[Charles] The pain is excruciating.
What I want to know,
is this life enough for me?
[woman] Somewhere in me is this little glimmer of hope.
I just want to be a normal person.
[panting]
You can't do it and then I just get mad.
[woman] If I don't make a change now,
I'm scared it's gonna be too late.
[man cries] No, sweetheart.
[woman] I refuse to stop fighting.
I have to do this for my children.
Ooh.
[Dr. Now talking]
Like, what is the purpose of that, Charles?
Can you answer the question?
[Charles sighs] Good morning.
[sniffs]
[sighs]
[Charles] It's scary waking up
because everything gets a little harder each morning.
[exhales] Oh, Jesus.
[exhales]
My body feels like a prison.
I feel like I'm trapped, like,
I can get up and out of bed but
I get short of breath walking to the bathroom from my bed.
I'll start losing my breath.
[groans]
On a bad day,
as soon as I get up y'all hear my knees, like,
they'll continuously, like, pop, pop, pop, pop.
[huffs]
The pain is usually excruciating.
[exhales]
And, you know, at first I should not be short of breath,
gasping for air like I do.
[Yelena] Sure, I'm coming.
I could not live by myself,
and I wouldn't survive.
-[Yelena] Here you go. -[Charles] That's why I love my caretaker.
She's the best thing, I love her.
She's awesome.
Before me, she was my mom's caretaker.
-[Yelena] Hot? You can do it? -Yeah.
[Charles speaking]
If I do that for too long, my knees start to hurt too much.
-[Yelena] Okay. -[Charles speaking]
I use the bathroom by myself but
I can't really wipe myself, um.
Like...
[sighs] I'm more disappointed than scared.
But I shower everyday.
I try to stay as clean as possible.
[exhales]
But other than that, I don't really get up out of bed that much.
[breathing heavily]
[panting]
[exhales]
[sighing]
What are you gonna have for breakfast?
Um, five eggs
scrambled with cheese.
-Biscuits. -Okay.
How many sausages?
-Seven. -Okay.
-All right. -Okay. I'm going to get it ready for you.
-[Charles] Thank you. -Mm-hmm.
[Charles] I live here for free with my sister and brother.
But I can't do anything for myself anymore.
I have to have someone make all my meals.
My main responsibility, I feel like, is taking care of my brother.
I recently started being his caregiver
and I help him especially when Yelena is not here.
He doesn't have me, like, wash his back or anything like Yelena does.
Smells good, Yelena.
Charlie, it's coming soon.
[Charles] Okay, Yelena, thank you.
[Brad] It gets challenging sometimes.
He can't make food for himself.
He can't go get water. Nothing, you know... He...
He strictly relies on being able to call
and have that person there to help him.
[yawns]
But my brother is the only person who ever, like, stood up for me
and told me I'm doing good in life.
He's always made sure to tell me he's proud of me and I'm doing a good job.
So I kind of took it in my own hands
to help my brother as much as I could.
And he's my family.
You know, I gotta make sure he has what he needs,
because I know he would make sure I had what I need.
-Ketchup? [chuckles] -Sure.
Food's always been a really big part of my life.
This is an addiction. It does make me happy and makes me feel good.
But a lot of my weight came after rehab, after I quit on drugs.
I come from a big family.
But not like The Brady Bunch you would think. [laughs]
She was still a good mom.
She still took care of her kids first
and then after that she did whatever she did.
My mom, when I was younger,
was scared that my dad's grandparents were gonna take me away.
And just like that we left and drove from Washington
to this little trailer park in Napa Valley, California
without telling my dad.
Living alone with just my mom
was a give and take situation, I guess, you could say.
Sometimes we used to have some family time.
But most of the time when I got home from school,
she'd be sitting in front of the TV talking to herself.
And when my grandma made cookies
she didn't just make a dozen,
she made, like, six dozen.
You know? She left them on the counter.
By the time I hit middle school, I was a 180 pounds.
My problem was, you know,
I never really had the discipline when it came to snacking.
If I was having like a rough day,
sugar high just felt comforting.
When I was in my freshman year of high school,
my mom had started hooking up with another guy.
We didn't get along at all.
And then my sister and my brother came around.
And... [sighs]
things were good.
It's just family, man.
I'm a real big family person.
My brother, he's always been a bigger guy
but he's always had my back.
He's definitely the glue to this family.
Taught me how to ride a bike.
He taught me how to swim, you know?
He's always been there for me.
And right now, he doesn't have anyone to hang out with
or talk to, anything like that.
So I'm not just his brother.
I'm also his best friend.
[Charles] Once I came to high school,
I was going on, like, 250-300 pounds.
And she kicked me out.
After that, I became homeless.
And I was homeless for a good couple of years.
You know, like, really bad homeless.
I was living a day-to-day lifestyle.
I wasn't thinking about consequences.
That was probably the worst experience I've had.
I was sleeping behind buildings.
I remember, I was laying on the side of the road one day.
We'd watch the kids driving by with their parents
and snapping photos.
Then I woke up one day to somebody, like,
kicking me and, you know, bullying me
just 'cause, you know, they knew I wouldn't be able to get up and defend myself.
In the end, that's what finally motivated me
to reach out to anybody I knew who could help.
-Are you done? You want anything? No? -No.
[Charles] The first person to try was this teacher from my high school days.
He helped me out and bought me a ticket back to Everett, Washington
where my brother and sister were.
Bought my way to the bus stop the next day.
I got caught by a meth and wound up in jail.
After that, two friends from high school
asked their parents to help me.
So, I went to rehab 350-400 pounds.
When I got clean, stopped moving around as much, really.
And I started eating more.
I put another couple of 100 pounds.
In Washington they have low-income housing programs.
That's when I got to, like, six, maybe even 700 pounds.
[breathing heavily]
[exhales]
[breathing heavily]
[Brad] Me and my sister finally decided, "Hey, we gotta do something."
That's when me and my brother
came out of the hotels and came back here.
Bradley, wanna help me go to the store.
Yeah, let's... Let's do this.
We're gonna get some soda.
Probably need to get some milk and eggs.
Maybe some bread.
[Cheyana] Everybody in my family has tried drugs.
It's hard to say if it was genetic,
but I definitely think being around it, constantly,
that definitely had an effect on him.
The best case that I can see happening is
him getting motivated enough to lose the weight
and just get healthy so he can have a life.
