience over the health of her child. And I don't hate her or anything...she just doesn't strike me as a proactive person who would check about accessibility beforehand or do any of the things required of her. She likes things to be easy.

Edited September 8, 2017 by Lm2162

[GreatKazu]

There are some wheelchair vans that can be bought for as little as $40k. It may not be equipped with all the fancy shmancy shit Leah desires, but it will serve the purpose. 

[evilmindatwork]

But honestly, why is she on TM2 if not to build a cushion to pay for Ali's future medica needsl? I know  car is not a medical bill but if Ali will need her wheelchair permanently in the future it seems more imperative to find a way to transport her than to invest in her fifth pyramid scam, or as Leah would call it "her own business" which will only drain her funds. I just don't understand how these girls are so broke all the time, if I were making 300, 000, plus whatever they land in endorsements or speaking fees, I certainly would own my own home and have a few tidy investments by now. 

Edited September 8, 2017 by evilmindatwork

[Tatum]

10 hours ago, Lm2162 said:

To be fair, a wheelchair van can be upwards of $100,000, but I assume they could manage that unless they've spent it all. Leah isn't the best with money.

And omg I wish to heaven that wheelchairs got you first in line at airports! They make airports total hell, it takes up to four hours longer to get through a plane ride from start to finish with a wheelchair and has added up to six total extra hours to our flights...

Really? This surprises me. I've been pushed to the front of the security line just for having a kid! Not every time, but several times they have opened up a new line and pulled me out into the new line which was awesome. I just assumed it was like that thing where you got to board ahead of everyone else if you had kids or needed extra time to get settled.

 

That said, even if there is NO benefit to traveling through an airport in a wheelchair, and is in fact, a burden, that doesn't mean I don't think Leah would still saunter into the airport with the wheelchair and expect to be given preferential treatment. Otherwise, I see no point in her bringing it. When Leah took the girls to CA last year, there were two pictures of Ali in her wheelchair- at the airport departing WV (or wherever), and at the airport departing CA. In between, there were numerous shots of Ali running through the water park, doing beach yoga, sightseeing (walking). I concluded then that the wheelchair was less for Ali's benefit and more for Leah's. But that was speculation only.

[GreatKazu]

2 hours ago, Tatum said:

Really? This surprises me. I've been pushed to the front of the security line just for having a kid! Not every time, but several times they have opened up a new line and pulled me out into the new line which was awesome. I just assumed it was like that thing where you got to board ahead of everyone else if you had kids or needed extra time to get settled.

 

That said, even if there is NO benefit to traveling through an airport in a wheelchair, and is in fact, a burden, that doesn't mean I don't think Leah would still saunter into the airport with the wheelchair and expect to be given preferential treatment. Otherwise, I see no point in her bringing it. When Leah took the girls to CA last year, there were two pictures of Ali in her wheelchair- at the airport departing WV (or wherever), and at the airport departing CA. In between, there were numerous shots of Ali running through the water park, doing beach yoga, sightseeing (walking). I concluded then that the wheelchair was less for Ali's benefit and more for Leah's. But that was speculation only.

I don't think you are off the mark. I have seen people in wheelchairs and motorized chairs get preferential treatment or be allowed to use a shorter line at airports, hotels, county fairs, sports games, and plenty of other places. For sure I have witnessed people in wheelchairs be allowed to board first on airplanes. I know we had the discussion about the amusement parks with the Fast Pass so, I won't go into that again, but usually once people find out they are given special treatment for being handicapped, they will be on it. I don't mean that in a snarky way. I have a handicapped placard. I don't always need it for parking in a handicapped space, but when I do need it (back pain since 1999), I will use it. I also learned it gives me perks. If I can get me in a shorter line, I'm gonna pull out my California DMV document that shows I use a handicapped placard. If it gets me into a parking lot at a cheaper rate or for free, you bet I am gonna pull out my document. In my city there is free parking all over, however, in Los Angeles or any other city near my town where one must pay to park on the street, I use my handicapped plaque because California law allows me to park for free without having to pay.  With all that said (posted), no doubt Leah uses that child's motorized wheelchair to try and acquire special treatment. It is sad though she doesn't use the chair all the time for the reasons Dr. Tsao said. 

