Originally posted by twestward: Frankly, Allen is occasionally on this board and could put all of this to rest if he tells us he is seeing a PCP/pulmonogist or any other medical professional besides the oxygen delivery rep on a regular basis. Allen?
If Allen has been on the boards lately, I hope he has not opened this particular strand, as he would take it very deeply to heart. Allen is about to be admitted to the hospital for some much needed surgery. I would hope that all of the "concern" for Allen could be focused at this point on sending good thoughts and prayers his way and leave the medical management of his health to his physicians.
Originally posted by twestward: Frankly, Allen is occasionally on this board and could put all of this to rest if he tells us he is seeing a PCP/pulmonogist or any other medical professional besides the oxygen delivery rep on a regular basis. Allen?
Kvalera, your answer to the quote you put in your post is so right on! This guy is going thru hell and some folks on here are just bashing him to kingdom come. My goodness, it's certainly evident that he is trying, and once he gets the chest area fat and the masses on his legs taken off, I really do believe he will walk and be fine. Let's give him a chance, he's trying so hard, let's do the same and pray for him. Take care.
Originally posted by twestward: Frankly, Allen is occasionally on this board and could put all of this to rest if he tells us he is seeing a PCP/pulmonogist or any other medical professional besides the oxygen delivery rep on a regular basis. Allen?
If Allen has been on the boards lately, I hope he has not opened this particular strand, as he would take it very deeply to heart. Allen is about to be admitted to the hospital for some much needed surgery. I would hope that all of the "concern" for Allen could be focused at this point on sending good thoughts and prayers his way and leave the medical management of his health to his physicians.
quote:
I'm confused. What is it about wanting the know that Allen is being taken care of as much as possible after seeing Monday night's episode is hurtful to him? Yes, some other's made some unkind comments, but wanting to know if he is being seen by other doctors and cared for and bringing up that there are ways for him to get that care is concern for him. Frankly, to simply see what we saw and not be concerned would be a problem. Hopefully Allen would take it deeply to heart that many viewers saw him and want to know that he is O.K., that he is getting all the help he deserves and that no stone has been unturned to get it to him. I'd love to know what is hurtful about that?
Exactly!!! If you care about the guy, don't judge what you don't know anything about. Just appreciate how far he's come, and try to understand what it's taken for him to get where he is. This guy has had more than anyone here can imagine to overcome, and I think he's doing it beautifully. The fact that he is ALIVE testifies that he's a very strong person - not many people have lived through the things he's lived through. He's all heart. Could he do more? Could he be getting more help? WE just don't know enough to judge that, or judge him. Just based on his losing 500 lbs in a year, though, I think the answer is clear enough that he's doing a terrific job!!!!!!
twestward, it's plain to see that these "friends" of allen know so much about good quality medical care covered by the most qualified professionals that it's not important for anyone else to ask about it. it's much better to pity and admire allen than to question the care he's receiving now.
it's no wonder he's still in bed on oxygen when a bariatric surgeon and an exercise trainer are taking care of him. why a bariatric surgeon is there i don't know since i thought the surgery was over. how long will he continue to follow up with a man who has a very slim chance of getting out of bed with the care he is receiving now. i don't know why anyone would want an exercise trainer to run his "program" when a registered physical therapist with pulmonary training and experience would be much more helpful and skilled in producing results. kvalera said that allen's exercise program isn't "sexy tv" so it wasn't included in the show. why should the doctor consult with the exercise trainer when allen has made such incredible progress in leaps and bounds?
i guess optimum pulmonary function isn't important either. most people who have a bit of experience with health problems know that lung capacity decreases the more a person stays in bed inactive. it seems strange to me that someone who has lost "500 pounds" in less than a year would need help breathing now that he's so much better. someone here said allen is "all heart". i wonder how long that heart will keep beating when it isn't encouraged to work properly?
kvalera says she meets with allen but i wonder how many others here are in constant contact with him? everyone seems to know him so well and are so familiar that they can say he's working hard and has overcome so much. no one here knows what i personally have worked very hard for 22 years to overcome, are they also familiar enough with you to say that?
once they remove allen's breasts, abdominal and leg tissue i wonder what will be left operate on? will allen's heart and lungs stand up to all that anesthesia and surgery? i've watched the show from the beginning and was under the impression that plastic surgery is done to remove excess tissue after all the weight was lost. i'm probably wrong about that too but then of course, i only watch the show to know what others say.