Maybe a rack of ribs.
Good one.
Slow-cook 'em one day.
Uh, we need barbeque sauce.
I can care less if he's 300 pounds and able to walk,
or if he is, you know, above 75
and able to go run marathons.
As long as it extends his life period,
because my biggest fear right now
is him being so obese
that we can lose him any day, so...
I think that's about it.
Okay.
Would you like me to grab your wheel chair?
-Please. -Okay.
I don't think I've left this house in a month, at least a month.
Because to go anywhere, not only do I have to have someone drive my van,
I need someone that can push me on my wheelchair.
I try to keep a positive mindset.
At least my brother and sister are around.
I don't like being depressed.
I try not let myself get depressed.
So...
Ah.
[exhales]
-[Brad] You got the door? -[Charles] I got it.
[Brad talking]
[Charles talking]
Oh, you know, what else we can get while we're at the store?
Those chicken strip things.
[Charles] Yup.
[Brad] All right, cool, cool.
Now I'm gonna get down.
-I'll get your walker. -[Charles] Yup.
[Brad] All right.
[sighs]
Oh, butt, stupid bar. Ow.
[exhales]
[panting]
[groans]
[breathing heavily]
I'm gonna back you up and I'm gonna need you to put your locks on.
Oop, I gotta go forward a little bit.
[exhales]
[Charles talking]
[Brad] You want sugar, right?
[Charles] Yeah, we definitely need some sugar.
Oh, that's a ooey-gooey chocolate brownie mix.
-This looks good. -It'd be less.
-Two of them. -Yeah.
That's it.
-[Brad] You need bagels? -[Charles] No.
Oh, my favorite right there.
They have... They have small ones.
-[Charles] Oh, grab a couple of small ones. -Okay.
I find myself thinking about not dying
but, like, what happens after death a lot more now lately,
'cause I know unless I change my lifestyle,
I ain't got much of a life left.
-Okay, you want ground beef? -Yeah.
Okay.
-[Charles] Rib after that. -Two ribbies.
I think we're probably hitting our budget right now.
-How we doing today? Good. -We're doing good.
[Charles talking]
Oh, Jesus.
Hey, look.
[panting]
-All right. -[breathing heavily]
[Charles] I was supposed to be in Houston right now
to meet Dr. Now at his clinic.
But a couple of days ago, my car wouldn't start.
So we haven't had a way to get there.
-I think I'm about ready. Get the computer from... -[Brad] Yeah, I got you.
[Charles] I called Dr. Now and explained what happened
and so his clinic set me up with a telemedicine videocall with him today.
-You wanna have it set up on this table? -Yeah, you can take this.
[sighs]
All right, that's all set up.
You nervous?
Ouch. A little.
Can I ask him about not over-strenuous exercise activities?
Yeah.
If you need me for anything else, you know where I'll be at.
-I'm all right, really. -Yeah.
[Charles] I've been nervous about what Dr. Now will say
when he sees the shape I'm in,
'cause convincing him to accept me into his program
was my last chance.
And I'm worried he might turn me down.
[call ringing]
-Hey, Charles. -Hi, doctor.
How are you today?
I'm doing okay, I'm talking to you.
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Yes.
Um...
I moved to Washington
to get off of drugs.
And when I quit drugs and went to rehab,
a lot of weight came back to me
and it just kept getting worse.
And my mom recently passed away, so...
Meth.
I think a little over 10 years.
About four.
Yeah.
Um...
-I wanna live longer. -All right.
A little bit.
Let's see, from here to my bathroom is probably...
I wanna say at least 15 of my steps and I start getting a little bit tired.
Uh, it would be my brother who is my...
who's actually paid to be my caretaker,
and my sister and her boyfriend.
Yeah.
Um, my sister has a full-time job.
Uh, my brother, his full-time job is taking care of me.
Okay.
My brother.
No.
He's...
Um...
He probably just does what he's asked, you know.
I want to change my diet. Like, I've already started.
And I'm working on cutting out my soda.
I drink more water now.
So there's a few things I've been trying to do to change, you know.
Yeah, I have a van.
-My brother. -Okay.
[Charles speaking]
I'm going to Houston for the surgery
and to recuperate but then I'm coming back.
Yes, I do.
I would like to get back to fit behind a steering wheel again.
Um, I wanna really like to start going camping again
and I wanna get a job.
You know, um, I used to wanna be, a, uh...
um...
probation officer for the youth.
So, you know, I wouldn't mind going back to school
and possibly start a family of my own someday.
[Dr. Now] Okay.
Yes.
My brother's gonna go on a diet with me.
We'd already talked about it.
I wanna say I know I can.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay.
-All right. -[Charles] Thank you.
-[Dr. Now] Bye, Charles. -Bye.
I was very nervous going into the first Dr. Now appointment.
I wanna say it went well.
He seems like he's gonna help me quite a bit.
He gave me a little goal, something to work towards.
He's gonna send me all the information
about all the foods that I can and cannot eat.
So I'm gonna just start counting my calories
and making a better shopping list.
I'm gonna take all those information
and I wanna read everything and I'm going to take it to heart.
Honestly, going the way I'm going right now...
This is life and death for me.
I'm starting this journey today.
And it has to happen now.
[Charles talking]
Oh, Jesus.
Hey, look.
[panting]
-All right. -[breathing heavily]
[Charles] I was supposed to be in Houston right now
to meet Dr. Now at his clinic.
But a couple of days ago, my car wouldn't start.
So we haven't had a way to get there.
-I think I'm about ready. Get the computer from... -[Brad] Yeah, I got you.
[Charles] I called Dr. Now and explained what happened
and so his clinic set me up with a telemedicine videocall with him today.
-You wanna have it set up on this table? -Yeah, you can take this.
[sighs]
All right, that's all set up.
You nervous?
Ouch. A little.
Can I ask him about not over-strenuous exercise activities?
Yeah.
If you need me for anything else, you know where I'll be at.
-I'm all right, really. -Yeah.
[Charles] I've been nervous about what Dr. Now will say
when he sees the shape I'm in,
'cause convincing him to accept me into his program
was my last chance.
And I'm worried he might turn me down.
[call ringing]
-Hey, Charles. -Hi, doctor.
How are you today?
I'm doing okay, I'm talking to you.
Yes.
Yes, sir.
Yes.
Um...
I moved to Washington
to get off of drugs.
