MetaChat - Everything's bigger in Texas.

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23 February 2007

Everything's bigger in Texas.

post by: Rhomboid at: 13:55 | 12 comments

Holy shit! That's truly sad. It's a horror to imagine what her life must be like.

posted by pieisexactlythree 23 February | 14:14

I've seen a few Discovery documentaries about super-morbidly obese people. In every case, they were entirely dependent upon other people to, ahem, 'care' them. They were generally bedridden and had not walked or even stood for years. They could not even shower.

When someone reaches that stage, then I think there are some serious and uncomfortable questions to be answered by the carers.

posted by essexjan 23 February | 14:21

In those cases, there is a small risk — it kills one in every 100 or 200 patients.

0.5-1% chance of death is a small risk! I've got to pay more attention when I'm talking to doctors.

posted by Mitheral 23 February | 14:50

Small in her situation where they're saying she would be dead in 5 years time, anyway.

(although, with no high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol, how would that be so?)

posted by gaspode 23 February | 15:00

Yes, gaspode, I am highly sceptical of her claim to have been 'active and independent'. The human body is not designed to carry an extra 600lbs of weight around without there being some horrendous physical consequences.

posted by essexjan 23 February | 15:03

I wish her all the best.

There was a guy in a similar situation a couple years ago. I've never seen an update on him. I remember a video clip of him cooking food while still in bed (he lived on his front rather than his back). Does anyone remember that?

posted by deborah 23 February | 16:40

BMI 137.5

posted by matteo 23 February | 16:48

That's a really unfortunate photo -- the perspective makes her look even bigger than she probably is, compared to her tiny leprechaun boyfriend in the background.

posted by me3dia 23 February | 17:08

Yes, deborah. It was this man, I think.

posted by essexjan 23 February | 17:12

Poor thing. I hope it all goes well for her. That and all the further surgeries she'll need on both her body and leg.

posted by redvixen 23 February | 21:11

That was the guy, jan, thanks for finding that. Too bad he was finally ready to do something and his body gave out.

posted by deborah 24 February | 00:15

This was quite short for such a patient, although it is frankly amazing that she has no co-morbidities yet, BP, Diabetes etc.,.

What really ticks me off however is that this was as challenging for the Anaesthetist as it was for the surgeon, if not more so. Yet where do we ever read the name of the anaesthetist or team in these articles?

posted by Wilder 26 February | 09:47

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