since allen's diet wasn't mentioned on the show monday night, can i assume that's not an issue now? would all those pics of bottles of alcohol on his myspace play into his diet in any way? i was surprised to read there that allen showers every day. i had no idea a person could shower in bed but allen says he does. i wonder why he'd need to wear sneakers in bed too but it isn't fair of me to ask about that since i don't "know" allen as the others here do.
since you are the one who wondered about supportive garments for allen's breasts i guess those don't figure in to the big picture of having a mastectomy and tv drama. it seems that so many millions of women who wear support garments should just have mastectomies instead of trying a less invasive way of holding up that weight. i've known a couple of women who had breast reduction surgery and were happy with the results but i guess allen is special in needing major surgery.
i wonder if allen's best friend is the oxygen delivery person? i'm sure he's met him countless times over all the years allen has been laying in bed. as long as allen needs oxygen that man will have a job.
thank goodness allen doesn't need a wheelchair as others do who have medical problems. he shouldn't be expected to strain muscles getting up when he can just as easily lay in bed as he has for all those years. there's no reason to get out of bed when you can live, work, socialize and become part of the world right in your parents' home.
someone asked about allen's nursing care but i know that it's right there in place as i saw a pic of one of his nurses on his myspace. i've had several nurses here to take care of me over the years but i never saw one with a beer bottle in her hand. allen is so special to have a nurse like that caring for him.
twestward, you, frank and i are the only ones who have the nerve to question why we still see allen in bed after all that incredible progress and excellent medical care. we certainly have no right to question allen's care since we know nothing about him and didn't see the tv show where allen was in bed on oxygen 7 months after surgery. who are we to question what we watch; we shouldn't think on our own and just take the show at face value. i know that you said you have a background in nursing and i don't know why frank is so interested in allen's receiving quality, top notch care since he might not know allen either.
The Learning Channel certainly has no responsibility to allen or the other patients- or to the viewers. they are just there to make money on the volunteers who offer to bare their souls- and bodies- for the good of everyone. i,for one, had no idea that food plays such a small part in weight gain and i'm grateful to those on this board who have taught me so much about genetics. i will dismiss the thousands of pictures of fat babies and adults as having genetic problems instead of blaming it on overeating. we should be grateful to tlc for the opportunity of seeing the kind of help that is out there. it doesn't matter if the help isn't adequate enough to put a person back out into the world but it's important that they do make money.
i wish everyone who has inadequate care such as allen the best. i myself will look for appropriate care from the best well trained medical professionals in various fields until i reach my goals.
I'm sure she takes a special interest because she's gotten slammed on here for the "not impressed" comment. I definitely think that could have been worded better. But, here's the thing: this show was put on to follow these patients. To feel for them, to question the procedure and what it does for patients, to understand it, to follow their progress. All of you jumped on the problems that Kim Davis incurred in Ohio. All of you jumped on the insurance companies for not taking care of kvalera, all of you have pointed out what seems to be wrong and right in everyone's care and progress. Allen's medical care and progress has been on TV with his permission for us to follow his story, discuss it here on this board and to form opinions about. Facts are this: If Allen Mata has no other care than what we have seen, it's wrong. If kvalera sees Allen regularly, then she can certainly clear this up, too. But she didn't. His progress appears to be hampered to some of us because of the specialized care that we do not see for someone with Allen's medical problems. He has a trach. No one else on this program has a trach. It's concerning. And his breathing problems are not from the weight of the breasts that fall off to the side. It was the weight of his weight on his chest when he was 500 pounds heavier. It's a valid question. The show is about this practice of medicine and it's patients. We can question everything else, but we can't question why Allen seems so limited in health care professionals and obviously deserving of their attention if just from what we see visually on the show. You all opened your lives to show us this journey. Don't expect us not to cry for you, applaud you, worry for you. This is a forum for those worries, applauds and tears. If we were to remain silent, you should have opted to take your journey alone and not with us.
Wow. Those myspace pages are quite revealing, aren't they?
v0xhumana, they certainly are revealing. how else would i know what allen's favorite pizza is, that he hasn't dated in the last month or that he plans to visit the COUNTRY of europe. it's good to know he wears any clothes in fashion, he's planning to go to college and that he plays the saxophone. can people who are on trachs play wind instruments?
i don't have a myspace .
maybe allen should keep his myspace private if he doesn't want anyone looking at it?
