Original subtitles

Marla: I CAN'T EVEN BATHE MYSELF.

MY KIDS HAVE TO DO THAT FOR ME.

Charity: I FEEL LIKE SOME MONSTER.

Woman: I'VE BEEN HIDING FROM THE WORLD, JUST WAITING TO DIE.

Woman #2: [ Voice breaking ] I AM ABSOLUTELY TRAPPED

IN THIS BODY,

AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DYING EVERY DAY.

Susan: I'M TERRIFIED RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS MY LAST HOPE TO BECOME NORMAL.

Madison: I NEED MY MOM.

I NEED HER TO BE HERE FOR ME.

**

Man: 10 SECONDS NOW.

HOLD IT, HOLD IT, HOLD IT.

[ SIGHS ] GOOD JOB.

Christina: I HAD TO MAKE A CHOICE

TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

Joe: I REFUSE TO LET THEM BURY ME.

Woman: I AM NOW EXPRESSING MYSELF AND LIVING MY OWN TRUTH.

Olivia: I LOST THE WEIGHT, BUT I GAINED MY FAMILY.

Zsalynn: LIFE IS AMAZING NOW. I'M REALLY PROUD OF MYSELF.

Joe: KISSING SARAH IS LIKE LITTLE SPARKS GOING.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

I FEEL LIKE A PRISONER INSIDE THIS BODY.

I WOULDN'T WISH THIS ON MY WORST ENEMY.

[ GROANS ]

IF I DON'T GET THIS WEIGHT OFF OF ME,

I WILL BE CONFINED TILL I DRAW MY LAST BREATH.

-YOU READY? -I'VE GOT TO FIGHT FOR MY LIFE.

MY MAMA'S LEAVING BEHIND EVERYTHING

TO COME AND HELP TAKE CARE OF ME.

ON THE ROAD WE GO.

THIS IS GONNA BE A TEST --

DO I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THIS DONE?

WE HAVE TO GET YOU TO A SAFER WEIGHT TO DO THE SURGERY.

OKAY?

Joe: TRYING TO EAT LESS,

BUT WITH THE STRESS, I'M NOT SURE HOW WELL I'M DOING.

Dr. Nowzaradan: I GAVE YOU A CHANCE.

YOU STILL GAINED WEIGHT. TRY AGAIN.

Joe: I'M A LITTLE DEPRESSED,

BUT I HAVE TO WORK THROUGH MY EMOTIONS RIGHT NOW.

MY FATHER IGNORED ME COMPLETELY.

I ASKED MYSELF,

"WHY DOESN'T THIS MAN WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO ME?"

WE'LL BE GOING UP.

I'M SCARED.

WHAT IF I JUST CAN'T DO THIS?

I EITHER GET APPROVED FOR THE SURGERY

OR MY JOURNEY IS OVER TODAY.

YOU ARE READY FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY?

ABSOLUTELY.

TODAY IS THE MOMENT I RETAKE MY LIFE.

THERE ARE SO MANY POSSIBILITIES FOR MY FUTURE NOW.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME,

I FEEL LIKE I HAVE HOPE.

**

IT'S BEEN A LITTLE OVER A MONTH SINCE MY GASTRIC BYPASS,

AND SINCE SURGERY,

I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO A LOT MORE.

WEIGHT'S COMING OFF RAPIDLY NOW, WHICH IS AWESOME.

A YEAR AGO, AT MY HIGHEST, I WAS ALMOST 800 POUNDS

AND I COULD BARELY DO ANYTHING ON MY OWN.

I WAS READY TO GIVE UP ON LIFE.

I NEED YOU TO SEND AN AMBULANCE OUT HERE.

DISPATCHER: Have you been able to get back up?

NO. I'VE BEEN ON THE FLOOR.

-YOU READY? 1, 2 -- -YOU READY?

[ GROANS ]

BUT NOW MY LIFE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

HI. I'M HOME.

I DIDN'T START OFF SO WELL WITH MY WEIGHT LOSS,

BUT I ENDED UP LOSING 140 POUNDS TO QUALIFY FOR MY SURGERY

AFTER A YEAR.

-YOU NEED A DRINK? -YEAH.

COULD YOU GET ME SOME JUICE OR SOMETHING?

YEP.

IT WAS REALLY TOUGH --

ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS I EVER DID.

-HERE YOU GO. -THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

BUT IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCES OF MY LIFE,

AND I'M DOING NEW THINGS AND REACHING NEW GOALS EVERY DAY.

LAST TIME I WAS WEIGHED, I WAS 592 POUNDS.

YOU WANT THIS OTHER HALF? I CAN'T EAT ANYMORE.

I HAD LOST EXACTLY 200 POUNDS FROM MY HIGHEST WEIGHT

IN ONE YEAR'S TIME.

AND JUST A MONTH INTO YEAR 2, I KNOW I'M ON TRACK

TO MAKE EVEN MORE PROGRESS THIS YEAR.

I THINK TODAY I'M GOING TO TRY TO DRIVE.

-IT'S BEEN, WHAT, TWO YEARS? -THREE YEARS.

-THREE YEARS? -THREE YEARS, YEAH.

ONE OF MY BIGGEST GOALS HAS BEEN TO BECOME MORE INDEPENDENT,

ESPECIALLY WITH MY MOM GETTING OLDER

AND HAVING A HARDER TIME TAKING CARE OF ME.

SHE HAS HAD TO DRIVE ME EVERYWHERE FOR YEARS

BECAUSE I COULDN'T EVEN FIT IN THE BACKSEAT,

MUCH LESS BEHIND THE WHEEL.

[ SIGHS ]

AND I KNOW I'VE LOST ENOUGH WEIGHT NOW

TO TRY AND SEE IF I CAN FIT BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN.

-HEY, LOOK AT THAT. -WOW.

I FIT, MAMA.

THAT'S AWESOME.

YEAH. WOW.