And when I quit drugs and went to rehab,
a lot of weight came back to me
and it just kept getting worse.
And my mom recently passed away, so...
Meth.
I think a little over 10 years.
About four.
Yeah.
Um...
-I wanna live longer. -All right.
A little bit.
Let's see, from here to my bathroom is probably...
I wanna say at least 15 of my steps and I start getting a little bit tired.
Uh, it would be my brother who is my...
who's actually paid to be my caretaker,
and my sister and her boyfriend.
Yeah.
Um, my sister has a full-time job.
Uh, my brother, his full-time job is taking care of me.
Okay.
My brother.
No.
He's...
Um...
He probably just does what he's asked, you know.
I want to change my diet. Like, I've already started.
And I'm working on cutting out my soda.
I drink more water now.
So there's a few things I've been trying to do to change, you know.
Yeah, I have a van.
-My brother. -Okay.
[Charles speaking]
I'm going to Houston for the surgery
and to recuperate but then I'm coming back.
Yes, I do.
I would like to get back to fit behind a steering wheel again.
Um, I wanna really like to start going camping again
and I wanna get a job.
You know, um, I used to wanna be, a, uh...
um...
probation officer for the youth.
So, you know, I wouldn't mind going back to school
and possibly start a family of my own someday.
[Dr. Now] Okay.
Yes.
My brother's gonna go on a diet with me.
We'd already talked about it.
I wanna say I know I can.
Okay.
Yes.
Okay.
-All right. -[Charles] Thank you.
-[Dr. Now] Bye, Charles. -Bye.
I was very nervous going into the first Dr. Now appointment.
I wanna say it went well.
He seems like he's gonna help me quite a bit.
He gave me a little goal, something to work towards.
He's gonna send me all the information
about all the foods that I can and cannot eat.
So I'm gonna just start counting my calories
and making a better shopping list.
I'm gonna take all those information
and I wanna read everything and I'm going to take it to heart.
Honestly, going the way I'm going right now...
This is life and death for me.
I'm starting this journey today.
And it has to happen now.
[Charles] Bradley, can you come here for a minute?
Yes.
-What's up? -[Charles] Do we still have that shake weight?
Okay. Um, can you bring me a bag...
with, like, five cans?
A bag with five cans? What're you gonna do with that?
I'm gonna make a weight.
You're gonna make a can weight?
All right. I got you.
[Charles] Dr. Now sent me this package
and book with instructions what to do.
So I'm staying up and making the changes.
And Bradley's been helping me.
[Brad] Got your cans.
Okay, I'm gonna put the cans...
in the bag...
till I have a good weight.
And I'm gonna use this.
[exhales]
Yeah, that's heavy enough.
Okay.
We need anything else?
No, I'm good.
All right.
[breathing heavily]
My workouts today... I actually started something today
that I won't usually do.
But I'm terrible.
I could have done more
but, um...
more is not always better.
I'd rather ease my way into it than uh...
jump headfirst into it and not wanna keep going.
[breathing heavily] That was close.
I know this is gonna be a long term fight.
But once I build my stamina
I'll probably be able to do more.
-Bradley? -[Brad] I got you.
Oh, boy.
-You ready for dinner? -Yeah, bro. Small plate please.
[Brad] Small plate? Okay. So for dinner
-we're gonna have roasted chicken... -[Charles breathing heavily]
-[Brad] ...on a bed of veggies. -[Charles] Sounds good.
-I'm very hungry. -[Brad] All right.
[Charles] Oh, I'm tired.
Brad and I have been doing a diet together
which has been making it easier for me to stick to.
It's been mostly stuff like salads or sandwiches.
I mostly don't have anything on 'em.
-All right, Charlie. You ready? -[Charles] Mmm-hmm.
But after I eat it I'm still hungry
because it doesn't feel like it's enough to eat.
But I'm starving myself to make sure I lose the weight.
Yum.
How was your day, Bradley?
Yeah, it's been okay. How are you?
-All right. -[Brad] How you feeling after you work out?
How was it for you, though?
And I realized I haven't really exercised in over a year.
Oh, yeah?
Well, maybe we can change that.
I can help you, uh,
start getting back on a regular exercising.
-Sound good. -[Brad] And, uh, I'm sure your stamina will increase
as time goes by and you start doing more.
-Everything starts with baby steps. -Yeah.
Eating something natural like this does feel pretty good.
My, uh, first appointment
at the clinic in this area that Dr. Now found
was a few weeks ago.
But I couldn't go because there wasn't anybody in my family
to take me that day.
And my car's still broken down.
I see you pulled the skin off of this.
-[Brad] Yeah. -Thank you.
You're welcome.
And then we can schedule a time for my first weigh in.
But while I'm waiting,
my goal is just keep to the point
and keep losing weight.
Then go Houston and get the surgery.
-You good? -[Charles] Yup.
-[Brad] I'll see you in the morning, Charlie. -[exhales]
Good night, Bradley.
-[Brad] Call me if you need anything. -[Charles] All right.
[Brad] All right, Charlie. Here's your protein shake.
Thank you.
[Brad] Maybe I... Do you want me to get your weights
ready for your workout?
-[Charles] Yeah, sure. -[Brad] All right.
There you go.
Right there. Put it down.
All right. Let me know if you need anything else.
[Charles] I feel like I've been making a lot of good progress
the last two months.
Especially with my workouts.
I can lift twice as many weights as when I started.
And I'm getting excited for Dr. Now to meet me in person...
'cause he's going to be impressed with how strong I've become.
So far I've mostly been focused
on my upper body
and I haven't worked out my lower body as much.
But that's gonna be next.
My goal is to make as much progress as I can
before I go to the clinic here
that Dr. Now wants me to go.
But unfortunately, my car still isn't fixed
and I'm not sure if it's gonna be at this point.
So I still haven't figured out a way to go to the clinic.
Anyway, my plans have changed now
because Dr. Now's clinic have called me
and told me he wanted to do a follow up
tell him matters on video call
if I expect to stay part of his program
so I told him I would today.
[exhales]
[Brad] All right, Charles. I'm gonna set you up for your appointment
and then I'm gonna head out and get some food.
Okay.
[Brad] Make sure to...
-Can you open it? -[Brad] No.
-All right. I'll be back. -All right.
[video call ringing]
[Dr. Now] Hi, Charles.
-How you doing? -[Charles] Okay.
So what's going on with you, Charles?