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kim g,
i saw allen on the show last night and i wasn't impressed with his progress
This would hurt me if I was Allen.
The segment was presented in a way that did not show off the "tremendous progress" that kvalera mentioned in her post. If I were Allen, I would be hurt that the editors did not show my progress. Do they do that for dramatic effect, - too make us have more sympathy for him, -to leave us frustrated with the lack of information? Why do you not see that posters that want him to have the best medical care are being supportive .
Tinlady I'm curious how much medical training you've had? You ask interesting questionss in a judgemental, almost challenging way.
Tinladies quote: I guess optimum pulmonary function isn't important either. most people who have a bit of experience with health problems know that lung capacity decreases the more a person stays in bed inactive. it seems strange to me that someone who has lost "500 pounds" in less than a year would need help breathing now that he's so much better. someone here said allen is "all heart". i wonder how long that heart will keep beating when it isn't encouraged to work properly.
Again, I question how much medical knowledge you have. You assume he's not given proper medical care. I'd be careful of your wording. Concern is one thing. Constant challenging of staff is quite another thing.
I don't know why you both are concentrating on the Myspace ad. That's not what this exchange was about. BTW, obviously, you've never searched the personals...most of us are exactly what we dream we are. Allen can be anything he wants on Myspace and that is not part of this forum. The question was about his care in relating to this forum and this TV show. That's it. I want to know that Allen is being taken care of. That he doesn't have bedsores and that he isn't on the trach for one second longer than he should be. I want someone that knows what PT is to help him get up out of that bed when I see here that no one has brought those professionals to him. I'd love to see your "myspace". That was what started this forum. You went the wrong way just now.
Allen can be anything he wants on Myspace and that is not part of this forum.
twestward, your point about the myspace is taken. no, i have never read personal ads and i have no interest in them. i don't have a myspace and have never read another one.
i've read other topics on this board and i know allen has responded several times. my guess is that he doesn't deal in reality and isn't into the honest truth. i say that based on what he posted on myspace and the fact that he isn't here. he enjoys the posts with compliments and kudos but not honesty. i know it's hard to face facts but they are part of life.
we will never know what kind of care allen is receiving other than what we've seen on the show. tlc isn't interested in honesty and they know what sells.
i hope allen won't be in bed the rest of his life but without the proper care i can't see much else.
Perhaps we can respectfully agree to disagree on this topic, rather than continuing to engage in unproductive discussion that is not going to change the way anyone thinks. Perhaps we can all agree that we wish the very best for Allen and his continued recovery, and we will have our own thoughts about how it should happen. Does that sound reasonable?
I will admit that I stopped reading posts for this thread dated 8/22/07..... and jumped to the reply button.
Obesity is the last frontier of PC discrimation, and I find it intolerable that people on this thread have taken aim at Allen.
The man has lost 500 lbs!!! and put his life on display so that people can judge him as he goes on THE most important journey of his life.
Come on people realize a few things here... this is TV, and OF COURSE there is going to be miles and miles of tape that got swept out of the editing room floor. DRAMA wins every time and its not enticing to see the day to day WORK of losing weight. Second....... the man lost 500 freaking pounds! Even though mom has been an enabler..... she has still HELPED him lose 500 freaking pounds!
Allen and those who are friends of Allens I say GOOD JOB BUDDY! KEEP ON working your plan and I hope to see you walk in season two!
And no, I don't know Allen, nor am I in a bed, but I am LapBanded and down 45lbs and WORKING MY PLAN!
I am not a bariatric patient, but I do work for a company that manufactures/rents/sells bariatric equipment to hospitals and other medical facilities.
While I do not know Allen, we have had him on our equipment at one time. And to answer Tinlady's question about his weight and weight loss-----
Allen at one point weighed just over 1000lbs. No he did not lose 500lbs from the surgery alone. As with all other bariatric surgery patients, Allen was asked to adhere to a strict diet before the doctor's would perform the surgery. Allen did so and managed to drop his weight to just over 700lbs. After the surgery, he has now taken his weight to 500lbs. Patients are usually asked to diet prior to surgery for a couple of reasons.
-- All round- it's better for the patient. The less a bariatric patient weighs, the better the chances of the surgery being a success.
--It also shows a willingness on the patients part to stick to a "healthy eating lifestyle".
Even with the surgery, it would be unrealistic to see a "rapid weight loss" in a minimal amount of time. It is a gradual "work in progress". Nor is the surgery a "cure-all" for bariatric patients. It is merely a tool. They still have to watch what they eat, monitor calorie intake, etc.