IS THE STEERING WHEEL RUBBING YOUR BELLY OR ANYTHING?

JUST BARELY.

ALL RIGHT. LET'S GET YOU IN HERE.

WE'RE GONNA RIDE.

THIS IS AWESOME. NOW YOU CAN TAKE ME PLACES.

TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS NOW IS JUST -- I'M ECSTATIC.

I FEEL LIKE EVERY DAY I'M REACHING A NEW GOAL

AND DOING SOMETHING THAT CHANGES MINE AND MY MOM'S WHOLE WORLD.

AND AFTER THIS NEXT YEAR,

WE PLAN TO MOVE BACK TO TENNESSEE,

AND I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT TAKES CARE OF HER THEN.

AND I'M HAPPY I'M IN A PLACE WHERE I CAN DO THAT NOW.

SOMETIMES I ASK MYSELF IF THIS IS MY LIFE RIGHT NOW

BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO.

[ LAUGHS ]

I'M PROUD OF YOU, SON. I REALLY AM.

THANK YOU.

JUST SEEING WHERE YOU WAS A YEAR AGO

AND NOW WHERE YOU'RE AT NOW -- IT'S JUST FANTASTIC.

Robin: SEEING JOE DRIVE -- IT WAS AMAZING.

NOW HE'S GOT HIS LIFE BACK.

Joe: BUT THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW

IS THAT I'VE MET SOMEONE ONLINE

AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ALMOST EVERY DAY.

Hello.

HOW'S IT GOING?

Not too bad.

THAT'S GOOD. Yeah.

HER NAME IS SARAH, AND SHE LIVES IN IOWA.

AND WE FOUND EACH OTHER

THROUGH A WEIGHT-LOSS SUPPORT GROUP ON THE INTERNET.

ARE YOU STILL ON TRACK WITH YOUR DIET?

Oh, yeah.

I'm walking three, four miles a day.

THAT'S AWESOME.

YEAH, I'M STILL DOING MY STUFF, TOO.

Well, you inspire me.

[ Chuckling ] NO.

AFTER THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT WE TALKED,

I KNEW I WAS JUST SMITTEN.

SHE'S SUCH AN INCREDIBLE PERSON, AND WE JUST CLICKED.

SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL

THAT WE WERE BOYFRIEND AND GIRLFRIEND.

I CAN DEFINITELY SAY YOU ARE DEFINITELY BEAUTIFUL.

AND IT SHOWS. YOU GLOW.

Well, thank you.

I BET YOU LOOK EVEN BETTER IN PERSON.

BUT ONE OF MY GOALS IS TO GET UNDER 500 POUNDS

SO I CAN GO UP TO IOWA

TO SEE SARAH IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME.

RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK I'D BE ABLE

TO BE ACTIVE ENOUGH FOR THE TRIP.

I'M DOING A LOT MORE, BUT I STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

I WILL DO IT. LOVE YOU.

I love you, too.

ALL RIGHT.

Bye.BYE.

I'M REALLY HOPING THAT I'M CLOSE TO THAT GOAL

WHEN I GO SEE THE DOCTOR NEXT MONTH.

I'M ALSO HOPING TO FIND OUT HOW CLOSE I AM

TO GETTING MY FIRST SKIN SURGERY.

NOW THAT I'VE LOST SO MUCH WEIGHT,

THE EXCESS SKIN IS STARTING TO PULL ON MY BACK,

AND IT HURTS A LOT.

THIS IS THE BIG ONE RIGHT HERE.

I MEAN, THIS THING IS JUST UNBELIEVABLY HEAVY

AND JUST ANNOYING.

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET RID OF YOU.

LOOSE SKIN IS A GOOD AND BAD THING.

IT'S THERE BECAUSE I'VE LOST SO MUCH WEIGHT NOW.

ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, THOUGH,

IT'S JUST STARTING TO CAUSE NEW PROBLEMS,

YOU KNOW, IRRITATIONS,

AND I JUST WANT IT GONE.

I HOPE THE DOCTOR APPROVES ME FOR SKIN SURGERY

NEXT MONTH WHEN I SEE HIM.

AND THEN, THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS ARE REALLY BIG FOR ME.

I'M REALLY ANXIOUS TO GET BACK TO MY LIFE,

SO I'M GOING TO TAKE CHARGE

AND I'M GOING TO HIT THESE GOALS OF MINE SOON.

AND I'M NOT GONNA STOP FIGHTING TO MAKE MORE PROGRESS

UNTIL I DO.

Joe: TODAY, I'M HEADED TO SEE DR. NOW

FOR MY FIRST APPOINTMENT SINCE MY BYPASS.

IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS SINCE MY LAST WEIGH-IN,

AND I WAS 592 THEN.

SO I'M HOPING I'VE MADE A LOT OF GOOD PROGRESS

AND THAT I'M UNDER 500 POUNDS NOW.

IF I DID, I HOPE IT'S ENOUGH TO GET MY SKIN SURGERY.

AND I JUST HOPE THE PROGRESS I'M ABOUT TO SEE

IS AS GOOD AS I THINK IT IS RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. 532.

60 POUNDS IN TWO MONTHS ISN'T BAD.

I JUST HOPE DR. NOW THINKS IT'S GOOD ENOUGH

TO BE APPROVED FOR SKIN SURGERY.

[ KNOCK ON DOOR ]

[ SIGHS ] JOE.

HEY.

HOW ARE YOU?

I'M ALL RIGHT.

-SO, YOU'RE DOWN TO 530, HUH? -MM-HMM.

CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

OH, YEAH. BIG TIME.

WHEN I FIRST CAME TO HOUSTON,

I COULDN'T WALK 30 FEET WITHOUT JUST DYING.

NOW I'M DOING ALL KINDS OF STUFF, SO, YEAH.

OKAY.

Dr. Nowzaradan: JOE IS MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS.