You were supposed to go to a nearby clinic
we set up for you three months ago.
But you didn't and then I couldn't get hold of you
and haven't heard from you since then.
So what happened with that?
So you didn't go
[Charles] I guess.
Honestly...
I... I've... sub... substituted
breakfast and lunches with my protein shakes.
I'm eating smaller dinners and I'm drinking mostly water.
Okay.
I... I don't know.
I thought it was a good idea because it wasn't a solid food.
[Dr. Now] So...
I guess not carefully enough.
Um, because I just need help losing weight.
And we gave you some instruction
how to change your eating habits.
You obviously...
Either you didn't understand it or you didn't read it.
And obviously you didn't call. What're we doing now?
What happens when you lose weight?
Um, I'll have a better life.
Better life.
What better life are you talking about?
And so... You expect me to believe you're gonna change all that?
I don't see that happening.
And you were supposed to come and see us,
so none of that happened.
So we're not gonna do anything else.
And we gave you three months
to change your eating habits
and have productive weight loss.
So what is the purpose of that?
Charles, I don't answer the question--
[sighs]
I don't need that.
Yes, I do wanna get better.
But just because I'm fat,
don't mean I'm gonna sit there and be put down.
The interview's over. I'm done.
I don't need this [bleep]. I'm done.
-[Charles] Hey, Bradley. -What's up?
Can you go ahead and make me my morning,
uh... protein shake.
Yeah, do you want strawberry or chocolate today?
-[Charles] Chocolate. -Chocolate.
[Charles] The last call I had with Dr. Now really upset me.
I don't think he had his head on straight that day.
'Cause he said a lot of things about me that just weren't true.
But I still want his help
because I know he's only the one person
that's wanted to try and help save my life.
-Thank you. -[Brad] You have your clothes and everything?
Yes, I do.
[Brad] All right. Call if you need anything else.
-Ugh. -I haven't heard from his clinic
so I'm not sure if Dr. Now would just take me back
if I reach out again.
I'm feeling really good one day
and I would say so.
I do my protein shake in the morning
and I do...
mainly my protein shake for lunch...
with salads for dinner lately.
So my brother and sister and I came up with a new plan
to prove to him how serious I am.
Bradley, could you hand me my weight?
[Brad] Weight. Here we go.
-Here. -Oh, yeah.
So I'm gonna fly to Houston to see him again in his clinic.
But before I do that,
I need to build up my stamina more.
So at the moment I'm focusing on working out a lot
and I've been getting out and doing more recently.
[exhales]
[breathing heavily]
Okay.
Hey, Bradley. Do you feel like coming
-to put my shoes on? -[Brad] Yeah, of course. I got you.
-These work? -[Charles] Yeah.
So I'm really excited and proud of myself
for the progress I've made over the last month.
I've been able to move around and go outside
and enjoy the day more.
[Brad] Pull up your wheelchair.
[Charles] And I haven't done that in a long, long time
so it feels good.
[Brad] Come on.
It's been, um, quite a big help.
I went fishing.
I've been shooting recently.
I've got a camping trip planned.
So that's gonna be fun.
I hope that in the next month
that my body has gotten strong enough
to get on a flight to take me to Houston.
-Then I'll prove to Dr. Now he was wrong about me. -[coughs]
And I'm looking forward to being able to see the look on his face
when he can't deny
that I'm following his plan anymore.
Ow.
You want me to walk out there first
and get your wheelchair out there?
That way you can just walk to the wheelchair?
-Yeah. -All right.
[groans]
[exhales]
Oh my goodness. [groans]
Sticking to Dr. Now's plan
was tough for me, starting out.
But this month I've come a long way.
We're going to a place called Green Lantern.
It's a little spot, um... So, we're like, we're...
not very many people go to.
[Brad] So you're excited to go fishing today, Charlie?
A little bit.
We're gonna go fishing and Brad will picnic.
Eat some sandwiches or something, some fruit.
I've been pushing myself and working hard.
And I've probably made a year's worth of progress
these past couple months.
[exhales]
At least that's how it feels compared to what I was doing before.
I'm feeling better because I'm getting out more
and doing a lot.
[heavy breathing]
Bradley's been a big support.
Holy smokes.
All right.
You got everything, right?
Fishing gear and everything? Good.
Whoa.
[Brad] All-American sub.
[Charles] I'll take that one.
[Brad] Excited to catch some fish today?
[Charles] Hope to catch some fish today.
You might actually... You might even catch a turtle.
There are wild turtles.
I kinda hope that don't happen.
[Brad] Tryna get the hook out and it'll bite your finger.
-Pass... You... -[both chuckle]
I will never go anywhere with you again.
[Brad laughs]
I'm stuffed.
I think that sandwich pretty much hit the spot, dude.
Here's your fishing pole.
[groans]
Looking back to my first video call
with Dr. Now a couple of months ago...
I'm really proud of how far I've come.
[Brad] Don't... Don't hurt yourself though, Charlie.
[Charles] Whoa.
[breathing heavily]
[Brad] Right here will probably be the spot, yeah.
Pull this around.
[Charles] Thanks to Bradley, sometimes I wonder
if I will even need a doctor at other times
because of how well we've been doing.
I'm working hard to be able to see the doctor.
But I'm not quite there yet.
So you're already getting bites.
You got something over the bayou line.
[Charles] I know.
But flying to Houston is still an important goal.
Because I think the surgery's gonna be important
to be able to maintain my progress.
Ah.
It's been nice to feel like I'm already getting back to life
and doing more.
Being able to do things I wanted to do
and couldn't do before,
it's encouraged me.
[Brad] Distance he can go has been increasing.
Taking him outside more
so he's getting outside more and often more.
He's starting to be able to walk a lot better.
Noticed that his energy levels has been increased.
He's like, he's been wanting to go outside
and do stuff more and he's...
been more positive ever since started this diet and stuff
so I feel like he is doing pretty good.
I'm gonna go and put this by the door.
Is there anything else you need me throw in here real quick?
-No, sir. -All right, boss.
Oh, I'll be back.
[Charles] Today I'm driving to get on a flight to fly to Houston.
I think that Roger is gonna be here pretty soon.
Oh, boy, here we go. [sighs]
I'm finally going to meet Dr. Now in person, so I'm excited.
But I've never been on a plane before.
So I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.
[groans]
[groans] Oh.
Ouch.