Allen is doing great, and I for one have nodoubt what-so-ever that he will walk again soon!
i just watched the repeat of the first show tonight. before allen left his house dr. garth said he weighed 700 pounds, he said that 3 times. when allen got to the hospital he weighed 676 pounds and when he was ready for the surgery he weighed 626 pounds.
on the last show they said that allen weighed about 550 pounds 7 months after the surgery. it seems to me that allen has lost about 75 pounds since the surgery. i quoted those numbers from the show. how is it that everyone here claims he lost 500 pounds???
maryjo said that allen's mother will sabotage the surgery by feeding him. i think maryjo is right.
I saw the repeat of the first show with allen, tonight . Dr. Garth said(3 times)Allen weighed 700 pounds on leaving the house, he said that when Allen got to the hospital he weighed 676. Going into surgery allen weighed 626 pounds.
On that last show Allen weighed 550 pounds 7 months after surgery. That means he lost about 75 pounds in the months following surgery. I don't understand why many posters here said he lost 500 pounds!
It's because in the last episode they told us that Allen started out weighing more than 1000 lbs. They must've required that he lose a bunch of weight before they would even schedule him for surgery. THAT is motivation!
I have to say this thread is unbelievable. Does tinlady really think that the only doctors taking care of him are me and the plastic surgeon. He has a pulmonary doctor, infectious disease doctor, cardiologist, orthopedic surgeon, physical medicine doctor, dietician, physical therapist, occupational therapist, and internal medicine doctor. In fact I was called to see Allen originally by his pulmonary doctor because he felt that Allen would die if someone did not do something immediately to help him.
You are not impressed?! Allen has gone from 1000 lbs to 430lbs(yesterdays weight) in just over a year and you are not impressed?! Do you really think that any other treatment would have been better. Well the facts are every year before I met him he had every intervention known to the weight loss community and he only gained weight. There are opinions and there are facts, and the facts are, as delineated in the consensus conference of the National Institite of Health(NIH), diets DO NOT WORK on obese patients and surgery is their only chance.
Allen has been one of the most compliant patients I have ever met. He had not walked for almost 7 years and because of that his muscles are weak. We cannot expect him to overnight reverse years of damage. He now gets out of bed regularly, and will soon walk. From there he plans on working in our clinic to help others.
He no longer needs his tracheostomy, I keep it there for now to prevent sleep apnea, but science shows even sleep apnea is cured by this surgery eventually. I know a TV audience expects immediate results but be logical, these things take time and effort. You are so shocked that he would have his breasts reduced. Women have their breasts reduced every day for back pain and difficulty breathing. Allen recently had his breast reduction(45 pounds each breast) and his pulmonologist was shocked at the immediate improvement in his lung function.
Why am I always with allen? The same reason I am with all my patients through any medical issues they have. I am there to advocate for them and to make sure that the right medical care is provided. And in Allen's case I am so impressed that a guy who has been told that he has no chance in life can turn himself around so completely. After years in bed he is really fighting to live a normal life. And a nicer, kinder, gentler person you will never meet. Everybody who meets Allen falls in love with him and his spirit.
I would think it would be obvious that every moment of these patients days are not filmed. His hours of rehab are not filmed. There is a lot going on behind the scenes. I did not know this needs explanation.
So you may not be impressed, but I will tell you that I take care of thousands of patients with weight problems and other medical issues, and I am impressed as hell with Allen.
THANK YOU, Dr. Garth! I'm glad you cleared things up! Tell Allen that most of us here are really grateful to him for sharing this process! It's been a blessing to watch him progress, and I really admire his courage.
1000 lbs to 430 bs! Dr. Garth, I sure am glad sitting down when I read that; otherwise, I would have fallen down. Way to go Allen! That is VERY motivating. Now I really can't wait for Season 2 to begin so we can see him. That is simply amazing. Thank you for posting an update. I was wondering how he was doing after his breast reduction. I'm glad it helped him breath easier. That has to be feel terrific for him.
Very well written Dr. Garth - it says what most of us were thinking. It's very sad when people aren't supportive and when people are allowed to be judgemental and discriminate against those that are trying to better themselves.
Maybe the posts should be moderated more closely and deleted when they become counteractive to the work that is being done to change lives for the better.
