S07.E15: Angela's Story

[AVM]

8 minutes ago, ProTourist said:

• Although it wasn't mentioned on the show, I found an article that says Angela has Multiple Sclerosis, and her daughter Andrea too. [Starcasm] Don't know whether or not this is accurate.
• Found another article that says Lacy's parent(s) were in prison. [Monsters & Critics] Must have been due to those 'bad choices' they made.
• Regarding the ice cream run at end of the episode, that was for Lacy only. Angela did not get any for herself.
• As for Angela's son Chris, he was the one who took her grocery shopping, and also assisted her to get situated in the van when she was leaving for Houston. An article said he had been a caregiver for his mother for years, but had just got a job and was about to move out on his own. He was 19.

No, It says "Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own.Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own."

[Minivanessa]

6 minutes ago, AVM said:

No, It says "Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own.Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own."

I think I've figured it out. The Monsters & Critics article says:

Quote

In the episode, it is revealed that Angela has health issues on top of the morbid obesity, that she also suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) which makes her even more immobile and in acute pain not just from carrying the extra weight but from all her joints and spine.

Although I don't recall that Angela's MS was disclosed in the episode.

The M&C article also quotes a TLC statement which is what @AVM quoted above.

The Starcasm article says:

Quote

Finally, it’s also important to note that Angela, like her daughter Andrea, also suffers from multiple sclerosis. (While the risk for MS can be passed down from parents to children, MS itself is not hereditary.)

Edited April 11, 2019 by Jeeves

[AVM]

43 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

That was her son. He didn't seem to want to be on camera very much. 

I do have to admit, her cheesy eggs looked good. I love eggs with a ton of cheese. I don't eat them often because they are eggs with a ton of cheese! 

You must have been very hungry watching the show ? The eggs looked over cooked and very  greasy ...rubber and grease with cheese ...

[88Keys]

13 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I bet you anything they weighed her at the ER visit, and that was when she decided she would claim she lost a bunch, and flake on Dr. Now.    

Nah.  She never had any intention of going back to Dr. Now.  Going to the ER was just an excuse for missing her appointment (I was REALLY sick!  I have an ER visit to prove it!) and possibly to get more pain pills.  

11 hours ago, Stusan said:

I think her family refused to go with her because they already knew what was going to happen...nothing.

I think they wanted a break from her constant chatter and talk about dying.  

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I really thought she was going to do well. She seemed very candid about how awful she was feeling etc...... 

"I'm going to DIE if I don't get surgery."  "Just sign my death warrant.  I'm done."  "I'll DIE if this doesn't work out."  

She was so over-dramatic.  I mean, yes, being 600 pounds is definitely a death sentence, but if she was really that worried about it, she would have done something about it.  

She doesn't really want to lose weight.  She wants to sit in her room and drink and eat herself to death. 

[sempervivum]

4 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

don't recall that Angela's MS was disclosed in the episode.

Yeah, I really doubt that it wouldn't have come up at least in her initial litany of complaints, to say nothing of her consult with Dr. Now. But then, they never really addressed the issue of her already having had bariatric surgery, either.  Was there an explanation of how that works?

I must have missed something- how is Angela capable of child care with her son moving out? Even at the end (and I do think she lost some weight), she couldn't even bend over to pick stuff up from the floor. I can't imagine her mopping or making beds or doing laundry. And that's not even factoring in her drinking and pill popping.

I was just thankful that she only wasted a few hours of Dr. Now's time, so he had more to spend with patients who are actually serious about weight loss. In spite of all her complaining, apparently she ended up OK with having those beachball-sized masses hanging off her, and she won't be able to get skin surgery from Dr. Now even if she loses another 400 lbs.( I hope TLC's contract doesn't allow her to apply again).

I resent the high proportion of 'failure episodes' inflicted on us this season, realistic though that may be.

[Pondlass1]

At least it was a brick house which appeared clean and maintained and no dogs.

If - and when - Angela becomes bedridden, the little girl will be her beck & call slave and enabler.  It's so sad.

Maybe fast food should be more heavily taxed and the funds directed towards the cost of fixing all the medical issues arising from this obesity crisis. 

[libgirl2]

28 minutes ago, AVM said:

You must have been very hungry watching the show ? The eggs looked over cooked and very  greasy ...rubber and grease with cheese ...

I hadn't eaten all day so that might be the case. Or maybe it reminded me of when I would make them. 

[Trees]

I don't believe anything on that starcasm site.  To me it's just clickbait. I think they make stuff up.

I am so confused over something. When the guy was taking her to the grocery store, I thought she said it was her son?  But I swear that the words on the screen identified him as her brother?  Then didn't he say something about his sister?

Another thing I wonder every episode when these 600-pounders are shown with oxygen or prescription bottles that they can only have if they've seen a doctor... Wouldn't it be an interesting interview for them to go see that actual doctor?  Who prescribed that oxygen for Angela?  Why didn't that doctor help find her a local weight loss doctor, or a lymphedema clinic?  