Ow.
[breathing heavily]
All right, one second. I gotta grab my bag.
I'm not looking forward to go into the airport,
'cause I know people are gonna be staring and pointing at me.
That's the first thing I'm worried about.
Then as far as the plane goes up in the air,
I'm not sure how my body is gonna react to that.
I hope it doesn't make me sick or pass out.
That's probably the worst thing that could happen.
-[driver speaking indistinctly] -Yup.
-You able to get in there? -Man, it's still high.
[chuckles]
It's all right, it's good practice.
-[driver] Wait. -[Charles] I'm splitting.
-[Brad chuckles] -[Charles] Ouch.
[Brad] You're doing the splits?
-All right, all right. -[exhales]
-[breathing heavily] -[driver] You need more room, let me know.
-[Brad] All right. -[sighs] Okay.
-Oh, this is a nice car. -[Brad] Yeah, it is.
[Charles] Hopefully there's no delays.
Overall, the weather is clear.
I feel like you got this though.
There he goes.
All right, we have officially made it, Charlie.
[Charles] It's a four-hour flight.
So I'm grateful to have Bradley with me.
Not just to help me physically,
but he motivates me to push through the things
that are hard for me to do.
Ow!
[coughs]
Oh.
[exhales]
Oh, that was a long ride.
Oh.
[groans softly] My foot's asleep.
Oh, my foot's asleep.
-[crew 1] Hello, checking in? -[Charles] Yes.
-[crew 1] Checking any bags? -[Brad] Uh, no.
-[crew 1] Oh, okay. -[crew 2 speaking]
[Charles] You might have to slide me a little bit.
[Brad] He's not gonna fit.
[Charles] I knew this wasn't gonna be easy.
But now, I'm starting to see the reality of it.
Like, seeing all these lines,
I'm already feeling out of my comfort zone.
Everyone's staring at me.
[crew] This way, this way.
To keep a positive mindset, I'm just trying to focus
on how surprised Dr. Now is gonna be
when he sees me in his office in-person.
But right now, that's getting harder to do
because my body is starting to hurt,
and I could feel my breath starting to get shorter.
How am I even gonna fit in my seat?
[Charles talking]
[talking indistinctly]
[Charles] I think that's my worst fear,
is getting stuck in the aisle,
and then they have to call a paramedic to cut me out.
-[people talking] -[baby crying]
[exhales] I didn't realize this is gonna be this hard.
And to be honest, I'm not feeling quite as confident
as I was a few hours ago before we left the house.
Thank you.
Just making it to my seat is the first milestone.
So maybe all the straining I did
will be enough to see me through this.
But right now, I will do anything to be at home in my living room.
Set the wheelchair right here.
[indistinct conversation]
[Brad] Twenty-six, right here.
We'll sit left side.
-Left side. -This side.
[groans]
[groans] Oh.
[exhales]
I'm already very tired
and my knees are exploding with pain.
And what am I supposed to do if I need to use the bathroom?
[air hostess over PA] We will be taking off shortly.
Please bring your seat back up,
close your tray table, fastened your seatbelt
and return your headrests and footrests to their original position.
[Charles] But I have no choice except all-out.
Because if Dr. Now can't help me, I'm gonna die anyway.
[crew] Would you care for anything?
[Charles] They weren't the healthiest options on the plane.
But, so I had a cheeseburger.
I don't think Dr. Now will be too happy with that but.
My stomach has been pressing down on my knees for four hours.
I'm in so much pain, I don't care whether I live or die anymore.
I just need to get off this plane.
Oh. [sighs]
My knees are on fire, everything hurts but I did it. [sighs]
And now, I need to find the bathroom,
'cause I need to get out of this diaper, bad.
[pants]
My flight was super-long.
I'm tired.
-[exhales] -I need you to hold this.
[exhales]
[breathing heavily]
[Charles] Ow, ow.
Oh, man.
[groans]
[breathing heavily]
[Brad] Thank you, guys.
[Charles] I don't know what I would do if Bradley wasn't here.
Now all I can think about is sitting spread-out on our hotel bed
with something good to eat.
Sitting in that seat without being able to move
was four hours of pure pain.
[groans] Oh.
I feel physically and mentally exhausted
from so many people gawking at me without a break.
But even though I'm exhausted, I did it,
and that means, tomorrow I can prove to Dr. Now
I have what it takes to make it to weight loss surgery.
[Charles speaking]
[Brad] Hey, Charlie, you awake?
-Yeah. -How does it feel being able to sleep on a bed?
Charlie...
What?
We started making our plan
to go to Dr. Now's office to surprise him.
We didn't end up feeling too confident
that it was the best idea just going there.
Like, what if Dr. Now is busy or something
when I surprised him at the clinic?
So now we're thinking, maybe we should call Dr. Now first.
He's still gonna be surprised when he meets me in-person,
how we did all the work getting into shape to fly here.
All right. I'm going to press this.
-[Charles groans] -[Brad] Your feet are cold.
[Charles] That's when I'll prove to him that I'm serious
about doing whatever it takes to get the weight loss surgery.
So now, I just have to tell him on the phone,
"Hey, doc, I'm here in Houston."
[Brad] All right. [sighs]
Charlie...
Yeah, let's do it.
Well, did you want to get ready to call Dr. Now?
Yeah, I mean I...
So you're gonna tell him you're excited to see him this point on?
-[Charles] Yes. -Cool.
[call ringing]
All right.
[staff speaking]
Hello, this is Charles Bridgeman.
I was calling over to get hold of Dr. Now.
[staff speaking]
Okay, thank you.
[Dr. Now on phone] Hello. This is Dr. Nowzaradan.
Hi, Dr. Now, how're you doing?
[Dr. Now] Is it Charles Bridgeman?
-[Charles] Yeah. -[Dr. Now] Well, Charles, how're you doing?
I'm doing okay. I came out to Houston to surprise you.
[Dr. Now] What do you mean "surprise" me?
I just wanted to show up in-person
because I wanted to show you my results,
that I've made so much progress, I could make the trip to you now.
[Dr. Now] Well, um, Charles, you missed the appointment
we'd set up for you at the local clinic some months ago.
[Dr. Now speaking]
You didn't do that and then when I follow-up with you,
to see how you're doing,
you hang up on me,
I don't know.
[Dr. Now] You don't know?
Well, I said I wanted to surprise you.