I am new to this board, and honestly have only watched the first two shows about Allen - I'm glad to hear that he's down to 430 pounds, and I think it's very impressive.
I hope to be able to have this surgery soon, and join him in the weight loss journey.
Originally posted by garthdavis: Hey guys Dr. Garth here
You are not impressed?! Allen has gone from 1000 lbs to 430lbs(yesterdays weight) in just over a year and you are not impressed?! Do you really think that any other treatment would have been better. Well the facts are every year before I met him he had every intervention known to the weight loss community and he only gained weight. There are opinions and there are facts, and the facts are, as delineated in the consensus conference of the National Institite of Health(NIH), diets DO NOT WORK on obese patients and surgery is their only chance.
So you may not be impressed, but I will tell you that I take care of thousands of patients with weight problems and other medical issues, and I am impressed as hell with Allen.
2grlzrenuf, I do not understand why you say Tinlady97 is negative when most of her posts are about concern for Allen. If that's negative then I am with her!
I agree, I saw nothign wrong with her very pointed questions. these boards are about discussing the show. people are not always going to agree and just because someone may not agree does not mean they are attacking. to me when i see posts like that, i think good grief people are entitled to an opinion. I also feel like then others are trying to control how one posts. I read a lot of the boards and see it all the time. when people begin trying to control how others posts it takes away from the enjoyment of reading. TINLADY is entitled to her opinion just as anyone else is. She may not be all fluffy bunny but she made good points. Oh and I work in health care and after reading more and seeing the show, I have some major concerns that he is not getting the care he needs. Sure a lot is edited, but his mental health care is being ignored or so it seems
Cporange writes: "Sure a lot is edited, but his mental health care is being ignored or so it seems" That is a good point!
Cporange was also concerned about people wanting to "edit" posts when they do not fall right in line with the rest of the board members. I read a lot of the other TLC boards and have seen whole posts pulled off the board that were not positive about the shows. You could see it daily when comments were made about Matt Rolloff's 2nd DUI arrest on the little people, big world board. So censoring is already going on. I have also heard of posters being banned from TLC boards. Tinlady has not posted since 9/13/07. Are you still able to post?
When I read Dr. Garth’s post, I was happy to hear that many doctors and other medical personnel were attending to Allen. I read his post many times and had a strange feeling about the way it was written. I went back to all of the other threads and read all of his posts. If that was really written by him, he was having a really off day. I have never heard a doctor call other doctors an “infectious disease doctor; physical medicine doctor; or internal medicine doctor” instead of an epidemiologist; physiatrist; or internist. Am I alone with this feeling?
When one of the Doctors first mentioned he was going to meet Allen, he said he “may weigh as much as 1000 pounds”. The way it was shown on TV, it made it seem like that was a guess and not documented. The only measured weight on the show was 700 pounds when he arrived at the hospital. The news that Allen is getting a lot of medical help is great but that was not known when many of the posters were stating he should have more help. I guess others on the board must think that showing concern for Allen is a bad thing, since they ripped into the people who made the comments.
I am amazed that people would comment on someone else's progress to such an extent and have read this thread with my jaw on the floor. Apart from the medical reply which should have been unnecessary, the post i concurred with most was the one from Heylo140 who said it was nobody's business anyway.
This is a TV show guys....sure its about someone else's life but apart from educating the general public, the patients life and progress are the business of their medical professionals and themselves....not the armchair experts!!
Anyone who goes through what people as big as Allen have deserve our positive support and encouragement in their endeavours.
Good on you Allen! Keep up the good work! You can do this!
If any of these patients wanted it to be private, they would not be on a TV reality show.
As someone who agreed to have her story told on the show, the decision to do that was so that people who were in my same starting situation could see that it IS possible to lose the weight with medical intervention. I want people to understand that the surgery is a tool that must be used well in order to be successful. I want people to not give up on themselves. I did not choose to share my story so that people watching 20 minutes max of my life could determine if I had appropriate medical care, enough interventions, etc.
While I do respect that each of us has every right to our opinions, I just feel that some of the "concerns" aired came across more as attacks on Allen than simple expressions of concern. I doubt that was the intention (at least I choose to believe that was not the intention), but that is how things came across, at least in my opinion.
Those of us who were on the show did NOT get any kind of compensation for sharing our stories. All of the people I've talked to who were also on the show agree that we did it so that others can learn from us and get the help that we had....we wanted to help educate others about the process.
Originally posted by frank921:When I read Dr. Garth’s post, I was happy to hear that many doctors and other medical personnel were attending to Allen. I read his post many times and had a strange feeling about the way it was written. I went back to all of the other threads and read all of his posts. If that was really written by him, he was having a really off day. I have never heard a doctor call other doctors an “infectious disease doctor; physical medicine doctor; or internal medicine doctor” instead of an epidemiologist; physiatrist; or internist. Am I alone with this feeling?
While I cannot speak for Dr. Garth, I would imagine that when writing for "the general public", it is probably much easier and more clear to describe the kind of doctor, which many people know and understand, rather than write the "medical" name, which many don't understand. Not all "laymen" would understand the medical terms.
I am very impressed with Allen's progress. I could tell from the short time I have watched him on the show and read his emails that he is a kind and gentle soul who deserves our praise and support and not our judgment.
I could tell from the short time I have watched him on the show and read his emails that he is a kind and gentle soul
Allen seemed to be very pleasant on the show. I went to his Myspace a when the show first aired and was surprised to find his personal quote to be:"If your not Mexican you are s---". He has since taken that quote off his myspace.
I have never heard a doctor call other doctors an “infectious disease doctor; physical medicine doctor; or internal medicine doctor” instead of an epidemiologist; physiatrist; or internist. Am I alone with this feeling?
Well, frank921, I am a medical transcriptionist and have been for over 30 years. And I just did a doctor-to-doctor interview transcript TODAY and they were saying infectious disease doctor, so I guess that blows that theory.
And earlier on someone said why say mastectomy ........ mastectomy is removal of the breasts, period. Be it for cancer, to improve your looks, to alleviate pressure on the chest, or what. Remove the breast, you had a mastectomy.
Someone also said that his mother, father and brother aren't obese! HA! They are not MORBIDLY obese, but obese is 20% above your "normal" weight. And his mother and brother appear to qualify for that. You can weigh 150 pounds and be obese, if your normal weight should be 125.
But so much of this is just nitpicking.
Congratulations, Alan. Best of luck on the rest of your life. You lengthened it by years.
Originally posted by tinlady97: i saw allen on the show last night and i wasn't impressed with his progress. going into the house the doctor wasn't sure how much weight allen lost but how could allen be weighed in bed at home without the proper equipment? why isn't allen walking after 7 months? the doctor blamed allen's breasts but i don't agree with that. breasts don't affect balance or withstanding weight on his feet.
Bariatric beds include a way to weigh the patient - in fact, more and more hospital beds are including that. From information I heard this AM, Allen a year after surgery and sometime after mastectomy is still not walking. I suspect that may be because he has another physical problem or two (like MS or something like that) which is not affected by losing weight or even might be adversely affected by the nutritional deficiencies caused by a gastric bypass. I am really surprised at how judgmental some folks are. Allen's father recently got very ill and they are in real financial straits. If anyone wishes to help the family (they would appreciate that), please contact him through his myspace account or through this channel or through "Houston Surgical Consultants" i.e. Drs Davis. And please don't confuse size or ability to walk with "productive human being". Allen is one of the most productive human beings I know of - his courage has inspired many and he by allowing his story to be told, has reached out to millions and given them new hope. He is also beloved among his friends and family, including a lady friend!
I am currently working on putting together a fundraising event for Allen and his family. I will keep you all updated as to when and where, as well as the fun surprises we have in store, as we get closer.
I really enjoy following Alan's amazing progress! I'm really rooting for him! I'm always telling my friends that if I win the lottery, the first thing I'm going to do is book an appt with Dr. Davis to have weight loss surgery, and hopefully I'll be as courageous as Alan!!
Holy Moley, After reading these posts about this poor Allen guy (I've never seen him before) must have an incredibly difficult life! He weighed A THOUSAND POUNDS???? And now he weighs five hundred??? Excuse me, but, that's a phenomenal burden for anyone's body AND mind to go through. Before I had my surgery, I weighed 469 lbs. and it was hard for me to get myself out of bed. I KNOW it must be almost impossible for someone who has had 1,000 pounds clinging to his frame for a number of years and is now carrying around the remnant skin from a 500-pound weight loss to have to learn to walk again. At this point, maybe not "laying around in bed" is not an option for him, any more than running the NYC marathon is. I know what it feels like to be almost 500 lbs. and it's close to being immobile. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be double that amount?? I don't know who this Allen guy is, but you go boy.