I'm so worried about that poor Lacey.  Oh my gosh.  The things she's seen in her young life.  What kind of future does she have?  

Why doesn't Angela's daughter take her in?  What about that "aunt" who drives her to school?  

Actually I wish they had shielded Lacey's identity.  She's a minor and everyone in her school has access to this show.  How she's going to be teased!!!  This vile reality about her unfortunate life will be "out there" forever.  

[ProTourist]

36 minutes ago, AVM said:

No, It says "Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own.Angela is close to her daughter Andrea, 23, but Andrea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years back and requires care of her own."

The Starcasm article I linked says they both have MS:

"Finally, it’s also important to note that Angela, like her daughter Andrea, also suffers from multiple sclerosis. (While the risk for MS can be passed down from parents to children, MS itself is not hereditary.)"

There was no mention of MS on the show that I noticed -- perhaps on the supersized episode?

[CousinOliver]

Here’s an idea, Angela: if you don’t want to travel to Houston, find a local doctor. Done.  No travel.  If, by chance, s/he is not capable of doing surgery to remove masses, etc., s/he can refer you out, even if it’s not to someone local. My late husband was, several times, sent to Massachusetts for surgeries that no one in our (plane trip away) home state could handle.  But, likely, you’d never have to see your nemesis (and my celebrity crush) Dr Now again.

You would have to be weighed in, though, if you went to a local doctor, and you’d not have the (slight) financial benefits or “fame” or platform for (likely) re-writing history that comes with seeing Dr Now on camera...maybe a local doctor isn’t really what you want??

[sempervivum]

5 minutes ago, Pondlass1 said:

Maybe fast food should be more heavily taxed and the funds directed towards the cost of fixing all the medical issues arising from this obesity crisis

Angela made her own giant plate of greasy, cheesy eggs- no 'fast food' there. 

And what about candy/packaged cookies/Little Debbies etc? Who gets to decide what the 'sin taxes' would be applied to? Do I get a discount if my BMI is normal? Slippery slope, but jmo.

[Snarkastikate]

She blew through a previous gastric bypass.  She was so dramatic early in the episode... I'm gonna DIE, DIE, DIE if I don't get HELP!  Mentioned death more than any previous poundicipent. Mentioned planning her funeral several times.  What drama.  Then Dr Now hit her full force with what a failure she was and what she needed to do.  Very manipulative, actually wanted to change the way Dr Now's program because she's not like all the rest, she's so different.  Maybe she lost a few pounds, who knows?  But those giant gross beach balls hanging off her gut and butt aren't going anywhere without intervention.  At the end of the show she suddenly felt she was just fine, so mobile, so active, felt great!  I suspect more painkillers and some mood enhancing drugs.  I'll bet she gained back whatever she lost and added more by now.  FYI....she's training Lacey to be her full time caretaker.  

[mmecorday]

Quote

One question, what happened to Eric at the end?

I hope he got the hell out of Dodge, changed his number and assumed a new identity.

[CousinOliver]

I do believe that Angela lost some real weight right after starting the diet (she appears to be well into her regain at the end, sadly).   I might even guess 50 lbs, possibly even the 70 she claimed.  I can tell with how clothes fit, for instance, if I’ve gained or lost.  If the last time her clothes fit that way or she fit into her van she was 550, I can see her assuming she’s ~550 again. 

BUT, I also think that when she became more mobile and could fit into her car again (with the seat all the way back, a la Dottie), the weight loss probably became less important.  Her clothes were fitting, her car was usable, she was back to her “comfort zone” quality of life.  Bring on two turkey burgers and buns and cheese on them and maybe fries, and we’ll call it heathy or a diet because it’s turkey instead of beef and baked French fries instead of fried in oil.

It’s a shame that she was such a bitch, too.  If she had gone to the two month weigh in, I think she would have exceeded her very small goal* and been well on her way to lymphodema removal.  

* anyone else think this was probably because she already had gastric bypass? 

[DC Gal in VA]

If anyone ever needs to look up the definition of "shitshow" there should be a direct link to the full two hours of this episode.

Penny, Kirsten-the-Screamer, No-Hi-Jeanne, Milla-Queen-of-Tarps, Steven ASSanti and, I can't believe I'm saying this, even James K, among many other frustrating poundticipants, all managed to get follow-up weigh-ins, but not this Hell beast. I would say that TLC should be ashamed of themselves but they left any sense of shame behind a very long time ago.

In trying to redeem something from this show, I even agreed with her during the Live Chat that driving over a thousand miles one way just for a weigh-in was unreasonable and suggested that Dr. Now could work with a local physician to verify her weight loss. The move to Houston would only be necessary after that. But, as was pointed out by a fellow Pounder Pal in Live Chat, that was all just a manipulation on Angela's part since she has absolutely no sense of accountability.

I can't wrap my brain around anyone who is trying to lose weight which perhaps even briefly she really was trying to do, not wanting to see their progress on a scale. But a scale keeps you honest and Angela has zero interest in that.

