Hoarders - General Discussion

[Roxie]

I don't want to see any more of the yards filled with junk autos and trucks.  I find those episodes boring.

I do really like Dr. Nieves.

 

Edited October 15 by Roxie

[Elizzikra]

11 minutes ago, Roxie said:

I don't want to see any more of the yards filled with junk autos and trucks.  I find those episodes boring.

I do really like Dr. Nieves.

 

I sort of find those boring too. I’m not so interested in the heavy machinery needed to haul them out. Though my husband wandered past the tv and thought aloud about it. Montie had a non-functioning CRANE in his front yard. How did he get it there? Where did he buy it? I don’t think you generally find those on Facebook marketplace. Where did it come from and what did he ever think he was going to do with it? Thinking that way keeps me interested for another couple of minutes.

[patty1h]

I have zero empathy for hoarders so this is my opinion:  This couple was tiring - crying about scrap metal when their house looks like a homeless gang was living there.  Montie basically referencing various movies like Rambo when he starting crying about how vets came back from Viet Nam and got treated badly. I think he has that in his back pocket and pulls it out whenever he felt he needed the sympathy card or shut down negative feedback. Him screaming about a stinky blanket, oy my nerves.  It may work on Sherry, the TV people and his daughters but I didn't care.

I got the feeling that Sherry seemed stuck in "martyr mode", never stepping up to Montie, that he had broken her down years ago and she gave up on herself.  Or was she "impaired"... she seemed a bit off to me.  She's fine cooking in that kitchen?  That bathroom... so nasty.

Yet I keep watching, and just double up on the blood pressure meds. (j/k)  I mostly stay to see the home after the cleanup.  A lot of them are amazing.  Someone mentioned that Dorothy is a lot to take sometimes... I agree.  The doctor was a bit ass-kissy for my liking too.

Edited October 15 by patty1h

[AZChristian]

1 hour ago, patty1h said:

Someone mentioned that Dorothy is a lot to take sometimes... I agree.  The doctor was a bit ass-kissy for my liking too.

It seemed like Dorothy was less intrusive this time.  I wonder if the new doctor let her know right up front that SHE would handle the psychology, and Dorothy should stick to cleaning up the hoard.

Montie seemed to me like he was itching for a fight most of the time.  Maybe that's the reason people were mean to him when he came back from Vietnam.  Maybe his actions led them to treat him like that, just because he was inciting negative feelings.

[JudyObscure]

4 hours ago, patty1h said:

Montie basically referencing various movies like Rambo when he starting crying about how vets came back from Viet Nam and got treated badly.

Yes, I think most vets went through far worse things than not having a parade when they got home and the "spit on," thing was rare if at all. I think maybe he's confusing things he saw in movies with reality.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

Montie seemed to me like he was itching for a fight most of the time.  Maybe that's the reason people were mean to him when he came back from Vietnam.  Maybe his actions led them to treat him like that, just because he was inciting negative feelings.

Quote

Yes, I think most vets went through far worse things than not having a parade when they got home and the "spit on," thing was rare if at all. I think maybe he's confusing things he saw in movies with reality.

I am just a bit too young to remember Vietnam but I have heard tell... That war was incredibly divisive in the U.S. (and everywhere, really) and troops who did survive and return home were treated horribly. They were routinely (literally) spit on, called horrible names, and generally treated badly. Total strangers would scream at them on the streets, calling them "baby killers," "murderers" and worse. The Vietnam war created new lows in warfare, particularly physical and psychological torture. Veterans often came home with terrible physical injuries and deep psychological scars. Many also came home addicted to substances that they used to cope with the horrors they experienced. We didn't understand then (and often still don't now) the lasting impact of trauma.

Worth noting - we still had a mandatory draft back then. Those guys - most of who were barely 18 - had no choice about going. Getting your draft number picked was terrifying. So many soldiers not only never came home, but there was never any definitive word on what happened to them. I'm not sure what would be worse; knowing your loved one died a horrible death and his body was left to rot or was horribly desecrated, or knowing that your loved was held captive and tortured for many years before he was killed and his body was left to rot or horribly desecrated.

I absolutely believe that Montie was deeply damaged by his nearly three years in Vietnam. I don't think it's a ploy for sympathy that he pulls out like some trump card. I think he suffers daily. I think that generally the U.S. has a long way to go in taking care of our veterans and I think that our remaining Vietnam vets have borne the worst of a lot of it, especially as people who remember the war and immediate aftermath are growing older and our national memory is getting short.

Edited October 16 by Elizzikra

[Gravity Check]

59 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I absolutely believe that Montie was deeply damaged by his nearly three years in Vietnam.