[Dr. Now] Well, Charles, it's time to admit that
you're not listening to what we tell you,
and this is a serious issue.
[Charles] I have been listening, Dr. Now.
So now I've lost a lot of weight.
[sighs]
Like, four... four and a half hours?
I'm aware, I just wanted to show up in-person
just so you can see the progress I've made.
And, you know, I've made it here,
so that has to show you I've come a long way.
[Dr. Now] Charles, how you do that?
If you make it to the flight,
that doesn't mean that you are home free.
-[Charles] All right. -[Dr. Now] So, sit tight
and we're gonna call you back
and let you know what time you can come in this afternoon,
so we can check and make sure everything is okay with you.
All righty.
-Thank you, Dr. Now, -[Dr. Now] All right.
-Bye, all right. -[Dr. Now] I'll see you later. Okay.
-[Dr. Now] Bye now. -Bye now.
All right.
Well, that went better than I suspected.
I thought he might have told you not to come in.
Sounds like he's still interested in having you as a client.
That wasn't the reaction I was expecting from Dr. Now.
You know, after everything I just went through,
I'm feeling a little let down and frustrated.
[sighs]
I mean, whoa! He was just too damn hard on me.
What he said about not being safe to fly
has me worried about what I have done.
So now, I'm really hoping and praying,
I didn't come all this way just to lose everything I've worked for.
We're finally at Dr. Now's clinic.
He told us to come after hours
because he said he wants to run some tests on me as soon as he can,
to make sure the trip here didn't cause big health problems
that are gonna get worse for me.
[Brad] Good job walking, Charlie, I'm proud of you.
I'm thankful Dr. Now is getting me in so fast.
I hoping this is a sign this is all gonna work out.
What I'm more nervous about is seeing what the scale says.
[staff] You can step on the scale when you're ready.
[Charles] He knows I've been working hard
and my starting weight was over 700.
But I think I've lost enough to be under the low 600s or even 500s.
Your weight today is 677.
-Please go to room five. -[Charles] Okay.
Well, I'm not gonna lie,
I did think it was gonna be lower.
But that's still a good weight,
because it shows I've made some good progress.
That means I've lost something like 30 or 40 pounds.
Plus, when Dr. Now sees how well I'm getting around
and the fact that I came all the way to Houston,
is going to impress him.
More than just the pounds themselves.
[panting]
[exhales]
And that is what I'm counting on
to be approved for weight loss surgery.
[knock on door]
Good afternoon, Dr. Now.
Hello, how y'all doing?
-Pretty good. -Tired.
It's been a long day.
-A long of sitting in a hotel room? -[Brad] Yeah.
Well, Charles, it's nice to meet you in-person,
and think that this is your brother?
-Yeah, I'm also his caregiver. -He's also my caregiver.
[Dr. Now] All right, well, Charles,
you shouldn't have made that trip down here.
It wasn't that bad, though.
Little cramps, but, you know, I stuck through it.
It still wasn't safe for you.
The good news is that you're not 700 pounds.
I lost a little weight.
-So you think you lost a little weight? -Yeah.
So, even if you lost weight, at your height,
-you still have very high BMI. -Yeah.
One of the highest BMIs I have seen.
So travelling for you is very risky and dangerous.
So we're gonna have to do some tests
and make sure that everything is okay.
When you're going back?
Uh, tomorrow, I think, tomorrow night at eight o'clock.
Okay, so, we'll run some tests
to make sure that you don't have a lot of issue,
push your body to the limit,
because if you do,
then that's gonna be very risky for you to go back.
So, if we find anything was wrong,
we have to send you in the hospital.
But if everything was okay,
-you can make that travel back home. -Okay.
But do not come back here like this again.
Travelling isn't safe for you
because your body is not made to be
this weight, 677 pounds.
No it's not.
-So-- -I need your help in getting rid of it.
Yes, you do. But if you want to do my program,
the only thing you need to do
is to start to lose good amount of weight back at home
and listen to what I tell you.
You still have the book and exercise I gave you?
[Charles] Yeah, I have the exercise... I have that one,
so I'm trying to follow your diet plans as well as I can.
And I am doing the exercises
and I'm trying to start paying attention to my vitamins.
I have seen him do it. He's doing really good. I'm very proud of him.
-[Charles] He keeps on me, he's my, uh-- -I'm his motivation.
Motivation, yeah, and motivator.
Well, he may have made some progress,
but the issue is, it's not so much if he has.
And you're going to lose 80 pounds in two months.
-Eighty pounds in two months? -Okay?
So, no more game and surprises, okay?
I promise, I won't make no surprise visits till I lose the weight.
Okay, good.
If you're able to do all that,
you may consider moving down here to do my program.
But aside from that, we're not moving ahead with you.
-So this is your last chance, you understand that? -Yes, sir.
Okay, you have a lot of work to do
because your normal weight for your height is...
Yeah, I know.
...around 100 pounds.
The normal weight for my height is a 100 pounds?
That's correct.
-Um, a lot of weight to lose. -[Charles] A lot.
[sighs] Yeah, I know.
-But I got faith in you. -But I got...
I got faith in myself, too.
You have a good support-system.
-I have a pretty good support-system. -Okay.
So, we'll run some tests, make sure everything's okay.
So sit tight and we'll see what's going on, okay?
-All right, thank you. -Mm-hmm.
-[Charles] Nice meeting you, Dr. Now. -[Dr. Now] All right.
-Have you ran an EKG before? -Multiple times.
Yeah? I've never had one.
Almost every time I go to the hospital.
-[Linette] Hello. -[Brad] Hello.
-Um, can I ask you to take your shirt off, please? -[Charles] Of course.
-Oh, you put another hole in your shirt? -Yep, another hole.
[Charles whispers] I'm just joking.
[Linette] I'm gonna just place these stickers on you.
My brother has a long road ahead of him in this weight loss,
but he's not alone and I believe him.
And I feel like, if I'm there with him every step of the way,
he should be able to meet his goal.
[machine whirring]
Dr. Nowzaradan will be with you to go over your results.
I also want Dr. Now to know that this is a team effort
and I'm gonna do everything I can do
to help my brother lose this weight.
[in normal voice] All right.
-All right. -[Dr. Now speaking]
I will be able to lose this weight.
I'll have to do that.
All right, we'll set you up at local clinic
-to check your weight, okay? -Okay.
Uh, if you need anything, give me a call.