IT TOOK HIM A LITTLE BIT OVER A YEAR TO LOSE 200 POUNDS.

NOW THAT HE HAS A BYPASS,

HE LOST ANOTHER 60 POUNDS IN JUST TWO MONTHS,

SO HE'S DOING GREAT.

YOU MAY BE GETTING CLOSE TO NEEDING SKIN SURGERY.

HOW IS EXTRA SKIN HINDERING YOUR ACTIVITY?

THIS LYMPHEDEMA -- IT HANGS DOWN WHEN I WALK,

AND I CAN FEEL IT HITTING MY LEG RIGHT HERE ON THE UPPER THIGH.

OKAY.

LET ME TAKE A LOOK AND SEE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

SO, NO SIGN OF INFECTION. THAT'S GOOD.

YOU'RE DOING EXERCISE, AND YOU'RE WATCHING YOUR DIET?

YOU'RE EATING OKAY?

SO YOU'RE DOING GREAT.

BUT YOU NEED TO LOSE MORE WEIGHT

BEFORE YOU QUALIFY FOR SKIN SURGERY.

JOE LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT,

AND HIS SKIN IN HIS ABDOMEN IS STARTING TO SAG,

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF FAT UNDER HANGING SKIN

THAT JOE NEEDS TO LOSE

BEFORE HE'S READY FOR SKIN SURGERY.

SO YOUR GOAL RIGHT NOW IS TO GET UNDER 430 POUNDS.

DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT?

YES, SIR.

ALL RIGHT. SUPER.

KEEP AT IT BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING GREAT.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, DR. NOW.

SEE YOU SOON.

IF WE DO THE PROCEDURE TOO EARLY,

IT WILL CREATE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH HIS HEALING AND RECOVERY

THAT WE CAN AVOID BY HIM LOSING MORE WEIGHT.

Joe: I WAS REALLY HOPING TO GET APPROVED TODAY.

BUT I'M NOT GONNA LET THAT DISCOURAGE ME.

I'M GONNA KEEP PUSHING AND REACHING MY GOALS

SO THAT WHEN I COME BACK AGAIN, I GET APPROVED.

**

AFTER SEEING THE DOCTOR

AND NOT LOSING ENOUGH TO GET APPROVED FOR SKIN SURGERY,

I'M PUSHING MYSELF EVEN HARDER NOW,

AND I'M GOING TO THE GYM TWO TO THREE TIMES A WEEK.

AND I WANT TO GO TO IOWA

AND MEET SARAH IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME.

BUT DOING THAT IS GOING TO REQUIRE ME

TO DO A LOT MORE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AT ONCE

THAN I HAVE SO FAR.

SO I WANT TO GET BELOW 500 POUNDS BEFORE I TRY IT.

I KNOW I'VE COME SUCH A LONG WAY IN JUST A YEAR.

BEFORE, I COULD BARELY EVEN HOLD UP ALL OF MY WEIGHT

FOR MORE THAN A FEW MINUTES WITHOUT SITTING DOWN.

NOW I CAN DO SO MUCH MORE,

AND I CAN STAY A LOT MORE ACTIVE.

BUT WHEN I HIT MY LIMIT, MY LEGS START TO GIVE OUT,

AND I GET REAL WORRIED I'M GOING TO FALL.

SO I'M TRYING TO BUILD UP MY STAMINA AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

BUT IT'S BEEN ABOUT FOUR MONTHS SINCE MY GASTRIC BYPASS,

AND THIS IS ABOUT WHEN THE WEIGHT LOSS

STARTS TO SLOW A LITTLE.

BUT I DON'T WANT TO LET THAT HAPPEN.

SO I'M PUSHING MYSELF AS HARD AS I CAN

TO MAKE IT TO MY GOAL

AND FINALLY MEET SARAH IN PERSON.

**

I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT AS OF LAST WEEK,

I MADE IT TO MY GOAL TO GET UNDER 500 POUNDS,

AND NOW I'M 487,

SO THIS IS A REALLY BIG DAY FOR ME.

I'M FLYING ON A PLANE FOR THE FIRST TIME,

AND I GET TO MEET THE WOMAN I LOVE

IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME.

AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT.

WHERE I'D GOTTEN WITH MY WEIGHT,

I WAS REALLY JUST WAITING TO DIE.

I WASN'T LIVING ANYMORE,

AND I HAD NO HOPE TO DO ANYTHING.

I'VE BEEN HOMEBOUND, AND IT'S VERY LONELY.

Robin: [ Voice breaking ] HIS SPIRIT'S BEEN BROKEN.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WORST THINGS

THAT CAN HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY.

Joe: AND NOW TO BE DATING SOMEONE,

I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER ABOUT MY LIFE,

AND I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT MY FUTURE

AND HOW MUCH I CAN DO NOW.

BUT I'M STILL A BIG GUY,

AND I KNOW IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR ME

TO DO A LOT OF THE THINGS I'M TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW.

HI. I NEED A SECOND SEAT RIGHT BESIDE THIS ONE.

-PAYING FOR A SECOND SEAT? -YEAH.

OKAY, SO THESE TWO ARE TOGETHER.

-THANK YOU. -YOU'RE WELCOME.

I WANT TO IMPRESS SARAH WITH MY PROGRESS

AND JUST SHOW HER HOW ACTIVE I AM.

BUT I KNOW THIS IS GONNA BE A HARD TRIP FOR ME,

AND SO FAR, I HAVEN'T WALKED

THIS MUCH AT ONCE WITHOUT RESTING,

AND IT'S A LITTLE HARDER THAN I THOUGHT.

OOH!

[ SIGHS ]

DAMN IT.

[ GROANS ]

[ GRUNTING ]

[ PANTING ]

THANK YOU, GUYS. -ARE YOU OKAY?

I'M FINE. PHEW.

OKAY. [ CHUCKLES ]

THAT WAS A LITTLE EMBARRASSING, AND MY BACK HURTS A LITTLE,

BUT OVERALL, I THINK I'M OKAY.

