‘My 600-Lb Life’ Recap: Larry Myers Wants Second Surgery – Reversed Last Gastric Bypass & Gained 250 Pounds
My 600-Lb Life featured Larry Myers on Season 10 Episode 13 as a man who took a huge downturn after prior gastric surgery. On the TLC show, we meet the 45-year-old as his journey begins. He’s in Albany, New York, and sleeps in a CPAP. He calls himself “super morbidly obese” and says he’s scared he won’t wake up each day.
Meet Larry Myers on My 600-Lb Life
Larry has thyroid issues, diabetes, and asthma. Plus, he has depression and takes meds for all of it. His caretaker, Mr. Lawrence, shows up seven days a week since Larry lives alone.
He says his right leg is a solid mass of hard lymphedema tissue. According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s an area of the body swollen with protein-rich tissue. It carries a risk of infection and sepsis and makes it hard to move the limb.
It’s much larger than his right. Larry Myers on My 600-Lb Life says it’s a struggle to stand, walk, and shower. But he cleans himself every day because he’s a germaphobe. And he uses bleach to feel fully clean.
Larry can stand up for about four minutes at a time. He says his knees, back, and thighs hurt “like fire”. He says he uses food instead of medicine and knows how he eats is not normal.
Then, he says that cooking makes him happy and he sings gospel songs. When he’s not eating or cooking, his thoughts are “morbidly depressing”.The food takes away the fear from his life.
Dyslexia and Family Deaths Left Him Devastated & Turning to Food
Larry Myers says he was spoiled as a kid. His mom made him fried chicken, baked mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie to make him feel special. In school, he struggled with dyslexia. and never learned to read.
By 10, he weighed 200 lbs and he was ridiculed for his reading issues and weight. His faith saved him because he found singing. He sang at the Cotton Club in Harlem in high school.
His sister Tiffany says his singing moved people. He says it was the first time he had acceptance. Then, his sister Mary Owens, accidentally killed his namesake nephew. While high, she held a pillow over her baby’s face.
He says little Larry’s death “destroyed” him. He hid his grief behind his music. Then, he became a “minor celebrity” gospel artist. But rage and sadness ruined his career. He fell back to food.
In his 20s, he hit 500 pounds and couldn’t leave the house, living in just one room. Next, his sister Catherine Marie Myers died from blood clot complications. Then, his mom died eight months later.
We see on My 600-Lb Life, that his father was paralyzed by grief so Larry planned the funeral. Then, he hit 600 lbs. He fell down the steps of the church at her funeral service. The fire department had to help him up. Larry knew he had a problem.
Larry Hits 940 Lbs – Falls into Coma
After his mom died, his bad habits grew. Larry was wheelchair-bound at 940 pounds. One day, he fell into a coma and was hospitalized. From there, he went to a rehab home for more than two years.
Then, his aunt found a hospital and get him a gastric sleeve. He lost 100 pounds in three months after the sleeve and then lost another 300 pounds. So, Larry Myers was down to 400 lbs and ready to resume church and singing.
But then, he lost his sister Tonya to walking pneumonia. That threw him back into depression and he reversed his surgery. Now, he lives in a walk-up apartment, struggling to get down the stairs.
He and Mr. Lawrence head to the store for food. They’re at La Grande Meat Market and Produce where he uses a tiny cart to help him balance. But Larry can’t take it and his caretaker brings him egg crates to sit down.
He guzzles juice and says when he’s exhausted, he has to eat more. He doesn’t want the paramedics to come. They get ice cream, steak, chips, and more. Then, they head back to his place.
Larry says on good days, he only eats 3,000 calories. Grief causes a void that he fills with food. He eats fried chicken and can’t stop even when full. He’s trapped inside his body, wants to be free, and faces his own mortality every day.
Month 1 of the Journey – Ready to Make Big Changes
It’s time to begin the weight loss journey. His caretaker packs Larry Myers to head to Houston to see Dr. Younan Nowzaradan. It’s a 26-hour drive. He says his sister died from deep vein thrombosis, and worries he’ll do the same.
Tavaris drops by — a friend who’s driving Larry to see Dr. Now. His caretaker packs up snacks in another bag. Larry’s appointment is in five days and he plans to stay with family in Houston.