[Charles] I will, Doctor. Thank you very much.
-All right, see you all. -Nice meeting you.
-You have a good night. -All right.
[door closes]
That went better than I was expecting.
Yeah, it didn't go bad at all.
What do you feel about that goal he set for you?
I think I can do it.
I definitely feel like you can lose 80 pounds in two months, granted it's a lot.
It's a little bit more than what he asked you to lose last time.
But I feel like if you stick to his plan,
-that's 40 pounds a month, that's 10 pounds a week. -Oh, my God.
[Brad] So that's a very reasonable task, to lose ten pounds in a week.
-Yeah. -[Brad] And do that for two months.
-I think I can do it. -[Brad] I know you can do it.
All right. Let's go outside.
The good news is I did lose 40 pounds.
So I'm hoping my tests are good and there's nothing else wrong with me.
But either way, I'm glad I came.
Here's your cane.
-Thank you, sir. -I'll get the door for you.
-Oh, my God. -Are you gonna walk or you want me to push you?
[laughs] I'm gonna try to walk.
All right. It'll be easier for you to walk.
[groans softly]
I know Dr. Now will take care of me if they find any issue.
And I feel like this trip has paid off
'cause he's considering me for surgery now.
So I'm still feeling very positive about that.
And as soon as I get back to Washington,
my focus is gonna be 100% on getting to that.
And finally getting the weight loss surgery that I need.
[Brad] All right, wheelchair right behind you.
[Charles panting]
[sighing in exhaustion]
Oh, shoot.
[Brad] So Charlie, you excited to see Houston?
Yeah, this time I... I actually get to see, uh, some of the city life.
This morning, Bradley and I are taking a ride share around Houston
and go see some of the sights before we go back to the airport.
We were both so exhausted yesterday after being at Dr. Now's office
for a while to get the tests run.
We just went back to the hotel and fell asleep.
I was really happy when the results came in.
[Brad] All right, Charlie, I'm gonna hop out and grab your wheelchair.
[Charles] But I know I gotta keep moving
during the flight to make sure I don't get blood clot.
And that is going to be really hard.
-Where we going? -[Brad] Straight forward to this curb.
[Charles] Right now, we're going around Houston
trying to enjoy ourselves, checking it out.
We're also seeing what places they have
and what areas might be good for us to live
when we move here for my surgery.
So far, it's been okay.
As far as somewhere we'd like to call home,
we haven't really liked much of what we have seen.
[cashier] Hi, welcome. How are you?
-Pretty good. How are you? -[cashier] Doing good.
Oh, my gosh. Um...
Homemade chicken fried steak.
What do you want to try?
[Brad] You guys have anything that's only eight ounces of, uh, protein
-and then something, like, something healthy? -Um...
We'll give you a turkey with, uh...
-Do you want that? -...a...
A turkey or [indistinct].
-[Brad] And then green beans? -[Charles] Green beans.
All right. Thank you.
-All right, cool. Thank you. -[cashier] Uh-huh.
[Brad] They give you the sauce on the side.
-[Charles] All right. -I'm gonna get you water real quick.
Whoa.
I did not realize it could've not got any bigger.
[Charles] That looks pretty intimidating.
[Brad] Yeah, dude, I'm not gonna be able to finish this.
[laughs]
-That's definitely not Dr. Now approved. -Definitely not.
How do you like yours?
It's fattening.
[chuckles]
[Brad] This is definitely a good baked potato.
It's kinda hard finding some healthy options in food.
There were a lot of temptations on that menu.
-A lot. -[Brad] Yeah.
-[Charles chuckles] -[Brad] I'm proud of you for sticking to healthy.
[Charles] I'm gonna make sure I lose another 40 pounds over the next two months
to prove to Dr. Now how committed I am to get the surgery.
I'm stuffed, buddy.
-[Brad] Same here. -[Charles] That's good.
[Brad] All right, Charlie, here we go.
Some nice white boxing gloves.
[grunts]
You got this though, Charlie. You can get a couple jabs,
maybe get an upper cut in.
-Did you want that energy drink? -[Charles] No.
I've been doing everything I can to lose my weight
and increase my stamina since I went to see Dr. Now.
[coughs]
That's it, brother.
You don't know if you're gonna be able to do it?
I mean, you can try to throw in jabs while you're sitting down.
[Charles] And my brother, Bradley, has been helping me with everything.
He's a big encouragement and help.
And he's been coming up with ideas to get me to be more active.
[Brad] You wanna at least try one?
Oh, yeah, these are light. They're only 12 ounces, you got this.
This is gonna be your right hand.
[grunts]
-[Brad] Is it in? -[Charles] Yeah.
So far, my favorite is the sparring we do at boxing.
[Brad] Tell me when it's there.
[both laugh]
[Brad] Well, I guess this is your workout for the day. [laughs]
Just practice squaring up, Charlie. Just work your arms.
[Charles] I get a really great workout from that
and it burns a lot for me, so that's good.
Let's try to do, like, ten jabs in each hand.
One, two, three, four, five...
[Charles] But I've also been studying Dr. Now's book religiously
and learning everything it says.
One, two, three,
four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten.
Throw your shoulder, yeah.
There you go, Charlie. Good job.
[breathing heavily]
[Brad] Are you picturing that someone owes you money?
I ain't gonna lie, you can really see your improvement in this.
Ow.
[Brad] Hey, man. That was pretty good.
You think you can do maybe
-a couple more or you think you're done? -[softly] I might.
[exhales]
Hold on, I'm still sore.
[Brad] It's important for me to motivate Charlie to work out.
I support him and then he feels that confident
knowing that he's not alone in this battle.
'Cause no one should be alone in this battle, you know.
So I'm-- I'm glad to help him as much as I can.
[Charles] Let's get out of the house, get some fresh air.
Oh, that sun's bright. Ow.
Bradley and I have decided to grill all of our food.
But since we don't have one at home right now,
we've been going to the park because they have a community one there.
All right.
[Charles] So that also helps get me out of the house.
[Brad] So Charlie, you excited?
-[Charles] Yeah. -[Brad] Are you ready to get some fresh air?
[Charles speaking]
[Brad] Yes, I'm proud of you though, Charlie. You're doing really,
really good on your exercises and your dieting and stuff, dude.
[Charles] We'll see how it goes right now at the park.