MOSTLY JUST BRUISED PRIDE.

BUT I'M STILL EXCITED BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG DAY,

AND THERE'S A LOT TO BE HAPPY ABOUT.

NO MATTER HOW HARD IT IS,

I'M GOING TO MAKE IT TO IOWA TO SEE SARAH FOR THE FIRST TIME.

**

IT WAS A LONG TRIP, BUT I MADE IT TO IOWA.

AND I'M ON MY WAY TO MEET SARAH FOR THE FIRST TIME

AND HAVE OUR FIRST OFFICIAL DATE.

BUT I WON'T LIE.

THERE ARE SOME BUTTERFLIES IN MY STOMACH RIGHT NOW.

SHE'S SOMEONE THAT I WANT TO BECOME A BIG PART OF MY LIFE,

AND THAT'S WHY I'M PUSHING MYSELF

TO COME UP HERE AND MEET HER.

SO I'VE PLANNED A ROMANTIC PICNIC

THAT I'M GOING TO GO SET UP.

WHOO!

I'M HOPING TODAY GOES GREAT

AND, WHEN SHE FINALLY SEES ME IN PERSON,

THAT I MEASURE UP TO ALL OF HER EXPECTATIONS.

I SUPPOSE THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN

IS THAT SARAH MEETS ME AND DECIDES

THAT, IN PERSON, I'M NOT REALLY WHAT SHE THOUGHT

AND THAT SHE WANTS TO BREAK IT OFF.

SO I'M REALLY SCARED ABOUT WHAT COULD HAPPEN TODAY

BECAUSE I JUST HAVE NO IDEA.

**

Joe: I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

I'M ABOUT TO MEET MY GIRLFRIEND SARAH

IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME,

AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW SHE'S GONNA REACT.

I JUST REALLY HOPE WHEN SHE MEETS ME

THAT I LIVE UP TO WHAT SHE EXPECTED.

[ CHUCKLES ]

HOW'S IT GOING?

FOR YOU.

THANK YOU.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU.

I SET THIS UP FOR US.

AWESOME.

HAVE A SEAT. [ CHUCKLES ]

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME ON A PICNIC.

MM-HMM.

SO, HOW'S IT GOING?

NOT TOO BAD.

WOW.

YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL.

THANK YOU.

I'M SO GLAD YOU DECIDED TO COME AND SEE ME.

MM-HMM.

SO, AM I WHAT YOU THOUGHT I WAS GONNA BE?

YOU'RE MORE THAN I IMAGINED.

HMM.

THAT'S COOL.

WHAT DID YOU THINK WHEN YOU SAW ME?

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN WORDS.

YOU'RE SWEET.

I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHERE THIS GOES.

ME, TOO.

JOE IS VERY SWEET. HE'S EASY TO TALK TO.

HE LAUGHS AT ALL MY JOKES.

[ LAUGHS ]

HE MAKES ME FEEL AMAZING.

I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP.

AWESOME.

[ GIGGLES ]

Joe: KISSING SARAH FOR THE FIRST TIME --

IT'S LIKE LITTLE SPARKS GOING.

I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT FIRST DATE,

FAR BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED,

AND I'M SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW.

[ SIGHS ]

WHOA.

IT'S GONNA TAKE ME A MINUTE.

[ GROANS ] STARTING TO --

ALL RIGHT. YOU GOOD?

OH, MY GOD. IT HURTS.

THIS IS EMBARRASSING --

NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THESE STAIRS.

IT'S HUMILIATING,

AND I HATE THAT THIS IS HOW I'M ENDING OUR TIME TOGETHER TODAY.

BUT THERE ARE MOMENTS THAT KEEP REMINDING ME

THAT I STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO.

**

JOE.

HI, DR. NOW.

HOW YOU FEELING?

VERY BAD.

Dr. Nowzaradan: JOE CAME TO THE HOSPITAL

COMPLAINING OF SEVERE BACK PAIN.

HE SAID IT STARTED AFTER HE FELL A FEW TIMES.

AND LET ME SEE YOU MOVE YOUR FEET UP AND DOWN.

OKAY. BOTH OF THEM MOVE OKAY?

MM-HMM. I MEAN, I FEEL TINGLY.

FROM THE MIDDLE LINE UP TO MY TOES IS NUMB.

JOE IS LOSING A LOT OF WEIGHT, BUT HE'S STILL A BIG PERSON,

AND A FALL CAN DO A LOT OF DAMAGE TO HIS BODY.

LET ME SEE IF YOU CAN LIFT YOUR LEG UP.

[ GROANS ]

WHEN YOU THAT, WHERE DOES IT HURT?

MY LOWER BACK.

OKAY.

WITH THE AMOUNT OF PAIN JOE'S IN,

THERE COULD BE A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.

JOE, THIS IS YOUR X-RAY.

THE VERTEBRA ALIGNMENT LOOKS OKAY.

SO FAR, THE X-RAYS SHOW

THAT JOE DOES NOT HAVE A SLIPPED DISC

OR PROBLEM WITH HIS ALIGNMENT,

WHICH MEANS THAT JOE MAY HAVE A CRACK IN HIS VERTEBRAE,

AND IF THAT'S THE CASE,

WE NEED TO FIND OUT HOW SEVERE HIS INJURY IS

SO HIS CONDITION DOESN'T GET WORSE.

WE'LL FIGURE THIS OUT, JOE.

OKAY? YES.

Joe: I'M REALLY SCARED RIGHT NOW.

I'M JUST REALLY WORRIED

THAT THIS IS GONNA MESS UP EVERYTHING.

I FELT LIKE MY LIFE WAS FINALLY TURNING AROUND.

AND AFTER HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME MEETING SARAH,

I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT PROPOSING SOMETIME SOON.