[knuckles491]

The voice over in this episode was interesting.  It didn't seem to have the usual "reading off the script" quality.  She sounded like she was speaking off the cuff.  At times she spoke well, and then her terrible grammar would pop back in.  The weirdest thing was when she was narrating the part where she had to go to the ER because she was so sick.  Obviously the voice over happened long after she went to the hospital (for what, I don't know), but she had to make herself sound really sick in the narration. 

[Pepper Mostly]

1 hour ago, ProTourist said:

• Although it wasn't mentioned on the show, I found an article that says Angela has Multiple Sclerosis, and her daughter Andrea too. [Starcasm] Don't know whether or not this is accurate.
• Found another article that says Lacy's parent(s) were in prison. [Monsters & Critics] Must have been due to those 'bad choices' they made.
• Regarding the ice cream run at end of the episode, that was for Lacy only. Angela did not get any for herself.
• As for Angela's son Chris, he was the one who took her grocery shopping, and also assisted her to get situated in the van when she was leaving for Houston. An article said he had been a caregiver for his mother for years, but had just got a job and was about to move out on his own. He was 19.

Chris saw the writing on the wall and got out while he still could. I hope he's moving to another state. Or better still, another country.

50 minutes ago, sempervivum said:

I must have missed something- how is Angela capable of child care with her son moving out? Even at the end (and I do think she lost some weight), she couldn't even bend over to pick stuff up from the floor. I can't imagine her mopping or making beds or doing laundry. And that's not even factoring in her drinking and pill popping.

Simple, Lacy. As many have said already, Queen of the Users, Angela, is already grooming that kid to be her full time caretaker. Lacy's 11, she can do laundry and make beds. The kid seems sunny natured and eager to please. And Angela's already gaslighting her, and preparing the guilt trip she's going to lay on her: "I chose Lacy over my health"! If Lacy wants to go out with her friends or do activities at school? "I need you here! I gave up everything to take care of you! There is no one else who can give you a roof!" Shudder. She is really vile.

[Stiggs]

When she was first in the minivan on her way to Houston, and she said she was having a good time, and something about it maybe being the "extra" pain pill she took, I knew how this was gonna go. Everyone I've ever known who said they took an "extra" pain pill was someone who took "extra" pain pills on the reg. And when she went to the ER, I thought it was because of withdrawal. But, if she has MS, I have no idea. I feel like that was a big thing to not mention? 

The dude who drove her - I figured they had worked it out before she asked him on camera, and he was a combination of a nice and patient guy who also wanted to look nice and patient on camera. I think he seemed genuinely fond of her and wanted to help, but I think he smartly was like, "I helped, I'm done, bye!" as soon as they got back to Ohio. 

I think more than anything, the fact that she had nobody to go with her was a major factor in her staying in Ohio - and maybe she didn't want to admit that? I really couldn't believe when I heard her daughter telling her deathly obese mother that she didn't need to move to enter a program to help save her life. That was kind of stunning to me. I didn't expect the daughter to go with her - but I expected her to encourage her mother to do what's best. Moving to Houston to help someone lose weight who has already gained so much after one weight loss surgery is asking a lot. I don't blame people for saying no. But I think Angela literally had nobody to go with her, and so she spun a bunch of other narratives. 

This was maybe my least favorite episode of this show, ever. I felt like I was watching Intervention and that even Candy Finnegan couldn't help this woman face reality. 

[libgirl2]

4 minutes ago, Stiggs said:

The dude who drove her - I figured they had worked it out before she asked him on camera, and he was a combination of a nice and patient guy who also wanted to look nice and patient on camera. I think he seemed genuinely fond of her and wanted to help, but I think he smartly was like, "I helped, I'm done, bye!" as soon as they got back to Ohio. 

I know he did seem fond of her. I was just thinking, he might really like her and wishes he could "save the day" and every time gets burned. Or realizes yet again, nothing changes with her. 

Edited April 11, 2019 by libgirl2

[DC Gal in VA]

17 minutes ago, Snarkastikate said:

She blew through a previous gastric bypass.  She was so dramatic early in the episode... I'm gonna DIE, DIE, DIE if I don't get HELP!  Mentioned death more than any previous poundicipent. Mentioned planning her funeral several times.  What drama.  Then Dr Now hit her full force with what a failure she was and what she needed to do.  Very manipulative, actually wanted to change the way Dr Now's program because she's not like all the rest, she's so different.  Maybe she lost a few pounds, who knows?  But those giant gross beach balls hanging off her gut and butt aren't going anywhere without intervention.  At the end of the show she suddenly felt she was just fine, so mobile, so active, felt great!  I suspect more painkillers and some mood enhancing drugs.  I'll bet she gained back whatever she lost and added more by now.  FYI....she's training Lacey to be her full time caretaker.  

Yes to all of this but especially her constantly mentioning death. Add to that TLC playing that sad, ominous music as if she very well might die. I thought that those things were a real slap in the face to our dearly departed Kelly who really did try and almost made it to a longer and better life. Almost.