Edited September 8, 2017 by GreatKazu

[AdorkableWitch]

The flip side to boarding first is you are last to get off, and usually have to wait for an airport employee to bring a wheelchair and take you to the next gate.  It takes forever.  

[GreatKazu]

3 hours ago, AdorkableWitch said:

The flip side to boarding first is you are last to get off, and usually have to wait for an airport employee to bring a wheelchair and take you to the next gate.  It takes forever.  

True dat. I once was experiencing bad back pain due to being on a flight for more than six hours. We asked the flight attendant if we could acquire a wheelchair because we needed to connect to another flight and no way was I going to be able to walk fast enough to make that flight. It took forever. We just decided to get off the plane. My husband was lucky to find an employee driving those small motorized vehicles and asked if he could give us a ride to the next terminal, which he did, thankfully. 

[Mkay]

Why are both twins playing. Ali should not be. I'm still amazed at the stupidness of them letting her play! 

[Miss Chevious]

2 hours ago, Mkay said:

Why are both twins playing. Ali should not be. I'm still amazed at the stupidness of them letting her play! 

I don't do Twitter but if I did, I'd ask her that question. (And then promptly be blocked forever)  She just doesn't get it. 

[Rebecca]

On 9/7/2017 at 3:41 PM, MyPeopleAreNordic said:

Leah needs an extra vehicle for Robbie to drive around when he's intermittendly interested in her, ya'll! And all her hollar-family-member-hanger-on-ers too, like Victoria, cousin Chasity (with one T), Victoria's former husband, her brother's baby mama, etc). 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Maybe it was also TR's perk of dating Leah.

 

On 9/8/2017 at 3:25 AM, evilmindatwork said:

I just don't understand how these girls are so broke all the time, if I were making 300, 000, plus whatever they land in endorsements or speaking fees, I certainly would own my own home and have a few tidy investments by now. 

You're not stupid, like most of them. You probably also have put in actual work to earn money, unlike these people. They are "trash that won the lottery" or whatever Nathan said. They don't know the true value of the money they blow through.

 

9 hours ago, Mkay said:

Why are both twins playing. Ali should not be. I'm still amazed at the stupidness of them letting her play! 

It's truly stunning how stupid and negligent they are. Ugh.

[Mkay]

I don't know how to post it but Leah posted a video on Instagram (the ones that are up on the top of the screen) of the girls both hitting amd

running to base.  ?

[Mkay]

[leighroda]

Honestly I don't care if the wheel chair is a burden or a benefit when in public, at the end of the day it is what her child needs, so in my opinion out of 2 cars and neither being able to transfer the wheelchair to the point that she rents one for that is irresponsible... again, in my opinion.

[evilmindatwork]

Yeah, agreed. She certainly isn't renting a car most days/ week so where is Ali's wheel chair for the rest of the 29 days out of the month?

[ReadMeLattice]

On 9/8/2017 at 3:03 PM, AdorkableWitch said:

The flip side to boarding first is you are last to get off, and usually have to wait for an airport employee to bring a wheelchair and take you to the next gate.  It takes forever.  

You board first because you have to transfer or be transferred, usually uncomfortably by people who are not well trained to do so. It is not special treatment, it's actually pretty burdensome. Waiting to be transferred afterward has literally left us on a plane as the airport closed for hours at a time.   The security line also takes incredibly long with a power wheelchair (like Ali's). You definitely have to get there early to go through the extra power wheelchair screening, which Leah would not likely do. People see it as a perk or preferential treatment because they don't know. You go "first" because everything takes so much longer (so you finish later or at the same time, not earlier), and dealing with the employees alone usually makes it not worth it, even at a theme park. If my husband boarded at the same time as everyone else, the others on the plane would have to wait 30+ minutes for him to be transferred. People don't see him being transferred because they get on after, so they assume it's a perk. 

Also, with an actual wheelchair van, a handicapped parking spot is not a perk. It's literally the only place you can park or you have to leave. It's only a perk if you do not need the ramp loading zone. We have had to leave places multiple times and he has been late to work because without the ramp loading zone (or if someone parks in it), he can't exit his car. I can't imagine Leah dealing with that well. 