BUT I CAN'T DO THAT OR MAKE MORE PROGRESS

IF I'M STUCK IN A BED AGAIN.

**

MY MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS JUST TO GET OUT OF PAIN.

NOW IT'S A WAITING GAME TO SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.

I'M JUST PRAYING WHATEVER MY BACK INJURY IS

THAT IT'S NOT SOMETHING REALLY SERIOUS.

COME IN.

Dr. Small: WELL...

MM-HMM.

WHAT ABOUT ME LIFTING MY MOM'S WHEELCHAIR?

I HELP HER OUT BECAUSE SHE'S DISABLED.

THE FRACTURE WILL BE STABLE

THE MOMENT YOU PUT THE CEMENT IN IT.

AND SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET AROUND A LOT BETTER

WITHOUT ALL THIS PAIN THAT YOU'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MM-HMM.

Joe: [ GROANS ]

THIS IS REALLY SCARY.

I JUST HOPE THE DOCTOR IS RIGHT

'CAUSE IF THE PROCEDURE DOESN'T FIX MY BACK

AND I STILL CAN'T GET BACK UP,

I'M GOING TO BE DEVASTATED.

I JUST HOPE I'M NOT ABOUT TO LOSE EVERYTHING

BECAUSE I PUSHED MYSELF TOO HARD.

**

Joe: I WAS REALLY WORRIED

WHEN I HURT MY BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.

BUT THE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON

WAS ABLE TO DO A VERY QUICK INJECTION

THAT PUT SOME SORT OF CEMENT-LIKE STUFF IN MY BACK,

AND THE LITTLE FRACTURE WAS SEALED UP,

AND ALL THE PAIN JUST WENT AWAY.

AND THE DOCTOR SAID

I WAS GOOD TO RESUME ALL MY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

AS LONG AS I AVOIDED PUSHING MYSELF TOO HARD TO WHERE I FELL AGAIN.

SO I'VE BEEN STICKING TO MY WORKOUTS AT THE GYM

A FEW TIMES A WEEK.

AND I HAVE MORE STAMINA THAN I EVER HAVE.

I'M WORKING OUT AS HARD AS I CAN TO LOSE MORE WEIGHT

TO TRY AND GET MY SKIN SURGERY.

AND I'M NOW MORE ACTIVE THAN I THINK I'VE EVER BEEN.

A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO,

I WAS PRISONER INSIDE OF MY HOUSE AND IN MY BODY.

BUT I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN MY LIFE NOW,

AND ALL OF THAT HOPE IS WHAT'S DRIVING ME.

AND NOW THAT I HAVE SARAH IN MY LIFE,

I'VE DECIDED THAT SHE'S THE ONE

I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE WITH.

SO NEXT MONTH, I PLAN TO GO BACK TO IOWA

AND ASK HER TO MARRY ME.

I JUST HOPE SHE SAYS YES.

**

I'M BACK IN DUBUQUE, IOWA, TODAY,

AND I'M HEADED TO THE JEWELRY STORE

TO LOOK AT ENGAGEMENT RINGS

BECAUSE I'M GOING TO ASK SARAH TO MARRY ME AT DINNER TONIGHT.

I KNOW SHE CARES ABOUT ME A LOT,

BUT I DO REALIZE THIS MAY BE A BIG SURPRISE FOR HER

AND THAT SHE MAY NOT BE READY FOR THIS...

HELLO. HOW'S IT GOING?

GREAT. HOW ARE YOU TODAY?

LOOKING FOR AN ENGAGEMENT RING.

...BUT I'M WILLING TO TAKE THE CHANCE

BECAUSE I FEEL READY FOR THIS.

THAT'S REALLY PRETTY.

I HAVE THIS IDEA IN MY HEAD.

I'LL KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT, YOU KNOW?

OKAY. SURE.

I'VE GOT RESERVATIONS AT A REALLY NICE RESTAURANT,

AND I WANT EVERYTHING TO BE PERFECT,

SO THE RING HAS TO BE PERFECT.

BEING A HUSBAND IS SOMETHING I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF,

BUT I HAD LOST ALL HOPE

OF BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS.

MY LIFE IS PRETTY MUCH OVER

IF THIS IS ALL THAT'S LEFT FOR ME.

I REALLY LIKE THAT ONE.

BUT NOW I HAVE THE CHANCE TO MARRY THE WOMAN I LOVE,

SO NO MATTER WHAT, I'M ASKING HER TO MARRY ME.

**

I'M HERE AT THE RESTAURANT WHERE SARAH IS MEETING ME FOR DINNER

AND WHERE I'M GOING TO PROPOSE.

I WANT EVERYTHING TO GO PERFECT TONIGHT.

THE ROOM LOOKS VERY NICE.

GOT A FEW MORE FINISHING TOUCHES TO ADD TO IT

JUST TO MAKE IT ROMANTIC.

WHEN SHE GETS THERE,

HOPEFULLY HER MIND WILL BE BLOWN.

I WANT TO BE MARRIED TO SARAH

BECAUSE SHE'S THE MOST AMAZING LADY I'VE EVER MET,

AND SHE'S THE ONE,

SO I'VE NEVER BEEN MORE NERVOUS THAN I AM RIGHT NOW.

HI.

STOP. HOLD ON.

I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU.

WHEN I MET YOU, I MET MY DESTINY.

MY ONE TRUE LOVE, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE.

IF YOU FEEL THE SAME, AND I TRULY HOPE YOU DO,

THERE'S SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THAT I WANT TO ASK YOU.

INSTEAD OF YOU AND I, LET'S BECOME WE.

WILL YOU MARRY ME?

OH.

YEAH.

[ GASPS ]

THE MOMENT I SAW THAT SHE STARTED TO TEAR UP,

I KNEW SHE WAS GONNA SAY YES,

AND I WAS SECRETLY INSIDE GOING, "YES, YES, YES!"

BY THE WAY, THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO ALL DAY.