Oh, I do too. Maybe not the specifics he mentioned, but he was a lost soul. I had a shirt-tail relative who was in the Middle East and came back so psychologically damaged that he was on permanent disability forever. At age 30. Monty seemed out of control, in a way not many hoarders on the show have been.

I felt terrible that Audora died. She was so over-the-top giddy and happy about the hoard being tamed and the house being livable. Like she was dialed up to 11, emotionally. At least she got to see that happen before she passed.

Thank Gawd the show blurred out the contents of that toilet! Small mercies.

[enoughcats]

This hoard from Colorado is too gross even for cable tv.

Pictures, a news article and a homicide.   Be warned, it's bad, really bad.

[enoughcats]

Quote

non-functioning CRANE in his front yard. How did he get it there? Where did he buy it?

 

I hate that I know the answer.  A friend with lots of land has several dump trucks.  I asked her about them.  They are her husband's projects.  He and one of his buds go to sales.  She showed me some of the brochures he gets that are disbursed regionally.  All kinds of heavy equipment, very used, but possibly restore-able.  Several hundred miles is nothing for them to drive to a good auction.  (Her definition of a good auction and his definition are miles apart.)

[Elizzikra]

2 hours ago, enoughcats said:

 

I hate that I know the answer.  A friend with lots of land has several dump trucks.  I asked her about them.  They are her husband's projects.  He and one of his buds go to sales.  She showed me some of the brochures he gets that are disbursed regionally.  All kinds of heavy equipment, very used, but possibly restore-able.  Several hundred miles is nothing for them to drive to a good auction.  (Her definition of a good auction and his definition are miles apart.)

But if they aren’t running, how do you get them to the new place? What sort of tow truck do you use to move a dump truck or a crane???

[enoughcats]

The same tow truck that can cart off an 18 wheeler WITH a loaded cargo.  We're not far from several interstates, and there are really big tow trucks.  There are somewhat specialized flat bed trailers (a company in our county can custom make them) and they can handle twenty four ton loads and the crane lifting arm can be removed and put over the drivers compartment and secured there and to the back of the trailer. 

[JudyObscure]

On 10/15/2024 at 9:09 PM, Elizzikra said:

I am just a bit too young to remember Vietnam but I have heard tell... That war was incredibly divisive in the U.S. (and everywhere, really) and troops who did survive and return home were treated horribly. They were routinely (literally) spit on, called horrible names, and generally treated badly. Total strangers would scream at them on the streets, calling them "baby killers," "murderers" and worse. The Vietnam war created new lows in warfare, particularly physical and psychological torture. Veterans often came home with terrible physical injuries and deep psychological scars. Many also came home addicted to substances that they used to cope with the horrors they experienced. We didn't understand then (and often still don't now) the lasting impact of trauma.

Worth noting - we still had a mandatory draft back then. Those guys - most of who were barely 18 - had no choice about going. Getting your draft number picked was terrifying. So many soldiers not only never came home, but there was never any definitive word on what happened to them. I'm not sure what would be worse; knowing your loved one died a horrible death and his body was left to rot or was horribly desecrated, or knowing that your loved was held captive and tortured for many years before he was killed and his body was left to rot or horribly desecrated.

I absolutely believe that Montie was deeply damaged by his nearly three years in Vietnam. I don't think it's a ploy for sympathy that he pulls out like some trump card. I think he suffers daily. I think that generally the U.S. has a long way to go in taking care of our veterans and I think that our remaining Vietnam vets have borne the worst of a lot of it, especially as people who remember the war and immediate aftermath are growing older and our national memory is getting short.

Nobody meant to imply that the Vietnam War wasn't horrible and damaging for all our soldiers.  I only meant that I have learned from documentaries like Ken Burn's 18 hour "The Vietnam War," that actual spitty was very rare. 

And I'm not too young to remember every bit of it ,my brother and my boyfriend at the time were both drafted.  Those of us who marched in protests against the war were not trying to disrespect the troops but to keep our friends and brothers from dying in a war we knew we could not win.  JFK is on tape telling McNamara that he knew we couldn't win "but if I pull out now I won't get re-elected in November" 

58,000 US soldiers died and that wasn't the fault of the protesters, it was the fault of all the, "My country wrong or right" "Hippie protesters are all commies" "draft dodgers are cowards"and evil politicians like Kennedy.  The anger and hatred went both ways.

[Elizzikra]

Quote

I only meant that I have learned from documentaries like Ken Burn's 18 hour "The Vietnam War," that actual spitty was very rare. 