[pdlinda]

11 hours ago, Swiss said:

Well, there's two hours of my life I'll never get back.  Wasted episode and yet another person with another huge "imaginary " weight loss.  Delusional Angela must be related to Delusional Penny.    

My only conclusion is that TLC contracted with the show for a certain # of episodes and they have to deliver.  Why knows how many actual "candidates" there are who sign up for this gig?  I think there was some sort of solicitation on Facebook for willing participants and who knows what other tactics the producers use to entice pounders to get on the show??? 

When they start filming an episode we can only imagine the cost of setting up the production and filming costs.  No one really knows how well each pounder will do and we may only IMAGINE the smooth narrative Angela must have offered to the production team to get on TV and ostensibly get the surgery and follow-up care.  

Then, if everything falls apart what are they supposed to do???  Obviously, produce an episode that is a total waste of time, effort and $$$$.  It's really a crap shoot AND from the looks of this season the number of compelling stories from appropriate candidates seems to be dwindling.

[CousinOliver]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

I know he did seem fond of her. I was just thinking, he might really like her and wishes he could "save the day" and every time gets burned. Or realizes yet again, nothing changes with her. 

I love road trips and there are a few people in my past that I might take on a road trip if they really needed it.  He seemed nice and he did seem to care about her, but they’d been apart 10 years and this clearly didn’t lead to a reunion.  

I agree with you.  I think he’s really an ex. A nice guy with time on his hands, hoping some woman he once loved could get her crap together.  I’m glad it didn’t turn into a rekindled flame, though.  There’s a difference between driving a van/bringing back dinner/etc for a few days and giving bed baths/cooking/being a personal slave for years on end.  Eric seemed to know where his line was drawn, and good for him for not crossing it. 

[AZChristian]

I'm not familiar with Whataburger, but did look them up based on this show.  The #1 that Eric was heard to order costs less than $7, so if they spent over $21, it was either THREE #1 orders, or the #1 plus a lot of other stuff.  Standard #1 order is more calories than the 1,200 she was going to be allowed after seeing Dr. Now.  Not to mention that the bread and fries are not on the "high protein, low carb" diet.

[cpcathy]

I agree this episode was a waste of time, thank goodness I was playing games on my Ipad at the same time.

Since we don't know producer shenanagins and what brought Angela to this show, I wonder how come she didn't just lose weight on her own? It appeared she knew how (lunchmeat on lettuce, South Beach Diet lunch), and she seemed to get around better than most Poundicipants, what was the extreme need for surgery? Yes, she would need her mass removed,  but she could have done this in Ohio later on.

[aliya]

16 hours ago, Callaphera said:

This episode pairs well with 0 calorie barbecue sauce and a gallon of w(h)ine. 

People have been snarking about sugar free BBQ sauce, but you can actually get it from Walden Farms. They make a lot of sugar free products; can't vouch for the taste, though.

[JJ1]

I simply don’t believe that a medical condition as serious as MS would have not been mentioned during the first appointment with Dr. Now. My gosh, he will list all their ailments - ranging from congestive heart failure to bad feet - if he thinks it will make them face reality. If he knew she had MS, he would have read her the riot act even more than he actually did. 

Unless maybe she specifically said it was not to be disclosed on tv??? 

[the-grey-lady]

Angela: I'm worried Dr. Now is going to tell me I need to lose weight or I'll die.

Me: OF COURSE HE'S GOING TO SAY THAT. IT'S TRUE.

[B in Lee]

3 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

At least it was a brick house which appeared clean and maintained and no dogs.

If - and when - Angela becomes bedridden, the little girl will be her beck & call slave and enabler.  It's so sad.

Maybe fast food should be more heavily taxed and the funds directed towards the cost of fixing all the medical issues arising from this obesity crisis. 

Uh, no thanks. We don't need Nanny Gub'Mint dictating what we "should" and "mustn't" eat.

[Snarkastikate]

Seeing several episodes already this season where the poundicipent didn't end up with surgery, (3 so far maybe?) really proves the fact that so very few of them actually succeed.  I forget her name, maybe Melissa?  She was the original WL Dr Now show patient.  Was followed for 10 yrs, she even spoke at WL seminars, was considered a huge success.  They had a follow up show last year, she was really struggling with her home life and her weight.  Went clothes shopping and cried.  Cried to Dr. Now, he told her just try and stay below 400 and you'll be ok.  I was stunned, but he's seen it before and that's the sad reality.  

[DC Gal in VA]

39 minutes ago, JJ1 said:

I simply don’t believe that a medical condition as serious as MS would have not been mentioned during the first appointment with Dr. Now. My gosh, he will list all their ailments - ranging from congestive heart failure to bad feet - if he thinks it will make them face reality. If he knew she had MS, he would have read her the riot act even more than he actually did. 

Unless maybe she specifically said it was not to be disclosed on tv??? 

Heh heh JJ1 I think that's more TLC shenanigans/bullshit on their part, trying to sucker lure us into watching Angela's Supersized episode:

• Does she have MS?
• What happened to her ex-boyfriend? Did they ever, ahem, "get busy" while they were together again? ***barf***
• Where are Lacey's parents? In jail, prison, long-term rehab, living the meth-head life in a trailer park?
• Has she really lost any weight? What's her favorite color?
• What's her "secret" recipe for mayonnaise fried chicken breast? Actually not a bad thing substituting a little bit of mayo for butter to saute it (I do low carb, so mayo is not an issue for me) but not the one cup they showed her using,

Inquiring minds must know right? Nope TLC, wrong. There's nothing they could show me in a Supersized episode that couldn't have been covered in those two excruciating hours of nothingness in the original one. Will not be watching.

Who here is going to take one for the team and watch Shitshow 2.0?

[Texasmom1970]

The only thing I got from this was it made me crave cheese eggs from the Waffle House, yum! 

She was a waste of resources when I am sure there are others in need who would really try!

[ProTourist]

1 hour ago, DC Gal in VA said:

There's nothing they could show me in a Supersized episode that couldn't have been covered in those two excruciating hours of nothingness in the original one. Will not be watching.

Who here is going to take one for the team and watch Shitshow 2.0?

I would watch it, but I don't have TV and I've never found the supersized episodes online. 😟

[Pretty5Vacant]

Wish Dr. Now would of called her bluff and sent her to a doctor to weigh her. I think he did that with Erica? Erica went to see a doctor with her brother for a weigh in. Angela could of had proof to back up her weight loss claim 

[Natalie68]

7 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

I agree with all of this and I'll also say that Dr. Now has been doing this for a long time and he knows what works for his program and his patients. I think Angela's mantra of "there's a first time for everything" is akin to all the patients who say "I'm going to do this my way." I think Angela's stay-at-home-weight-loss argument makes some logical sense but I'm more swayed by Dr. Now's "I've seen it all and I know what works and what doesn't" logic. In other words, I don't really need to be able to articulate why he's right if there is substantial evidence that his way works.

I do think that Angela lost some weight. She could move around much better and it didn't seem to be such a strain for her to walk. But I think her weight loss had stalled and I think that she will eventually regain what she lost, and then some. I don't see a long life for her.

I can answer this - and let me say upfront that this is NOT an argument that Angela is a good placement for Lacy.

Also, I missed the reason that Lacy was in foster care so if someone could fill me in, that would help.

On any given day in the United States, there are approximately 500,000 children in foster care.

500,000.

There aren't enough foster homes. Every state in the country has this problem. Since the opioid "epidemic" the problem is even worse. So options for placing children who need to be removed from their biological parents are very limited. Angela provided a safe, clean home for Lacy. She kept her fed, clothed and (apparently) in school. And the two of them, by the end, seemed to have a decent relationship. Does this child deserve better? Absolutely. But given what's available, Angela isn't nearly the worst option.

Also, I thought I saw that Lacy was somehow related to Angela. Child services will always look for a family member to take a child so that's another reason they would choose Angela over a non-relative foster home.

This is a sad state of affairs as others have said if this is the best place avail for Lacy.  Wouldn't Angela get $ for taking in Lacy?  I can see why she would want to.  It has to be expensive to eat the way she does.  This country needs to do better for kids without parents. 

[Natalie68]

6 hours ago, sempervivum said:

Angela made her own giant plate of greasy, cheesy eggs- no 'fast food' there. 

And what about candy/packaged cookies/Little Debbies etc? Who gets to decide what the 'sin taxes' would be applied to? Do I get a discount if my BMI is normal? Slippery slope, but jmo.

I get what you are saying about slippery slope so I will play devils advocate.  There are sky high taxes on cigs.  If a type of food is not necessary why not add a sin tax?  No one is going to die or have failing health because they cannot afford a dingdong.  That said, as a normal BMI person I should be allowed to eat what I want without it costing more because some morbidly obese person cannot control their intake.  There are no good answers.  

I stopped watching after the 1st hour so I could watch some New Yorkers get crazy and am going to finish tonight.  The lymphedemas are really something!  As a newbie to this show I never realized this was a thing.  I find it fascinating yet sad and also a bit creepy how the body reacts to such weight.  I also thought it would be horrid to have that thing explode.  Please never happen on camera!

[kicotan]

6 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

Maybe fast food should be more heavily taxed and the funds directed towards the cost of fixing all the medical issues arising from this obesity crisis. 

My father-in-law cured himself from diabetes by losing weight.  When the doctor told him he didn’t have to take medication anymore for diabetes he was incredulous.  He still did his daily finger sticks to “make sure”...he just couldn’t believe it.

So many health issues are tied to obesity and so many medical professionals rely on those issues existing for billing purposes I think we should go with the ancient Chinese philosophy-only pay the doctor if you aren’t sick.  Imagine the incentive to the medical community to do everything they can to make sure their patients are well, else they don’t get paid.

[LuvMyShows]

6 hours ago, 88Keys said:

Going to the ER was just an excuse for missing her appointment (I was REALLY sick!  I have an ER visit to prove it!) and possibly to get more pain pills.  

She even said when she called for a ride to the ER, that she's going there so she can prove to him that she was really sick....not that she was going there because she actually felt really sick.  Her voiceover narration for that whole thing was very weird....sounded like she was trippin'.

6 hours ago, Pondlass1 said:

Maybe fast food should be more heavily taxed and the funds directed towards the cost of fixing all the medical issues arising from this obesity crisis. 

I'm no fan of the nanny state, but it's been shown from past statistics for over 45 years, that for every 10 percent increase in cigarette price, you can expect overall cigarette use to drop 3 to 5 percent and an even greater reduction among youths — 6 to 7 percent.  Given that obesity is becoming a very costly (to society as a whole, to the family members, to our health care costs, etc.) epidemic, maybe it's time to consider it.  

5 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

I do believe that Angela lost some real weight right after starting the diet (she appears to be well into her regain at the end, sadly).   I might even guess 50 lbs, possibly even the 70 she claimed.  

I do too, especially noticeable in her face, but I noticed it the most on what I think was the call after the I-can-pull-a-number-out-of-my-ass call.  We've never seen a poundticipant with the cojones to make up a number and deliver it to Dr. Now, and she did it so assertively and factually.  But wow she gained it all back by the end. 

5 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

In trying to redeem something from this show, I even agreed with her during the Live Chat that driving over a thousand miles one way just for a weigh-in was unreasonable and suggested that Dr. Now could work with a local physician to verify her weight loss. The move to Houston would only be necessary after that. But, as was pointed out by a fellow Pounder Pal in Live Chat, that was all just a manipulation on Angela's part since she has absolutely no sense of accountability.

If she really had wanted to pursue that option, she would have found a doctor that was willing to do that, met with him/her about it, and then been able to present that idea to Dr. Now as a fully-formed realistic possibility.  But, well, yeah....

3 hours ago, cpcathy said:

what was the extreme need for surgery? Yes, she would need her mass removed,  but she could have done this in Ohio later on.

But you can't just go get multiple surgeries somewhere...they cost money.  And I'm guessing that many surgeons would be reluctant to perform a non-medically-necessary surgery on someone so large, sort of like how Dr. Now is one of the few willing to do WLS surgery on people so large.  And she hadn't lost much weight yet.  I forget specifically what she said, but more than once it became clear that her whole reason for doing the WLS program with Dr. Now was to get the lymphedema surgery.

7 hours ago, ProTourist said:

• Regarding the ice cream run at end of the episode, that was for Lacy only. Angela did not get any for herself.

Yes, the specific ice cream run they showed was for Lacy only, and I don't think for a second that was an accident.  Angela wanted that to be shown, since she knows we all think (know) that the ice cream runs are for her as well.  When Angela's narration was saying about how she can now take Lacy out places, IIRC two of the three places/reasons she mentioned were to get a reward or treat...which is obviously for her as well.  She didn't mention things like going to the park/playground, or a movie, or even to the mall.

[babyhouseman]

9 hours ago, Elizzikra said:

Also, I thought I saw that Lacy was somehow related to Angela.

I believe she said they were cousins. Lacy called her aunt, but sometimes children call women Aunt even if they're not an aunt. 

If the MS part is true, I wonder why it wasn't mentioned unless the women wanted it private. But Angela seemed to tell everything. Like with the pills and alcohol mentions, we don't get the whole story.

[babyhouseman]

1 hour ago, Natalie68 said:

Wouldn't Angela get $ for taking in Lacy? 

Yeah, I think so.

7 hours ago, Trees said:

Actually I wish they had shielded Lacey's identity. 

TLC doesn't really care about children(see Gosselins). Angela had to give permission for Lacey to be on the show. I know other children have been on the show, but Lacey seems vulnerable. I wish the best for her. She really got a raw deal. 

[aliya]

If Angela had all this weight loss, why wouldn't she go to a bariatric surgeon in her town and get weighed?  She could even go to her GP and get weighed. She didn't have to go to Houston if she really wanted to show Dr Now that she'd lost weight. The other doc could take a video or send Dr Now her weight on his/her letterhead, all kinds of stuff to show she really lost weight.

So, I'm calling BS on this, though she must have lost some weight if she couldn't fit behind the wheel before and she did at the end of the show.

[aliya]

9 hours ago, ProTourist said:

Yes, it makes sense for people who have failed with other types of weight loss surgery such as stomach stapling and lap bands -- they could benefit from the sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. But for someone like Angela who has already had the bypass, I don't think there is anywhere else to go. Except perhaps to repair any damage done to the bypass. In the case of Angela, I think she was also looking for help with the lymphedema.

I've mentioned that I looked into the gastric sleeve. When I told my (very large) friend, she admitted she'd had WLS years ago, lost 100 lbs, but couldn't lose any more. She went back to the bariatric office and was told with that surgery, there was nothing else they could do. They had her try 800 calories a day - she gained weight - so she just gave up. 

[Hellga]

7 hours ago, Trees said:

Actually I wish they had shielded Lacey's identity.  She's a minor and everyone in her school has access to this show.  How she's going to be teased!!!  This vile reality about her unfortunate life will be "out there" forever.  

I think Lacey was shown in a very favorable light but yeah kids middle school age can be really vicious...  I hope that she will be OK because she seems both friendly and resilient.  

5 hours ago, JJ1 said:

I simply don’t believe that a medical condition as serious as MS would have not been mentioned during the first appointment with Dr. Now. My gosh, he will list all their ailments - ranging from congestive heart failure to bad feet - if he thinks it will make them face reality. If he knew she had MS, he would have read her the riot act even more than he actually did. 

In my experience with this show (limited to two seasons), they virtually never mention any health conditions in the episode unless they directly relate to a scene that is coming up later.  Unless she had a major relapse that prevented her from going to see Dr. Now, there would be no reason to mention it.  And MS, while it does affect quality of life dramatically (for an otherwise healthy person, for someone like her, her obesity affects it more), it has little effect on life expectancy with current treatments - unlike, say, heart failure (the sad effect of which we saw with Kelly last week).   Sure, when you have leg weakness and fatigue it is harder to move 608 pounds than 158 pounds, but that's not too different from a healthy person.  And I am sure she would have used it as an excuse if she really had it, when explaining why she cannot come for her appointment.  She certainly used everything else.  Unless she used it off-camera...  Also, she did not really talk about any of the hallmark complaints of MS when talking about what really affects her day, so I am not ready to buy that story.  Of course, MS has a range of presentations, but even if she has it, it is mild enough where it is a minor factor compared to her obesity. 

4 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Who here is going to take one for the team and watch Shitshow 2.0?

I probably will..  April 18, is it?  I will have my second follow-up with my hand surgeon so I will be home early and either super happy and ready to face 2 hours of boredom with a smile, or super distraught and glad for any distraction. 

1 hour ago, kicotan said:

Imagine the incentive to the medical community to do everything they can to make sure their patients are well, else they don’t get paid.

This won't work because there is only so much you can do for a patient.  There are great many conditions that cannot be prevented or even predicted.  There are some where good outcomes are unlikely even with the best care.  There are some where good outcomes ARE entirely possible but the patient has to do the heavy lifting.  Overall compliance rates for patients in the US with medications - which is the simplest solution for most - hover somewhere around 50% for chronic meds.  I imagine it is far less for lifestyle modifications.  What do you expect me to do, hold the patient's hand 24/7?

[DropTheSoap]

9 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I really thought she was going to do well. She seemed very candid about how awful she was feeling etc...... I turned to another channel when she said she didn't want to go back to Houston. Glad I did. 

I didn't. I had her pegged from the beginning as a manipulator. I would have been more surprised from the beginning if she had actually got WLS. 

I feel bad for Lacey. Her future is not looking good with the role models around her. She seems like a great kid.

Another version of "I'll show you, Dr. Now." Sure sign of failure.

Edited April 12, 2019 by DropTheSoap

[Starlight925]

5 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I'm not familiar with Whataburger, but did look them up based on this show.  The #1 that Eric was heard to order costs less than $7, so if they spent over $21, it was either THREE #1 orders, or the #1 plus a lot of other stuff.  Standard #1 order is more calories than the 1,200 she was going to be allowed after seeing Dr. Now.  Not to mention that the bread and fries are not on the "high protein, low carb" diet.

Whataburger is the bomb.  And now I want a Whataburger patty melt.  Yum.

But yeah, even for 2 people, it's hard for me to fathom >$21 there.  What in the heck did they order???

A patty melt with no bun fills me up.  With plain iced tea, no fries.  About $5.00.  So I can't imagine how much they had to order, and how sick that would make me feel.

8 hours ago, CousinOliver said:

 my celebrity crush Dr Now.

That's hilarious!!  Love it!  🙂

Edited April 12, 2019 by Sterling

[Caoimhe]

4 hours ago, DC Gal in VA said:

Who here is going to take one for the team and watch Shitshow 2.0?

It will record on my DVR but I’m not sure I can take all the whining again.  Maybe I will fast forward until I see “bonus scene” or something.

[Minivanessa]

10 minutes ago, ThereButFor said:

It will record on my DVR but I’m not sure I can take all the whining again.  Maybe I will fast forward until I see “bonus scene” or something.

I was thinking along those lines. TBH I'd like to review the DVR'd version to see if I can follow her description of her backstory early in the episode. Last night I was trying to keep up with live chat and didn't follow all of it. I know she's BS-ing us about a lot of it but I'd still like to see what she said. I mean, she admitted she left her small kids at home alone at night and went out "partying," aka drinking a LOT, and eventually got busted and her mean old mom got custody of her kids for awhile. Yeah. Mean old mom and those mean old cops. I'm looking at my TV thinking, Shit, woman, you were straight up guilty of child endangerment. Get over yourself already! 

Or, maybe I *don't* want to hear her version again. Sigh.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Jeeves

[Julyolo]

20 hours ago, missnoa said:

There have to have been people who would have actually made an effort they could have filmed, and instead we got this mess. It wasn't even an entertaining episode! It was boring from start to finish. I pity poor Lacey, who's going to be stuck with this trainwreck when she gets old enough and she gains the weight back. Lacey will be doing the same things her son was doing, plus more. 

She not only cheated on the diet, she relapsed on alcohol too, she admitted. Total lost cause on all fronts. That's probably why the family had already given up before the episode even started.

They also alluded to her taking "pain pills". With her active alcohol addiction running rampant combined with a possible addiction to opiates, her food addiction came third. People with this lifestyle seldom travel far from home because if some illicit substance use is occurring, they have to stay close to their sources. Frequent trips to the ER to obtain prescriptions are a pattern as well. Her filling scripts, selling scripts, and trading pills to possess the substance she really wants is a common strategy. Another issue was the niece that was living with her. I suspect there was some sort of state governmental assistance/help subject to the child being in her home, and I don't know how that would have played out had she moved to Houston. Of course, TLC and the production company are not going to know let us know the full details of this woman's problems, because we would be infuriated at them for taking her as a patient in the first place. Perhaps they found out the depth of her issues after filming was underway. However, everyone is correct in saying they really wasted the viewers time in addition to theirs.

Edited April 12, 2019 by Julyolo
Edit

[auntjess]

13 hours ago, ProTourist said:

I think Angela did lose weight in the few months after her one appointment with Dr. Now. She looked smaller to me, was walking better, was going out without oxygen, and was able to drive. I don't know if she put it back on again toward the end, but she did seem to stop losing.

Yes, she was get around more, and could drive.
I felt sorry for Lacy, and if Angela did she to be the best person available for her, so I can see staying home.
What I didn't understand was why Dr. Now never had her go get weighed, because I do think she'd been losing.
 

[kicotan]

1 hour ago, Hellga said:

What do you expect me to do, hold the patient's hand 24/7?

Absolutely not.  As Dr. Now has shown us, it is up to the patient to effect the change necessary.  If he can’t convince them to prove to him they will follow his directions and change their eating habit, he won’t be performing surgery or continue seeing them as a patient.  Inevitably they are paying him to get well, not monitor and maintain their “illness” for an indeterminate amount of time.  My father in law had diabetes because he was overweight.  For 20 years, his doctors monitored and controlled it with medication, never recommending weight loss as a solution.  

obviously, there are certain conditions outside of an individual’s or their medical professional’s control, but treating every condition presented as a disorder requiring medication and monthly visits is disingenuous and keeps quite a few medical professionals very busy with generating income from it.

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

Observations:

*Oh, look. Another oxygen tank. Maybe she and Penny could get a bulk discount.
*Why is green mold growing on her legs?
*So she sits at the table…using a piano bench??
*And she’s eating enough breakfast for three people. What a shocker. And is that another loaded plate I see on deck?
*Lacy is adorable.
*Angela’s life is just a series of terrible choices.
*Cheating on her first hubby? Great move.
*The fact that she kept running through babysitters tells me she was cheap as hell and/or totally unreliable in terms of when she got home. Babysitting sleeping gradeschoolers is one of the easiest jobs in the world. No way she’d be constantly looking for new babysitters unless she’d made it unpleasant.
*She’s damn lucky that flake babysitter “only” walked off and left the kids, as opposed to molesting them or whatever. Demanding money upfront makes zero sense unless he’s going to bail the minute your car drives away. Does this woman have one goddamn ounce of good judgement?
*So she whines about being so large, then curtly tells her son to back off when he questions her terrible food choices.
*”If we don’t find a way (to get to Houston), then we’ll just use all the money on my credit card to make funeral arrangements.” Psychic vampire much?
*She’s using the “voice cracking” technique made famous by manipulators worldwide.
*So this Eric dude just happens to have her favorite cologne just sitting around? How convenient.
*He seems awfully willing to just upend his life to drive her from Ohio(!) to Texas.
*Wait. Eric is on oxygen too?
*”The first thing I seen….” Must she constantly butcher the English language?
*Christ on a crutch, lady. Could you whine just a little more?
*”If I am being a bitch, just tell me.” You’re being a bitch.
*Now SHE’S lecturing someone on their health? Just…wow.
*And her response to Dr. Now calling her on her bullshit is to fall back into her crying cracked voice.
*Only 40 pounds in two months? I’ve never seen Dr. Now set a goal that low.
*For what it’s worth, she and Lacy interact well.
*And now she’s making excuses for not following the program.  What happened to the idea that she was all ready to move, blah blah blah?
*And in a medical first, she knows she’s lost 70 pounds without the aid of a scale or other measuring device. Someone call the Nobel committee.
*Dr. Now has Angela’s number. Her patronizing replies are infuriating.
*And here we go again with the voice cracking.
*Oh, look. The local hospital said there was nothing wrong with her. I’m shocked. Truly.
*Dr. Now must have the patience of a saint to deal with people like her.
*And he continues to have her number. Her constant bullshitting is beyond tiresome.
*Your excuses are your own, lady. What a waste.