It's partly why I don't buy the "she uses it for special treatment" idea. It's only special treatment if the person isn't actually disabled and is faking it. On the contrary, I think Leah, as I said, is very lazy and would rather not deal with all the negatives and the logistics rather than take care of her child. She might have tried using it a time or two and seen how hard it is and doesn't want to deal, just like she doesn't want to deal with making decent food, getting places on time or cleaning out her car. 

Edited September 11, 2017 by Lm2162

[Tatum]

12 hours ago, Lm2162 said:

You board first because you have to transfer or be transferred, usually uncomfortably by people who are not well trained to do so. It is not special treatment, it's actually pretty burdensome. Waiting to be transferred afterward has literally left us on a plane as the airport closed for hours at a time.   The security line also takes incredibly long with a power wheelchair (like Ali's). You definitely have to get there early to go through the extra power wheelchair screening, which Leah would not likely do. People see it as a perk or preferential treatment because they don't know. You go "first" because everything takes so much longer (so you finish later or at the same time, not earlier), and dealing with the employees alone usually makes it not worth it, even at a theme park. If my husband boarded at the same time as everyone else, the others on the plane would have to wait 30+ minutes for him to be transferred. People don't see him being transferred because they get on after, so they assume it's a perk. 

Also, with an actual wheelchair van, a handicapped parking spot is not a perk. It's literally the only place you can park or you have to leave. It's only a perk if you do not need the ramp loading zone. We have had to leave places multiple times and he has been late to work because without the ramp loading zone (or if someone parks in it), he can't exit his car. I can't imagine Leah dealing with that well. 

It's partly why I don't buy the "she uses it for special treatment" idea. It's only special treatment if the person isn't actually disabled and is faking it. On the contrary, I think Leah, as I said, is very lazy and would rather not deal with all the negatives and the logistics rather than take care of her child. She might have tried using it a time or two and seen how hard it is and doesn't want to deal, just like she doesn't want to deal with making decent food, getting places on time or cleaning out her car. 

Thank you for the insight. I really did not know how much of a hassle traveling was when a passenger is in a wheelchair.

Now, Leah has publicly used the wheelchair three times that I know of (not counting travel to Dr. Tsao). Twice in airports, and once at the Orlando/Tampa theme parks. The theme parks I will give her some room on- that's a full day of walking and I can see how even someone as negligent as Leah would realize that theme parks are going to be extremely burdensome for Ali to walk through all day. But what was the point of lugging the wheelchair to the airport? You don't walk that much through them, and Leah had that girl running on the beach and running through water parks- probably took a much larger toll on her than an hour walk through airport security would have. That is the reason I concluded Leah thought (perhaps not realistically) that there would be some benefit to bringing the wheelchair (not related of course, to the benefit of Ali not exerting herself).

 

I agree in general that Leah would rather just not deal with the extra responsibility of traveling with the chair, but I do think she trots it out when she thinks she will get some kind of additional benefit from doing so. Or when she knows she will be judged by not doing so. I would say 90% of the wheelchair use (minimal as it is)  is not for Ali's benefit, but for Leah's.

[GreatKazu]

1 hour ago, Tatum said:

Thank you for the insight. I really did not know how much of a hassle traveling was when a passenger is in a wheelchair.

Now, Leah has publicly used the wheelchair three times that I know of (not counting travel to Dr. Tsao). Twice in airports, and once at the Orlando/Tampa theme parks. The theme parks I will give her some room on- that's a full day of walking and I can see how even someone as negligent as Leah would realize that theme parks are going to be extremely burdensome for Ali to walk through all day. But what was the point of lugging the wheelchair to the airport? You don't walk that much through them, and Leah had that girl running on the beach and running through water parks- probably took a much larger toll on her than an hour walk through airport security would have. That is the reason I concluded Leah thought (perhaps not realistically) that there would be some benefit to bringing the wheelchair (not related of course, to the benefit of Ali not exerting herself).

 

I agree in general that Leah would rather just not deal with the extra responsibility of traveling with the chair, but I do think she trots it out when she thinks she will get some kind of additional benefit from doing so. Or when she knows she will be judged by not doing so. I would say 90% of the wheelchair use (minimal as it is)  is not for Ali's benefit, but for Leah's.