My husband just finished that and said it was amazing! I didn't mean to sound as though I was expressing an opinion on the war itself, but just wanted to disagree with the notion that Montie was just being petty and pissed just because "no one threw him a parade." 

Quote

We're not far from several interstates, and there are really big tow trucks.  There are somewhat specialized flat bed trailers (a company in our county can custom make them) and they can handle twenty four ton loads and the crane lifting arm can be removed and put over the drivers compartment and secured there and to the back of the trailer. 

Now I want to see that... but from a distance. Not because I somehow end up driving behind it.

[CrazyInAlabama]

"Terri" new, 10/21/2024  Season 16 Episode 3

"Regular visits to local estate sales, yard sales and thrift stores distract Terri from her problems, as she cannot resist a good deal on glass decor or anything she considers antique; these objects completely fill Terri's 1,300-square-foot home."

Terri lives in Antigo, Wisconsin.  Retired hospital employee, has one daughter, three granddaughters and one great granddaughter.  Lived in her home for 48 years.  She's a collector, of Chrismas stuff, and glassware, lamps, lanterns, Kori is her daughter. Terri is a big fan of estate and yard sales.   No access to bathroom or kitchen.   Terri sleeps on the couch.  Terri has cats, that are held captive in the hoard.  There's a packed full camper trailer.  House was clean while her daughter was growing up. 

Terri says her cancer diagnosis derailed everything, and then Covid, she says no energy to clean.   Terri says being an EMT gave her PTSD, she also got married right out of high school and her three year marriage was hell married to an abusive alcoholic, and abuser.   That was Kori's father.   Ex was threatening, and abusive.   Kori and Terri often clash. 

Terri refuses to let Kori clean up the house, and won't let Kori inside to see the hoard.   Inspectors from the loan company will inspect the house, so Terri can get a loan to replace the roof.   It is suspected that house is going to be condemned.  Terri should worry about code enforcement and fire inspectors too. 

Psychologist is Dr. Zasio.  Organizer is Cory Chalmers.  

Terri blames her hoarding on chemo brain, and Covid brain. She also has severe neuropathy, and back and mobility issues. Terri wants the house cleared so her Dad can move in, he's 90.  How can this house ever be safe for the father?  Terri only wants to get rid of 50% of the stuff in the house, Dr. Z says 70% is more realistic.  Terri hates the house, but her abusive ex beat her in every room of the house.  Fortunately, ex is dead and burning in hell.  

Terri and Dr. Z go outside to talk to Cory, and Kori, Terri's daughter.  Cory and Kori go in the house, and the ammonia smell from the cats is overwhelming.  Basement is full of junk. Furnace doesn't work, in Wisconsin.  Basement is in accessible.  Cory's priority is safe access to the house, and restoring plumbing and safety overall. (Since it's 40 minutes into the first hour, and no cleaning, I'm guessing this won't be a clean out of much of anything). 

Cory says utility restoration may be a problem.  Terri said gas is off, and if the repairman came to work on the furnace or water heater, they would have told the city, and house would be condemned.  Kori says she's worried her mother won't talk to her after this is over, and Terri says that's very possible.  

Day One of cleanup-Steri-Clean shows up in mass, but it's snowing.  Cory says cleaning out to restore safe egress from the house, restore heat, plumbing, and safety to the house.  Kitchen and back of house cleared first.  Items go to trash, or sorting with Terri's review. Terri's saying virtually nothing, and keeping a lot. Terri turns mean, and claims Zasio and others are making the decisions for her. 

First hour is done, and still on Day One.  Terri says she's being pressured and bullied by Kori, Zasio, and Cory, plus the relatives.   Terri and Kori get into it, and Terri goes to sit in her car. Kori steps back, and the granddaughters will work with Terri tomorrow.   Day One is a big failure. But Terri is at least trying a little. 

Day Two-Terri doesn't care about her daughter, so Zasio can stop saying Terri does.  Goal is to finish kitchen, living room and bedroom, and Terri claims she's good with that.  Terri is working with her granddaughters.  They're finding tons of rodent waste (yes mouse and rat poop, cats should be ashamed). Lots of cabinets and furniture are ruined by water, and soaked with urine, and topped with rat feces. 

My view Kori wants a relationship with her mother, but Terri doesn't.    Zasio wants them to write letters to each other saying what they want the relationship to be.  Terri is not thrilled.  Zasio wants Terri and Kori to work together in the house, terrible idea.   End of Day Two.

Terri is keeping 50%, and they haven't even finished the living room yet.  Living room is cleaned out.  Kitchen is clean. 