[ LAUGHS ]

IT MAKES ME FEEL SO MUCH JOY IN MY HEART

THAT I GET TO SHARE THE REST OF MY LIFE

WITH SUCH AN ADORABLE, SWEET MAN.

THE RING IS GORGEOUS.

IT DOES LOOK GOOD ON YOU, IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF.

YEAH.

NOW THAT I HAVE MY YES FOR MY PROPOSAL,

THE NEXT STEP IS OBVIOUSLY TO START PLANNING THE WEDDING.

IN THE MEANTIME,

I'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO HOUSTON FOR A LITTLE BIT

TO HOPEFULLY GET EXCESS SKIN REMOVED.

YOU GET TO DEAL WITH ME ANNOYING YOU FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES.

YOU KNOW WHAT? I ACCEPT.

[ GIGGLES ]

I WANT TO BE AS CLOSE TO MY GOAL WEIGHT AS POSSIBLE

BY THE TIME I GET MARRIED.

AND I HAVE MY DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT SOON,

AND I'M WORKING HARD TO HIT THE WEIGHT LOSS I NEED

TO GET APPROVED FOR EXCESS SKIN REMOVAL.

I ALSO NEED TO TELL MY MOM THE NEWS

AND THAT I'M NO LONGER PLANNING

ON MOVING BACK TO TENNESSEE TO LIVE WITH HER.

I JUST REALLY HOPE SHE UNDERSTANDS MY DECISION

AND THAT SHE ISN'T HURT BY IT.

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE'S GOING TO TAKE IT.

THANK YOU. [ LAUGHS ]

**

Joe: HEY, MA.

YOU WANT TO GET A BREATH OF FRESH AIR?

Robin: SURE.

I'VE BEEN BACK FROM IOWA FOR ABOUT A MONTH NOW,

AND I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE SARAH AND I ARE ENGAGED.

SHE'S THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO ME,

AND I'M JUST SO THANKFUL FOR THIS LIFE I HAVE.

BUT GETTING MARRIED IS GOING TO MEAN

MY PLANS WITH MY MOM HAVE TO CHANGE.

WE WERE GOING TO MOVE BACK TO TENNESSEE

AFTER I HIT MY TARGET WEIGHT THIS NEXT YEAR,

AND I WAS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF HER.

YEP. WATCH YOUR FEET.

MY MOM AND I HAVE NEVER LIVED FAR FROM EACH OTHER.

SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO TAKE CARE OF ME.

Robin: WE'RE GOING TO A WHOLE NEW WORLD FOR JOEY, AND IT'S GOOD THING.

Joe: AND I WANTED TO START DOING THAT FOR HER,

BUT AT THE TIME, I STARTED GETTING BACK TO MY LIFE.

AND NOW THAT I'M GETTING MARRIED,

I PLAN TO MOVE TO IOWA TO BE WITH SARAH.

SO MY MOM IS GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE BACK WITHOUT ME

AND MOVE IN WITH MY SISTER ANNIE.

I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A BIT OF A SHOCK,

SO I'M REALLY NERVOUS TO TELL HER RIGHT NOW.

-I'VE GOT SOME NEWS. -MM-HMM.

ME AND SARAH HAVE BEEN PRETTY SERIOUS.

I ASKED HER TO MARRY ME.

YOU DID?

YEAH.

WOW.

AND ARE YOU GOING TO MOVE TO TENNESSEE, OR...?

UNH-UNH.

NO? IOWA.

ANNIE'S GONNA TAKE YOU IN WHEN YOU MOVE BACK.

YOU KNOW I'D ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU'RE TAKEN CARE OF.

YOU DROPPED EVERYTHING TO COME DOWN HERE AND HELP ME.

I CAN NEVER THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR IT.

YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY.

NOW YOU GET TO PROVE

WHAT BEING A HUSBAND AND A FATHER ARE GONNA BE LIKE.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LOVE.

YEP.

AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU, EITHER.

I LOVE YOU, SON.

YOU, TOO. MM-HMM.

MY MOM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR ME.

I LOVE HER TO DEATH,

AND I COULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT HER.

AND I KNOW NO MATTER WHAT, SHE'S ALWAYS IN MY CORNER,

AND THAT MEANS THE WORLD TO ME.

YEAH. WELL, IT'S GETTING COLD OUT HERE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? ALL RIGHT.

Robin: IT DOES MAKE ME HAPPY.

IT'S BITTERSWEET BECAUSE I'M GONNA BE LOSING MY BOY.

BUT HE'LL HAVE A LIFE, HE'LL BE HAPPY,

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT FOR HIM.

**

I'M ON MY WAY TO DR. NOWZARADAN'S OFFICE

FOR A FOLLOW-UP.

I'M GOING TO SEE IF I'M QUALIFIED

FOR SKIN REMOVAL SURGERY.

AND I DIDN'T SLEEP HARDLY AT ALL LAST NIGHT.

I'VE BEEN UP SINCE 3:00 THIS MORNING

JUST SUPER NERVOUS.

IT'S BEEN ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS SINCE THE DOCTOR TOLD ME

I NEEDED TO LOSE ANOTHER 100 POUNDS

AND GET UNDER 430 POUNDS TO QUALIFY FOR SKIN SURGERY.

I JUST HOPE I HIT MY GOAL.

THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES

WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS DOING WELL,

AND I GAINED.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL I'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

Dr. Nowzaradan: YOU STILL GAINED WEIGHT.

YOU ARE ON BORROWED TIME,

AND YOU'RE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION.

AND KNOWING THAT MAKES GETTING ON THE SCALE SCARY EVERY TIME.

BUT THE EXCESS SKIN IS UNCOMFORTABLE,

AND IT'S STARTING TO HURT A LOT.

SO I KNOW I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET MARRIED

UNTIL I GET THIS SKIN REMOVED.

I'M REALLY NERVOUS RIGHT NOW.