Fully agree. I don't think Leah thinks realistically. She never has for the most part. Trotting out that chair will get people to feel sorry for her and her girlses. Look at the poor single mother doing it all on her own. Sadly, Leah thrives on the positive reinforcement and attention she receives from her followers. Just read the comments on her social media pages and you will see how often people tell her she is the best mom on the show and a lot of them post that when mentioning Ali's condition. It is ironic that she doesn't mind the attention she receives in part because of her child's condition and yet, she wants that child to be as normal as possible so she isn't looked upon as a child with needs. 

Leah even debated about Ali being separated from Gracie when discussing with Cory about Ali needing assistance at school and being put in a different classroom aka being put in a classroom with other children with special needs. Cory was quick to say whatever was best for Ali, he was all for it. He wanted it done now because it was going to happen eventually and it was best to get her used to the change. 

Edited September 11, 2017 by GreatKazu

[Rebecca]

I wonder how much Ali would really care about being in a separate class from Aleeah? They're at an age where they want their own identities I would imagine. It seems like Leah just wants to lump them together all the time.

[BitterApple]

20 minutes ago, Rebecca said:

I wonder how much Ali would really care about being in a separate class from Aleeah? They're at an age where they want their own identities I would imagine. It seems like Leah just wants to lump them together all the time.

My husband has twin nieces who are 7. They're in separate classrooms and could care less. I agree it seems like Leah is the one having a tough time with the concept, rather than the girlses. Ali and Gracie don't really strike me as being that close as it is. 

[leighroda]

Cases like @Lm2162 are exactly my point, I'm sure it would be easier for her husband to walk, but they use the wheelchair because it's necessary... I'm not sure why exactly he's in a wheelchair, but I would venture that it isn't possible for him to walk on his own...  granted Ali *can* walk now, but as we have heard her doctor has clearly stated she should be in a wheel chair, and not just when it's convenient to get to the front of a line or whatever. Ali should be in a wheel chair regardless of whether it makes things easier or complicates them.  I totally get @Lm2162 point that it isn't really an advantage, but I do have to say that I'm not sure Leah does, because it does seem like the wheel chair only makes its appearance in situations where one would say that she gets an "advantage" like theme parks and the airport. Maybe I'm wrong since we don't see every day of their lives and im willing to concede to that, but as much as we do see Ali does not use the chair on the daily basis, even more evidenced by the fact that Leah does not have everyday transportation for the chair. Nobody is even saying she had to get a tricked out van, but depending on Corey with his truck or renting a van does not seem realistic either.

[Rebecca]

8 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

My husband has twin nieces who are 7. They're in separate classrooms and could care less. I agree it seems like Leah is the one having a tough time with the concept, rather than the girlses. Ali and Gracie don't really strike me as being that close as it is. 

Yeah they're very different. It actually seems like Ali and Addy are the two that are the closest.

[GreatKazu]

27 minutes ago, BitterApple said:

My husband has twin nieces who are 7. They're in separate classrooms and could care less. I agree it seems like Leah is the one having a tough time with the concept, rather than the girlses. Ali and Gracie don't really strike me as being that close as it is. 

I agree.

Ali and Gracie should be viewed as separate individuals, not twins.

Gracie let it be known how Ali didn't care for gymnastics class, something they were both involved in. I think Ali may be pushed somewhat into activities with her sister. 

@leighroda I don't think you are wrong. Your assessment is pretty much what most of us have been led to believe due to what we view on the show, Leah and Cory's own words on camera, and what Leah herself has posted on Twitter. Their Instagram videos and videos that are shared on Twitter have only helped to conclude that wheelchair is not being used as per the direct orders of Dr. Tsao. We know for a fact the helmet is not being used for the most part. The knee pads and the eyewear are the only two things that have been seen on Ali consistently. 

Leah herself said the wheelchair stays at the school during the week. We now have her tweeting recently how she only rents a van when she has the wheelchair. WTF? That still shocks me. 

I remember when we called Ali by the nickname Goggles. 

Edited September 11, 2017 by GreatKazu

[TeenMomAngerMgmt]

I'm calling it now. Ali will be the Virginia Woolf or Louisa May Alcott if she can stay healthy enough. She's a very smart girl. I think the only child that might be smarter is maybe Leah on OG. We are looking at the next great American novelist.