Day Three-Living room is clear, basement, bathroom, bedrooms need to be cleared. Zasio still keeps harping on the relationship issues between Terri and Kori. You couldn't pay me enough to sit on Terri's nasty living room couch.   Terri and Kori read their letters to each other.   They clean the other two bedrooms.   Terri's room has rodent poop, dead rodents, mattress and floor is disgusting, everything goes.   The entire bedroom is trashed with rodent poop, rugs are full of it.   

Cory and Zasio go to talk to Terri about the huge boxes of keep stuff, 70 boxes so far. Terri still says the relatives, Zasio and Cory are throwing her stuff out.  Two full dumpsters have been filled. Terri has them put the boxes in the garage.   

Day Four-Terri finally says what she's thinking, and thanks people.    The cleaning crew comes in wearing haz mat suits and respirators. HVAC people and plumbers are working. Terri and family see the finished house.   House looks nice. I can't beleive any rugs are actually clean.   Roof inspection should be fine. Furnace is working again. Plumbing is fixed. 

Epilogue-Terri is doing better. She went throuth the boxes, and cleared the garage, and can park inside.   Kori and Terri are working on their relationship.  

 

Where Are They Now:  Tim (Texas Season 16, Episode 1) and Montie & Sherry (California Season 16 Episode 2)  Yes, WATN is revisiting Episode 1 and Episode 2 hoarders

Tim (Ben Wheeler, Texas)-visited by Dr. David Tolin, two years after the original episode was filmed.   DeeDee is Tim's wife.  After the original episode Tim started rehoarding.   

There are a bunch of junked cars around the house and DeeDee till lives there. Inside house looks OK, but junk on the coffee table.   Nothing was fixed in the house, rugs are still nasty, kitchen is still a wreck.  They did aftercare.  Stuff is piled on the bed, and dressers, Tim claimed it was only put there in the last couple of days.  DeeDee is still staying at the house in Tyler, near her job.   DeeDee is staying in the marriage. Back patio has a lot of junk, cars are filled with junk.  Tim and DeeDee claim their still working on the hoarding.   Tolin's wrong DeeDee doesn't live there, just visits, and Tim's rehoarding.   

 

Montie and Sherry (Mentone, California east of Riverside)-visited by Dr. Dinorah Nieves.   House was falling apart after the clean up. As we learned last week, Audora, the oldest daughter, died right after the clean up.  Clean up was filmed a year and a half ago.  Dr. Nieves visits almost two years after the original episode.   Montie and Sherry are doing better physically.

However, they rehoarded the back yard, front yard, and house is a 5 out of 10.  Code enforcement hasn't fined them again.  Junk vehicles are back.  House is OK in the kitchen. Family lives in Arizona, and don't visit. I didn't realize Montie is the stepfather.   Dr. Nieves tells Sherry and Montie to keep inviting the Arizona relatives to visit.   Living room is OK. House still scares me structurally.   Rooms are pretty clear. Bedroom is OK, thinkgs are piled up in the corners. 

 

 

 

(on 10/28/2024 they have two episodes, a 2 hour regular one Season 16 Episode 4, Bruce and Cathy, "Good intentions lead Bruce to collect a massive amount of tools and clutter; with the help of the "Hoarders" team, Bruce and Cathy need to clear their house so they can proceed an overall healthier living situation."  Followed by a WATN but no names listed yet.    The following  Monday has Episode 5 MaryLynn, followed by another WATN )

Edited October 22 by CrazyInAlabama

[babyhouseman]

I have OCD, not hoarding. But I understand how the OCD brain can dominate and you can't be rational no matter how you try. I think Dorothy has good intentions, but she can be overwhelming. I think I would've been like Teri. I wouldn't want to talk much, but I understand that can be frustrating for the professionals who want to encourage communication. 

[ChristmasJones]

For Terri, I found it interesting that when the mother and daughter exchanged letters they had written to each other (as suggested by Dr. Z), about what they would like their relationship to be,  the daughter's was several pages, while the mother's was a couple of sentences.

Cognitive problems could be an element there, for sure (a neuropsych exam would be needed to determine that), but it seems Terri had longer term issues with expressing emotions, love, etc.  Perhaps she never got (or chose to get) and proper help after the abusive marriage. She seems like a very damaged person who also treats others poorly. (I don't think the two necessarily have to go together).

It was a pleasant surprise to see that the home has been maintained exactly as the team left it and she also managed to clear enough boxes from the garage so she park in there.  I did not expect that. Perhaps this week has helped her shift out of some of her bad habits.