He’s worried about the trip since he doesn’t like public restrooms and has to hold his pee til day’s end. So, he’s skipping his diuretic medicine so he can hold his urine. But this can make his legs swell more.
He thinks the doctor could save his life — if the trip doesn’t kill him. The trip hasn’t even started and he wants Tavaris to stop for food. They hit a fast food place. He gets three burgers, two chicken sandwiches, and 10 nuggets.
Even though My 600-Lb Life blurred it, it’s clear they hit McDonald’s. Larry says he’s trying to write a “new future” for himself. It’s been two years since he’s been in a car. He says his leg is bigger and harder. And he’s in excruciating pain from the drive.
But Larry won’t take pain medicine. He plans to use Icy Hot and prayer to get to sleep. He just hopes Dr. Now can help as he climbs into bed. He says he’d rather die than live like this.
A Long Road Trip to Houston Ends at the Hospital on My 600-Lb Life
It’s four days later and Larry lies in the back of the minivan on the last day of the road trip. His leg’s even more swollen and he worries he’s got a DVT clot. He called Dr. Nowzaradan who told him to go straight to the hospital.
We see the doc waiting in the parking garage of St. Joseph Medical Center. He worries about a blood clot and wants to check him in and make sure. Their first meeting is there in the garage. Larry says it feels like a clot and is burning.
Dr. Now wants to get him inside fast to check out things. The doc says this trip was dangerous at Larry Myers’ size. Hospital personnel come out with a gurney and load him up.
The doc starts with questions about his age and living conditions. He says he doesn’t want to live like this anymore. The physician asks how Larry gets food. He explains that he’s on disability and jobless now.
Dr. Nowzaradan pokes around on his leg at the lymphedema. Larry had it removed six years ago, but it grew back. He also admits to a prior gastric sleeve about 16 years ago. Then, he says he went from 600 down to 302.
Pain But not A Medical Crisis on My 600-Lb Life
Larry also reveals he has two Greenfield Filters. These are inferior vena cava (IVC) filters. Johns Hopkins medical resources explain it’s a device that may stop blood clots from getting into the lungs.
He has one in each hip placed a decade ago. Then, he says DVTs run in his family and his dad was just in the hospital two days ago with one. Dr. Now’s stunned to hear he weighed 940 pounds 20 years ago.
He asks how he reversed it. And Larry Myers says he eats when not hungry and calls it an ongoing battle. He says they never addressed why he overeats. Larry tells the doc he suffers deep depression.
He says he didn’t urinate on the drive because of his bathroom phobia. Six hours later, Dr. Now says he’s just worn out from the drive. They medicate him to take the swelling down. The test results are good news.
He says that it’s just discomfort from traveling. Then. the doc says next time before you travel, start a blood thinner for a few days before the trip. He tells the doc he’s terrified of dying. Larry also dreads being buried in a piano box.
He cries and says he’s “at his ends”. He’s ready to relocate to Houston to make this happen. Dr. Now says surgery won’t change his habits. Larry says he’s seen the doc’s track record of helping people. And he’s desperate.
Month 2 – 648 Pounds and a Challenge from Dr. Younan Nowzaradan
The weight loss doc asks why Larry Myers hasn’t already made the changes. He says he abuses food — but not drugs or alcohol. Then, Dr. Now tells Larry to come back in a month with a 50-lb weight loss.
He stays in Houston and asks his Aunt Daisy if he can move in with her. But she’s got no room. She offers to help him find a place nearby and pledges support. He knows he can’t do the trips back and forth.
Later, she advises him to make his next meal his best meal and stick with it. They are at the bariatric clinic for a weigh-in. Last time, Larry was 648. This time, he’s at 639. That’s 9 pounds lost instead of his 50 lb goal.
He knows already there’s no surgery approval coming today. The doctor criticizes the 10-pound loss. He says he didn’t use the tools and calls him self-destructive. The doc tells him it’s all up to him — there’s no magic to it.
Larry says he doesn’t want to die. But the doc says they can’t help him until he takes responsibility. In the hall, the Doc tells the cameras he’s disappointed. It’s on Larry and they won’t move forward with him until he’s accountable.