-YES! -427.

TO SEE 427 COME UP ON THAT SCALE,

IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL FEELING.

I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF RIGHT NOW,

AND I HOPE THE DOCTOR IS, TOO.

HELLO.

HELLO.

SO, YOU ARE DOWN TO 427?

MM-HMM. SO YOU DID IT.

YOU LOST ANOTHER 100 POUNDS.

I'M PROUD OF YOU.

HOW'S YOUR EXCESS SKIN FEELING?

THIS EXCESS SKIN RIGHT HERE, LIKE --

I'LL SHOW YOU.

IT'S HANGING DOWN MID-THIGH RIGHT HERE,

AND I STEP AND IT FLIES FORWARD

AND THEN HIT, HIT, HIT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT.

OKAY. LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

PUT THIS UNDER.

AND THIS SIDE, TOO.

YEAH.

OKAY. I SEE WHAT YOU MEAN.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

LET ME GET YOU ON THE TABLE SO WE CAN EXAMINE YOU.

OKAY. ONE SECOND.

Dr. Nowzaradan: JOE HAS DONE REALLY WELL.

...TO GET UNDER 430 POUNDS.

OKAY, JOE.

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED TO HAVE EXCESS SKIN REMOVAL RIGHT NOW.

SO I'M APPROVING YOU FOR SURGERY.

Joe: YES!

HE HAS LOST A TOTAL OF 365 POUNDS,

AND HE PROBABLY HAS 30 TO 40 POUNDS

OF EXCESS SKIN IN HIS ABDOMEN THAT NEEDS TO BE REMOVED.

THE SURGERY'S GONNA BE A MAJOR OPERATION,

AND IT'S GONNA BE A HARD RECOVERY.

RIGHT.

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FOR YOU.

DEFINITELY.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD JOB, JOE.

I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

OKAY.

[ DOOR CLOSES ]

Joe: I'M FEELING PRETTY GOOD RIGHT NOW.

IT FEELS LIKE MY LIFE

IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING FOR THE BETTER RIGHT NOW,

AND I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

EVERY MAJOR STEP LIKE THIS GETS ME CLOSER

TO THE LIFE I'M WORKING SO HARD FOR.

AND THIS STEP IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST LEAPS FORWARD,

AND I JUST CAN'T WAIT.

**

THE DAY OF SKIN REMOVAL IS FINALLY HERE.

THIS IS SUCH A BIG OPERATION, SO I'M A LITTLE SCARED.

-HEY. -HEY.

BUT I HAVE MY MOM HERE,

AND SARAH CAME DOWN TO BE HERE FOR ME

AND HELP ME RECOVER.

AND THEIR SUPPORT IS HUGE.

YEAH? I'LL BE FINE.

[ SNIFFLES ]

I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY HARD RECOVERY,

BUT I'M READY FOR THIS

BECAUSE WHAT'S WAITING FOR ME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS SURGERY

IS A BETTER LIFE.

Dr. Nowzaradan: TODAY WE ARE ATTEMPTING

TO DO EXCESS SKIN REMOVAL ON JOE.

THE HANGING SKIN HAS STARTED TO AFFECT HIS QUALITY OF LIFE

AND HIS ABILITY TO GET AROUND.

SO THIS REMOVAL SHOULD MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR HIM.

BUT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE A LOT OF SKIN FROM JOE TODAY,

SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AS WE OPERATE.

THIS PROCEDURE IS VERY RISKY.

THERE CAN BE HUNDREDS OF BLOOD VESSELS

THAT WE NEED TO TIE.

AND MISSING EVEN A SINGLE ONE

CAN LEAD TO THE PATIENT BLEEDING OUT

IF IT'S NOT ADDRESSED IN TIME.

LET'S MOVE THIS OVER THERE.

IT'S VERY HEAVY ON MY SIDE.

OH, MAN.

Robin: FEELING A LITTLE BIT MORE NERVOUS

THAN I WAS WITH HIS GASTRIC BYPASS.

SKIN SURGERY IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A RISKY SURGERY,

BUT HE'S FOUGHT TOOTH AND NAIL FOR TODAY.

I KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA MEAN TO HIM

AND HOW MUCH DIFFERENT HE'S GONNA FEEL ABOUT IT.

Sarah: I'M SO PROUD OF HIM

AND HOPE THAT HE WILL COME OUT SMILING

AND I WILL SEE THOSE ADORABLE BLUE EYES PRETTY SOON.

Dr. Nowzaradan: A FEW MORE STITCHES, WE'LL BE DONE.

EVERYTHING'S LOOKING PRETTY GOOD.

JOE'S SURGERY WENT VERY WELL.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CHECK THE WEIGHT OF THE SPECIMEN.

34.4 POUNDS. OKAY.

THE SKIN WE TOOK OFF IS PROBABLY ABOUT FIVE FEET IN LENGTH,

AND HE'S GONNA DO MUCH BETTER WITH THIS NEW ABDOMEN HE GOT.

ALL RIGHT.

JOE LOST 35 POUNDS TODAY.

IN ABDOMEN, YEAH.

HE'S FLAT.

OKAY. OKAY?

ALL RIGHT. I'LL SEE YOU ALL LATER.

BYE.

IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT RECOVERY FOR HIM,

BUT JOE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE MORE ACTIVE THAN HE WAS BEFORE.

AS JOE LOSES MORE WEIGHT,

HE'S GOING TO NEED MORE SKIN SURGERY.

BUT FOR THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO, HE NEEDS TO REST AND RECOVER

SO HE DOESN'T CAUSE ANY ISSUES WITH HEALING.

**

Joe: THIS LAST MONTH HAS BEEN TOUGH.

IT'S BEEN REALLY HARD RECOVERING JUST LIKE THE DOCTOR SAID.

BUT I'VE BEEN SLOWLY GETTING MORE AND MORE ACTIVE

AND GETTING BACK TO MY DAILY LIFE.