[CrazyInAlabama]

“Bruce and Cathy”   New, 10/28/2024, Season 16 / Episode 4

“Good intentions lead Bruce to collect a massive amount of tools and clutter; with the help of the "Hoarders" team, Bruce and Cathy need to clear their house so they can proceed an overall healthier living situation.”

Bruce and Cathy live in Jackson, MS, and lived in the house for 37 years. Cathy says half of the hoard is hers.   House is packed full of junk and garbage. There is a narrow path to the door. Cathy is a retired long distance operator (how long has it been since they had a long distance operator as a job? AT&T got rid of the last long distance operators in 1984)  Cathy says she's a collector, not a hoarder.   

Their son is Laz.   He says a lot of the hoard is all over the house, canned food, jewelry, books, tools, and hoard is full of vermin.  Fortunately they go out to eat two or three times a day, and they go to thrift stores on their errands to buy food.  Bruce says 50% of the hoard is joint, with 25% each for the couple.  They both have severe health issues.  She's had knee surgeries, and arthritis.  He's had repeated infections, and colon cancer surgery.   

Beth is their sister-in-law and says there was minor junk around the house when kid was small, but after that it was the hoarding that took over when Laz was a teen, and moved out at 17.  Parents retired, and were bored and started hoarding, from thrift stores.   Bruce's brother Jeff says they tried to help them clean up quite a few years ago, but Bruce refused.   

Bruce also inherited a bunch of stuff when his dad died, including the father's car from 20 years ago, that hasn't been driven in years.  

Psychologist is Dr. Tolin, organizer is Carolina Harvey.    Helpers are the brother Jeff, and the sister-in-law Beth.     I feel so sorry for Beth and Jeff, seeing the hoarded mess the house has turned into.  Why are these people in that vermin ridden house without respirators?  Laz, the son shows up to help too. 

I don't like Carolina, and her aggressive try to be the center of attention.   Dr. Tolin isn't much better, he caters to the hoarders too much. 

What fool had a Grainger tool company ad on Hoarders?    At least half of the hoarders have piles of tools. 

Day One-The front porch is full of junk and boxes. After a few small trashing, Bruce and Cathy stop cooperating, and Bruce wants to keep items mouse peed on to give to his brother. So early in the clean up they're already stopping the process, and keeping junk.    Beth and Jeff haven't been in the house in 20 years.   Bruce is the huge roadblock, he wants nothing to go, and Cathy won't go against Bruce. Carolina wants Bruce and Cathy to split up, and make decisions.   Bruce is a lost cause, and Cathy isn't much better.  Bruce wants to keep boxrs of cheap kitchen knives, for a ridiculous reason.   Bruce isn't going to fall for Dr. Tolin's show of concern.  Carolina is arguing with Tolin's help, and Bruce isn't going to cooperate, he never wanted to.   

Day Two-Cathy is doing better, but is still slow at sorting.   Jeff and Beth are going to go through the mountains of clothes for Cathy.   Bruce is now cooperating a little more.    They only get 8 feet into the house. 

Day Three-Still working in different teams, and trying to speed up.  Dr Tolin wants Bruce and Cathy to do some ridiculous exercise.   Bruce is getting rid of almost nothing.  Bruce is going off on son Laz. 

This is hopeless.  

Bruce starts blaming Cathy, and refusing to let stuff go.  There's a shed full of lawn tools. Bruce doesn't see this as a problem.  He blames the full shed on not having access to the garage, and blames Cathy for that. 

Day Four-They want to clean out the kitchen, and make pathways through the house.   Dr. Tolin gives another Rah-Rah speech.   If there's a positive epilogue I'll faint from the shock.  

The finished house has way too much furniture, stacks of boxes and bins. Cathy is thrilled, Bruce is pissed.  2 1/2 dumpsters of trash, lots of scrap metal.  Father's old car is still there, and huge stacks of bins and boxes in every room. Kitchen is crowed, and the only other room that's done is the bedroom, still full of stacks of stuff, but the other rooms haven't been touched. Tolin wants them to do therapy and organizing

Epilogue-Laz is working with parents for cleaning. Thrift stores are still being visited, No aftercare is being done.  Jeff and Beth are hopeful. 

 

Where are They Now: Peggy and Randy  New, 10/28/2024, Season 16

Randy (Wildwood, New Jersey) . Original episode was Season 4, Episode 5, 2011. “Randy describes himself as "the ultimate hoarder" has a hoard of memorabilia that has become overwhelming to everyone who enters the home. He claims that if he sold anything he'd never be the same person.”  He collected pinball machines over the last 40 years.  He has two tractor trailors in storage full of machines. he also collects mannequins that look like him.  RandyLand is 20,000 sq ft.  He has pinball machines and other arcade machines.    He greets Dr. Chabaud at RandyLand, on the original episode. Randy decided to open another arcade he could legally operate.   He wants Matt Paxton and the crew to move the games to the new arcade. Matt refuses to have his crews move some of the really heavy stuff, for safety reasons.  Arcade #2 opened for business in 2021.  

On the revisit, Dr Suzanne Chabaud meets Randy, 13 years after the first episode at Randy Land.  The other arcade is operating, but in a new location. And he's still hoarding even more.  He still has the Randy mannequins.  He's collecting neon signs now too. Dr. Suzanne says it looked more like a museum before. He's sold and repurchases some stuff recently.  She asks him what happens to his hoard when he dies, and he says his sister can auction them off.    Dr. Suzanne loves the operating arcade.  Randy will never change. 

 

Peggy (Whidbey Island, Washington)  Original episode was Season 13, Episode 7, 2021. “Peggy's divorce in 1981 left her alone when her daughter decided to live with her father. Finding a job as a live-in caregiver required Peggy to move across the country and start over. Thrift store shopping allowed Peggy to socialize after becoming alone again when her client passed away, but it also triggered her hoarding disorder.”  Yes, Peggy took a lovely two-level house and hoarded it full.  

This is the one where Dorothy kept awarding Peggy badges for going though bins, like she was a little kid getting stars.  Peggy sleeps on a bed in the kitchen, hasn't been in the main bedroom since 2012.  Only three rooms have any access at all.   Peggy was letting go of a lot of stuff.   Peggy will do anything to avoid confrontation.   Peggy gave up almost everything, and house was cleaned out. She went to aftercare, kept the house cleaned out. 

Peggy is revisited by Dorothy Breininger, three years after the first cleanout.  Except she's not talking to Peggy.   Dorothy meets with Peggy's daughter, Alyssa.   Peggy died about 6 months before filming.   Daniel is the young man who bought the house.   The house looks lovely.  Daniel was a neighbor and knew Peggy.   Daughter Alyssa says Peggy was happy after the cleanup, and sometimes asked where specific items were.  Her daughter says after the loss of Peggy's brother and sister she started hoarding again.   She had three or so aftercare sessions, and then her brother and sister died, and she never went back to therapy.  

The new owner Daniel cleaned the house out, and has fixed it up for his family. Downstairs is a lovely apartment with a tenant. 

(New episodes of Hoarders, and WATN next week)

Edited October 29 by CrazyInAlabama

[Elizzikra]

Quote

The new owner Daniel cleaned the house out, and has fixed it up for his family. Downstairs is an apartment with a tenant. 

That house was adorable. I loved it. Nice of the new owner AND his tenant to let Dorothy and the crew film the follow up.

Why can't Dorothy ever put down the flowers she brings for the families? She carried them all around the follow-up. Does she reuse them for subsequent visits? I think she is probably a lovely person and I think she really does care about the people she works with but she plucks my nerves.

[JudyObscure]

It's killing me that I can't watch this anymore because A&E will no longer let me stream it the next day through my Spectrum provider.  I can still do that with Dateline NBC and Survivor CBS and even PBS if I time it right. 

So I wait for it to show up on YouTube and read your recaps.  Thanks!

 

[CrazyInAlabama]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

It's killing me that I can't watch this anymore because A&E will no longer let me stream it the next day through my Spectrum provider.  I can still do that with Dateline NBC and Survivor CBS and even PBS if I time it right. 

So I wait for it to show up on YouTube and read your recaps.  Thanks!

 

I have a conflict between watching this live, and watching the Food Network baking championships.   You confirmed that watching Hoarders, and watching the baking championship the next morning on my Spectrum provider was the right move.   

[RobustRutabaga]

On 10/28/2024 at 11:04 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

Day Three-Still working in different teams, and trying to speed up.  Dr Tolin wants Bruce and Cathy to do some ridiculous exercise.   Bruce is getting rid of almost nothing.  Bruce is going off on son Laz. 

I had to chuckle when the Day 3 segment began and Carolina says, cheerily, "Good morning everyone! It's great to see everybody. I see a lot of smiling faces, that's a good thing!"

And the son, Laz, is repeatedly looking left/right, left/right, left/right, with an expression that clearly says, full BS-meter in effect, "Uh, what?" 😁   "Are you on the same planet I am?"

Enjoyed reading your recap and I liked this episode.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Mary Lynn , new, 11/04/2024, Season 16, Episode 5

“Mary has been hoarding for over 30 years; as she faces two impending knee surgeries, her home is no longer safe; with the help of the "Hoarders" team, Mary must clean up her property or face a dangerous recovery in an unsafe environment.   The team helps a woman clean up her property, and get her hoarding problem under control as she prepares for critical knee surgery”

Mary lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.   She calls herself a collector, and says she’s a hoarder, but she seems to think being a hoarder is acceptable.  House was bought in 1996, 3 bed, 1 bath, 1000 sq ft, not including the full basement.    She’s has hoarded every room right to the top, except the kitchen actually has a path, but junk is stacked on the counters. Her bedroom and other rooms have a path. Her basement is full of junk too.  She picks up from trash piles by the road, and can’t stop buying sale items at retail stores, garage sales,  etc.   She has a sofa sitting upright, books everywhere, all kinds of stuff in the living room.  (unfortunately for the advertiser Rakuten is advertising about great savings during this show, not good placement since Mary can’t resist a bargain).

Gary is her friend of 30 years.   He says Mary buys anything on sale, even if she never will use it.   Rick is another brother.    Eddie is her youngest brother.    Mary broke up with her significant other, bought her house, and started hoarding.   When both parents died, she wanted everything from them, and the grandparents.  She never gets rid of anything.   Eddie says he hasn’t been in the house in years.   Rich hasn’t been in her house for 25 years.  

Mary needs double knee replacement, shoulder replacement, and is losing her eyesight.   She also has sleep apnea. 

Professional is Dr Dinorah Nieves, a behavioral scientist.     Organizer is Dorothy Breininger.  Dorothy says Mary is very organized.  As Dr. Nieves says, Mary is organized, but over-consumes.

Rick and Eddie are the poor souls who have to tour the house.   Dr. Nieves takes them on a tour, and is shocked that they aren’t more upset about the house. 

Day One-Rick, Eddie, (brothers), and two neighbors are helping.   Mary is having surgery in 10 days. There are paths in some rooms, and to the basement, but other rooms are packed full.  Dorothy tells Mary she’s living in 8% of her home, and needs to get rid of 80% of her stuff.   She claims she wants help, let’s see how long that lasts.   Mary claims she’s all in on the cleanup.  (45 minutes into the episode and no cleaning, that’s always a bad sign).   Dorothy wants to work from the front door, living room, office, bedroom.  Mary is breaking down, because she’s keeping too much.  Mary is keeping almost everything. Mary is also churning, and not getting rid of stuff.  Dr. D is right, Mary wants control.   Junk removal crew show up.   She’s now getting nasty with her friend Gary.

Day Two-Organizers and Junk crews are now on the job.  They only did the living room, very little went to trash or donation.   Office and bedroom are the goal, and finish the living room.  She’s keeping slides, but has no projector.  She’s calling all kinds of stuff ‘collectibles’.   She’s really getting nasty now.  She’s keeping an old 7-UP bottle.   Brother Rich says he’s leaving if this continues.   Dorothy has a new plan, they’re down to 80% left in the house from 92%, but nothing’s going from the lawn.  Dorothy wants brothers Rick and Eddie to make decisions, and she’s not going to.   Then she pulls the hoarder tactic, “I’ll just toss everything”.    By midday, Mary is being a roadblock.    Then, Mary goes ballistic again, looking for purses and a leather dress.  Then, Mary gets nasty with her brother and Dorothy.    She demands five minutes to look through the dumpster for the leather dress.

Day Three-Mary is still demanding a particular table, but giving up on the leather dress.  Brothers say the table isn’t pecan or oak, it’s particle board.    When Dr. D wants to talk to Mary, she persuades a junk crew member to look for the table, which is total junk.   Dr. D thinks it’s not a particular object, but Mary getting upset over losing control.   Gary, Eddie and Rick look at the basement, and find it’s full stuff that’s been pooped on and peed on by mice.

 The furnace room is packed floor to ceiling with junk.    Mary fixates on purses again.    However, she’s cooperating., and then whines about what she’s lost.  She’s also claiming everyone was tossing all of her good stuff.   She’s keeping 8 track tapes.   Mary alternates between rage, and thanking everyone.    The packed full garage is next.   For once Dorothy is wearing a mask during clean out, but no one else is.

End of Day Three, Dorothy updates.  Five tons have gone in two days.   

Day Four-There are over 200 boxes to go back into the house, and garage is still half full.  Mary tells Dorothy she’s committed to keep going through stuff in the house, and weeding more, but on her schedule.   I don’t believe her.   Mary doesn’t realize that stuff she hasn’t touched in 20 years is worthless to her.  Mary claims she now realizes that she’s a hoarder and will get rid of stuff, but then says she can go back to being a collector.   I can see the junk in the garage she’s keeping, it all needs to go. The housecleaning service crew shows up. 

Mary claims she’s committed to long term treatment.

They tour the finished house.  House looks good, still too much furniture in the living room though.   Kitchen looks pretty good, still too much stuff.   After surgery, the area rugs will be trip hazards.  Bedroom looks good.   Basement looks nice, but get rid of that mouse poop carpet.  A crewmember designed the basement space.  House is now 25% full, which is normal.    9 ½ tons were dumped, sent to the metal salvage, and donated.   The crew did 6 months

Epilogue- Mary had knee surgery and will do after care when she rehabs.  

 

 

(If anyone is cleaning up stuff contaminated like this with mouse stuff, make sure if you get sick, you tell the doctors about rodent exposure) .

 

Where Are They Now: Ruth & Sybil, New, 11/04/2024, Season 16,

Sybil (Season 8 / Episode 12, 2016 ) Original description: Sybil's hoard is so intense that mice have started to live in her tub and refrigerator. Her Gresham, OR home is so packed with items and rodents that she has literally been forced outside and is now sleeping in her backyard cat aviary. If she doesn't clean up, her family will call Adult Protective Services and have her removed from her property.

She lives in Gresham, OR.  

She was saving many bottles of urine, house is full of mice.  She sleeps on a pile of junk in the cat’s area, which is a wire enclosed and outdoors.   1-800-Got Junk was the clean out crew, with organizer Dorothy Breininger.   When they decided everything had to go, Sybil said OK, but then disappears to be with her cats. Dr. Melva Green was the psychologist.   ON Day Two Sybil turns mean and angry.  There are mice in the fridge.    The exterminators come to clean the house, and find the massive number of bottles of urine.  The after of the house looks good, but again still carpet that had mice peeing and pooing on it.    

Revisited by: Dorothy Breininger, 8 years after first episode.   Sybil doesn't open the door, and she's rehoarded piles all over, but she claims there's a pathway.   There are still plastic bins from the original clean up from all of those years ago.   But the bins are broken, and water logged.  Sybil claims she's still working on a plan.   Her family members and crew are blamed for trashing things like her mouse poop bed.  She's never watched the original show to see the mice.  Dorothy gives Sybil numbers to call for clean up help. 

Dorothy wants Sybil to get someone to sell her $20,000 worth of ornaments online.   Sorry if they're in a mouse hoard, they're unsellable.   Dorothy introduces Sybil to a reseller.  There are a lot of the collectible Hallmark ornaments.  The garage has 30 to 40 bins of ornaments, and many more in the house. 

Sybil has rehoarded. The house may have a path, but it's hoarded.   Who are they kidding, no matter how much money Sybil gets from ornaments sales, she's not going to clean up, she doesn't want to, and it will take many times $20,000 to do.    

 

Ruth (Season 6 / Episode 2, 2012) Original description:  "Ruth in St. Louis has turned her beautiful home into a shrine for the three members of her family who died there. She refuses to get rid of anything that belonged to them, and continually shops for more to fill her sorrow. She has a particular fear of using the shower stall where her youngest son committed suicide." (There was another WATN for Ruth in 2014). She also lost her husband to cancer, and oldest son died of a heart attack.   I can't imagine living in the house where her son committed suicide.    Dr Zasio and Matt Paxton worked with Ruth.  They all went to the cemetery where her husband, and sons were buried.    Her house looks beautiful after the original clean up. 

Revisited by: Dr. Robin Zasio.  12 years after the first episode, and 10 years after the first Where Are They Now.  Ruth still lives in the same house. 

Ruth has rehoarded. Just like many others during revisits, the pile are blamed on Ruth 'going through stuff" and getting ready to get rid of it.  Just the previous week her stepson died, and her sister died the previous week.   The living room sofa is clear, but everything else is piled with trash.  The hallway is half full, kitchen is piled up, not level 5, more like a level 3.  Every room has been rehoarded.  Bathroom has lots of hanging stuff.   The main bedroom is piled on the sides, and the bed has stuff piled on it.  The son's former room is piled compeletely with stuff, and also the computer room.  Ruth claims it was four or five years before she started hoarding again.   

Dr. Zasio has a surprise for Ruth. Dr. Z has her daughters and granddaughters to help clean up with Dr. Z's help.  Dr. Z says Ruth should rely on her family to keep the houes clean.   Dr. Z asks Ruth to choose between the piles of books or her family.  She chooses family.   They cleaned her house with help from local organizers and she's in aftercare. 

 

 

(Next week is episode 6, and a WATN, but I think this is the end of the season).