My 600-Lb Life: Month 3 – 5 – Larry Myers Back to New York and Hopeful
Back in New York, Larry Myers starts his day with prayer. He’ll go back to Houston in two months. He flew back alone since Tavaris refused to drive him again. His caretaker brings him a healthy breakfast. He’s been exercising and eating less.
He’s certain he’ll show the doc progress. Then, we skip to month 5. He’s in Houston again for a weigh-in. He flew down alone this time and says he feels lighter. Larry went from 639 to 602t his time. He was sure he’d weigh 519.
He’s up to a total of 46 pounds shed. He worries the doctor will be unimpressed. Dr. Now comes in and says he’s losing 13 pounds a month and asks why so little. Then, Larry says he stopped snacking and cut portions.
The doc says eat as little as possible and have lots of protein. He again tells Larry he’ll lose 50-60 pounds a month if he’s on the diet plan. He says with a second surgery, the odds of success are much lower.
The doctor says if he’d been doing all the exercise, he wouldn’t need the walker. He tells Larry there’s no point in coming back without dropping the weight.
He wants 120 pounds off in four months. They agree he’ll weigh in New York and talk remotely. In the hall, the doctor says there’s “nowhere to go with him” and it’s all up to his patient.
Month 6 – 9 – Another Disappointing Weight Loss Result
Coming out of the last appointment, Larry was intent on moving to Houston. He’s apartment hunting for a first-floor place. The sales rep takes a video for him because he can’t make it upstairs to look at the model.
He likes the place but worries about his physical limitations. In month six, his friend Fred comes to see him. He tells Fred he’s praying to cope with his anxiety. Then. he heads to the gym today to work out. He seems to be trying.
Skipping to month 8, Larry goes to New York Bariatric Group in Cortlandt for a weigh-in. He was 602. This time, he’s down to 586. He lost 16 pounds when he hoped he’d be in the upper 400s.
Then, he gets on video chat with Dr. Now on My 600-Lb Life. He knows he’ll be disappointed with his lack of progress. In three months, he lost 16 pounds. That’s a slow-down in weight loss. So, he gets another lecture that he’s not doing enough.
Later, it’s month 9 as Larry Myers gets a trainer to help at Giant Fitness. He says he’s taking it up a notch. Larry meets Maja at the gym. He also pushes forward with his plans to move to Houston and is looking at another place.
Month 11 on My 600-Lb Life – Moving to Houston – More than 100 Lb Lost
Larry’s in the last stage of packing for the long move to Houston, Texas. He says even though Dr. Now hasn’t approved him yet, it’s the right thing to do. He thinks a new environment will help him lose more weight.
A day later, his friend Marvell comes from Chicago to help him pack the van. He’s a pal Larry met online who will drive him to Houston. He wants to prove to his doctor that he can do this.
Three days later, they make it to Texas on a rainy day. Marvell has to go home because of a death in the family. So, a replacement driver got him down there. At his new place, the hallway and bathroom are a tight fit.
But he likes the place. Immediately, he has to go see the doc. His goal was 120 pounds dropped over these three months. If he hit the goal, he’d weigh 466. Instead, his weight’s 520. So, he lost 57 pounds — half the goal.
Dr. Now says he’s happy he improved since he’s down 119 lbs in one year. He’d like to see him off the walker. Larry promises to do better.
Month 12 on My 600-Lb Life – Larry’s Approved for Surgery with a Caveat
The doctor says if he can lose another 55 pounds in three months, he’ll get the surgery. Larry Meyers is thrilled to hear this. He pledges to do it and the doc says don’t slip up.
In the hall, the doctor says he’s happy with this improvement and says he’s finally taking control. He says the continued progress is a good sign.
Still, Larry’s disappointed he has to lose more before surgery. But he’s happy that it’s ahead. Skip ahead a month and Larry is out with a cane instead of his walker. He’s taking a walk at a park and exercising.
We don’t see the outcome of whether Larry got the surgery. However, you can see from the photo above, a before and after of the last time that Larry dropped weight. Let’s hope that he did the same again.
Surely, the network might give us a glance if they do Larry Myers My 600-Lb Life: Where Are They Now special.
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Source: Discovery