SO I LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT THAN I DID

WHEN I HAD MY EXCESS SKIN ON MY STOMACH.

I CAN SEE MYSELF

FINALLY STARTING TO LOOK SEMI-NORMAL, YOU KNOW?

I'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO GO,

BUT I'M STARTING TO LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET READY FOR THE WEDDING

AS MUCH AS I CAN RIGHT NOW.

I'M GOING TO TRY ON MY TUX,

AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE HOW IT FITS

NOW THAT MY EXCESS SKIN HAS BEEN REMOVED.

-HI. -HOW YOU DOING?

-GOOD. -HOW CAN WE HELP YOU TODAY?

LOOKING FOR A TUX. GETTING MARRIED.

OKAY, OKAY.

CONGRATULATIONS. -YEAH.

SEE IF THIS WILL WORK FOR YOU.

OKAY.

I NEVER THOUGHT I'D GET TO WEAR A TUX AGAIN

AND ESPECIALLY ONE I'D BE WEARING TO MY OWN WEDDING.

SO, YOU GETTING A LITTLE NERVOUS?

THE BIG DAY COMING UP?

A LITTLE BIT.

AND I'M LIKING HOW CLOTHES FIT ME A LOT EASIER NOW.

[ Ringing ]

SARAH: Hi.

SO, YEAH.

HERE TRYING ON SOME TUXES.

YOU WANT TO SEE?

Yeah!

Oh, you look handsome!

Oh, my goodness!

I THINK I LOOK GOOD RIGHT NOW, SO I'M KIND OF SURPRISED.

AND I'M JUST NOW PICTURING MYSELF

STANDING THERE WAITING FOR HER TO COME DOWN THE AISLE TO ME.

A QUICK, QUICK, SLOW, SLOW.

A QUICK, QUICK, SLOW, SLOW.

GOOD.

I'VE ALSO SECRETLY BEEN TAKING DANCING LESSONS

BECAUSE I WANT TO SURPRISE SARAH ON OUR WEDDING DAY.

SHE'S GONNA TWIRL LIKE THAT, AND NOW PULL ME IN TOWARDS YOU.

VERY GOOD. VERY AGGRESSIVE. GOOD.

ON OUR FIRST DATE,

I COULDN'T WALK UP THE STAIRS, AND I FELL.

I'M NOT LOOKING DOWN AT THE FLOOR.

NOW I WANT TO SHOW HER HOW FAR I'VE COME

BECAUSE SHE'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE

AND A BIG PART OF MY MOTIVATION RIGHT NOW.

AND I WANT HER TO SEE THAT ON OUR WEDDING DAY.

GOOD JOB, JOE! YOU DID IT!

I'M EXCITED TO FIND OUT

HOW MUCH PROGRESS I'VE MADE SINCE MY SKIN SURGERY.

374. WONDERFUL.

WOW. [ CHUCKLES ]

I THINK I WAS A KID THE LAST TIME I WAS IN THE 300s.

SO YOU LOST 418 POUNDS.

THAT'S MORE THAN HALF OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT.

Dr. Nowzaradan: JOE HAS DONE EXTREMELY WELL THIS YEAR.

HE'S DETERMINED.

HE'S NOT STOPPING

OR SLOWING DOWN WITH ANY OF HIS WEIGHT LOSS.

WHAT'S NEW IN YOUR LIFE NOW?

I'M ACTUALLY GETTING MARRIED.

YOU'RE INVITED TO THE WEDDING.

OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE LIFE I LOVE NOW.

WELL, YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME, JOE.

IT'S BEEN WORTH IT, RIGHT?

ABSOLUTELY.

OKAY. GREAT.

AFTER HE GETS UNDER 300 POUNDS,

HE PROBABLY WILL BE READY FOR HIS NEXT SKIN REMOVAL SURGERY,

AND THAT WILL PUT HIM CLOSE TO HIS TARGET WEIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ALL RIGHT, JOE. I'LL SEE YOU LATER.

THANK YOU.

Joe: EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE IS MOTIVATING ME

TO MAKE MORE AND MORE PROGRESS.

NO MATTER HOW HARD IT GETS,

IT'S ALWAYS WORTH IT WHEN I GET TO MY GOALS.

MY LIFE IS SO MUCH BETTER NOW,

AND I WOULDN'T TRADE THAT FOR THE WORLD.

**

OH, MR. SPEEDY GONZALES HERE.

MY MOM IS MOVING BACK TO TENNESSEE,

AND I'M TAKING HER UP THERE TO MOVE IN WITH MY SISTER,

SO I'LL BE ON MY OWN FOR A BIT.

BUT I'M GOING TO BE MOVING UP TO IOWA SOON

TO START MY LIFE WITH SARAH.

YEAH.

I WANT YOU TO HAVE IT,

AND I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU GO TO IOWA.

HOME IS WHEREVER MOM IS.

HMM. DON'T FORGET ME.

YOU KNOW I NEVER WOULD FORGET.

MY MOM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE TO HELP ME AND TAKE CARE OF ME.

HEY. YOU READY FOR DINNER?

YEAH, SURE.

HERE. HERE'S YOURS.

YOU KNOW, I WOULD HAVE NEVER MADE IT DOWN HERE WITHOUT YOU.

WE'VE BEEN A TEAM DOWN HERE.

[ CRIES ]

I LOVE YOU.

I LOVE YOU, TOO.

NEVER FORGET THAT.

[ SNIFFLES ] OKAY.

I'M FINALLY IN A PLACE WHERE I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

I'M NEVER GONNA HAVE TO RELY ON ANYONE

JUST TO DO SIMPLE THINGS ANYMORE.

I KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE HARD TIMES.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE APARTMENT.

GOODBYE.

BUT WHAT I'VE LEARNED THROUGH ALL THIS

IS IF YOU FIGHT TO LIVE,

IT CAN BE SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE.