Half Ton Man

Published on September 28, 2005 By JillUser In Blogging

I don't know if anyone out there happened to watch the TLC special "Half Ton Man" but I caught quite a bit of it and was absolutely boggled how any human could become quite literally a big pile of fat. This man weighed over a thousand pounds. His wife kept feeding him even though his skin had stretched beyond what it could handle and he was leaking his bodily fluids onto the bed. He also couldn't move or wear clothes. He couldn't be on his back because his own weight would crush his lungs and kill him.

They had to remove a wall in his home and fashion two extra wide stretchers together as well as cinching his fat upward as much as possible to squeeze him into an ambulance. They were worried he would die on the 6 hour trip to the hospital because they really had no way to revive him. He had no neck so putting a breathing tube in would be virtually impossible.

They gave him gastric bypass surgery and he was soon down to 499lbs. He was quite pleased since he was under the quarter ton mark they wouldn't be describing him in terms of tons anymore. He still has to basically poor himself into a van to travel. His wife commented that she couldn't wait until he lost enough weight to sit up and look out the window.

He was still cramming his face with fried chicken and potato chips. He said he still ate whatever he liked just not as much of it. What would compel anyone to bring the food to this person? I don't understand it. He couldn't have gotten that way without his wife feeding him constantly. He couldn't move at all by himself. Why allow him to continue like that?

Comments

Dr Guy

on Sep 28, 2005

I will never understand that mentality. I am about 10-15 lbs over weight and I figure the treadmill is for me! (my wife says fast walking is better - at least we have met a lot of neighbors her way!).

Nadeon

on Sep 28, 2005

All I can say is GROSS!

Texas Wahine

on Sep 28, 2005

I think a lot of people tend to dehumanize the morbidly obese, and I appreciate that you did not do that with this article.

I have very mixed feelings about his spouse's actions.

On the one hand, she chose to care for him in a way that might have pleased him, but was completely reckless in regards to his health. I can't understand how a loving spouse could do this.

On the other hand, she stuck by him through all this, and I have to say, it would be difficult to care for someone whose physical appearance, odor, etc. is so revolting. I think it's admirable that she even stayed.

I'm curious...was his wife also obese?

His behavior now is really dangerous. A gastric bypass is not a miracle cure. If he doesn't rupture his stomach with his habits, he will eventually stretch his stomach out to the point where he is gaining weight instead of losing it (this DOES happen).

This story really makes me appreciate the dedication my own spouse gives to remaining fit and healthy.

crimson

on Sep 28, 2005

On the one hand, she chose to care for him in a way that might have pleased him, but was completely reckless in regards to his health. I can't understand how a loving spouse could do this.

I wonder about this statement. I often think about it when non-smoking spouses sit back and watch their significant others inhale another cigarette and then help them on with their oxygen masks afterwards... both instances seem like an assisted attempted suicide.

msladydeath

on Sep 29, 2005

As it happens, he lives in Valentine Nebraska (I was reading it in the paper today) That "stuffing his face with chicken" part is a little off. He said that the chicken was about 3 meals for him.

I'm not sure I understand why a spouse/parent will enable a person to get that bad. I know there is a birth defect that can cause the body to always think it is starving even after a full meal but that isn't the case for most morbidly obese. I wonder if the enabler wants the person to be dependent on them though and the person allows it to happen. Rather like Münchhausen's by proxy (or whatever that is). Not sure but Ick just the same.

JillUser

on Sep 29, 2005

I'm curious...was his wife also obese?

Yes but not morbidly.

ParaTed2k

on Oct 08, 2005

My heaviest patient was an 850lbs woman. I have a story written about what it took to get her into the ambulance and home from the hospital (in very general terms of course) as part of my book. It's been one of the hardest stories for me to write because of the satirical nature of my book. When we finally did get her home, and moved to her bed we couldn't help but notice the complete mess the house was, the boxes of snack food in various levels of consumption all around her bed, and the fact that she had 5 healthy brothers and sisters, and 2 healthy parents living there also. Excuse the ring of discust here, but it seemed the only thing the family did do together was eat and feed their older sister.

As for the wife who continued to feed him even though she knew it wasn't the best thing for him, think of it this way, if the only relationship you have with your husband is feeding and caring for him, that becomes your way of life. To deny him food and to not clean up the mess would be to deny him the one pleasure available to him...

Apparently there was a change of attitude for both of them because they did make the decision to do something about it. That is a great sign that things will be better for both of them. I wish them all the best in their new direction in their relationship and their life.

JillUser

on Oct 08, 2005

I wish them all the best in their new direction in their relationship and their life.

I do to.

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