[Brad] Like I know, I know you can't tell the difference
but I can definitely tell the difference
in how you're moving around and--
[Brad] I thought you were too until, you know,
we started moving around a little bit more
and then I got to-- I got to see
how you're not out of breath all the time now.
You're actually able to, like, move without running out of breath.
[Charles] Oh, it looks empty. Cool.
Grilling healthy meals seems to be a better way to prepare my food.
Dr. Now has a lot of grilled food
that's approved to eat in his diet.
[coughs]
And to be honest, grilling doesn't exactly taste as good as frying.
But at least you can have some good flavor.
-[Brad] I haven't got your wheelchair out yet. -I know.
Hold on, don't sit down. I'll show you.
[Charles] I'm hoping if I lose a bit more,
I won't need my wheelchair anymore.
[Brad] Hold on tight, Charlie.
[Charles] I'm getting less and less dependent on it everyday.
And I'm hoping to get back to living life how I want to.
I know I've got to work to get to where I need to have a better life.
[Brad] All right.
Take this...
All right.
[exhales]
[Brad] Are you gonna be able to walk to your wheelchair
-from here if I put it by the grill? -Yeah.
[Brad] Way to go though, Charlie walking, man. You're doing pretty good.
Ooh, don't trip. It's caught up on your leg.
[panting]
What is in the barbecue grill?
All right.
[Brad] It's the wieners.
[Charles] So I'm doing my best to make it to Dr. Now's goal
of losing 80 pounds by next month.
And I'm definitely gonna make sure that
I don't miss the appointment, no matter what.
A little minus definitely though.
[Charles] Be nice getting out of the house today.
[Brad] Oh, yeah, definitely.
We must try to stick to Dr. Now's plan and get a little more exercise.
-[Brad] Heck yeah. -Get out of the house more.
You're definitely doing a lot better at, uh, moving.
Yeah, man, you keep up this, uh, exercising and stuff,
you're gonna be able to go do stuff without me.
[Brad] Yep, looks like it's about time to go.
I'll, uh, get your wheelchair ready to go.
You can push my wheelchair up to the curb.
-[Brad] Okay. -And I'll try to walk as far as I can.
[sighs]
Today, I have the appointment Dr. Now set up for me
at the medical clinic here in Everett.
Me and Bradley are getting a ride share
to make sure that we get there
because no matter what, we're not gonna miss this appointment.
I've worked as hard as I can
to meet the weight loss Dr. Now told me to have by today.
So this time, I'm really hoping to see some positive results on the scale.
Oh, my God, dude.
Yeah, it's gonna be cold in there.
[groans softly]
[exhales]
I was at 677 when I went to see Dr. Now.
Dr. Now told me to lose 80 pounds in the last two months.
So that means I have to be at 597 today.
So, Charlie, you excited?
You nervous, Charlie?
[Charles] I'm excited.
I guess.
[Brad] We're here, Charlie.
Oh, I feel like I gotta sit down, okay?
My hands are so cold.
-Hi, Charles. -Hello.
-Ready to come on back? -[Charles] Yes, ma'am.
-Perfect. Let's go. -[Charles] Let's go.
[doctor] We're gonna be in exam room one today.
There we go.
[sighs in relief]
We are going to weigh in.
-You ready? -[Charles] Mmm-hmm.
Okay.
[Charles] I was at 677 when I went to see Dr. Now.
And I was supposed to lose 80 pounds over the last two months.
So that means I have to be at 597 today.
[doctor] Step up. Okay.
Thank you.
[Charles] I'm excited I did so well.
This is what Dr. Now said he wanted to see.
-[doctor] You feeling okay? -Yeah.
I'm gonna take your vital signs, okay?
[Charles] So I'm really hoping he's going to tell me I'm ready for surgery today.
But now I know for sure the diet worked.
All right, 138 over 72.
Thank you.
[exhales and sniffs] All right, it's got to be that time.
Dr. Now's call?
Yeah, maybe I should get my phone out, uh.
[phone ringing]
Hey, Charles, how are you?
I'm good. How are you?
I'm doing okay. So how is your weight today?
It's okay, I thought it was a little bit better than it was,
but it's-- it's good. I still think it's in a good spot.
Um, I've lost 72 pounds.
You know, I do feel better now, Dr. Now.
I've just been eating salads at night now
for dinner, I've stopped eating all my other stuff.
Okay, that's good. I'm proud of your progress.
So I'm gonna give you two months to move down to Houston.
And in this two month, I want you to lose 40 pound.
-40 pounds? -Then you're gonna be able to have
your weight loss surgery a month after that, okay?
All right, I think I can do this.
Is two months gonna be good for you to move down here?
[sighs]
I don't know. I have to check with my family and stuff.
Okay.
-Do you think you can do that? -[Charles] Yeah.
Okay.
Well, keep up, uh, with your diet
and let's see how we're doing in two months
and get yourself ready to move down to Houston
-for weight loss surgery, okay? -Okay.
Keep up the good work and stay focused with it, okay?
[Charles] All right, Dr. Now.
-[Dr. Now] You can do it, okay? -I know.
I'm doing my best. I'm working on it.
-Don't give up. -Yes, sir.
You have a blessed day.
-All right. Bye, Dr. Now. -[Dr. Now] All right. Bye now.
So how do you, uh, feel about moving down to Houston?
I'm not gonna move down to Houston.
I don't-- I don't blame you.
-I've gotta go there for my recovery but... -Yeah.
I am not moving to Houston.
Yeah.
-All right, let's get going. -[Brad] Let's get going.
Will you hand my sweater and my cane?
I think my appointment with Dr. Now went pretty well.
Hearing Dr. Now approve me for his weight loss surgery is exciting.
It always feels good to hear positive feedback.
The only thing is Dr. Now also said
me and Bradley are supposed to be making plans to move to Houston.
-Ready? -I wanna go do, you know, the surgery,
I wanna do my recuperation.
And once I recuperate, I wanna come back with my family.
So I plan to stay on track and lose the 40 pounds
and prove to Dr. Now how committed I am.
[Brad] He can definitely lose the 40 pounds
but we're definitely not moving down to Texas.
We're definitely not moving down there.
-Hey, guys. What's up? -[Charles] Hey, hi.
-[Cheyana] What's for dinner? -[Brad] Uh, we're having some chicken
with some steamed veggies.
Yeah, I guess we're having steamed vegetables today.
I'm glad that you're keeping on what you're doing.
You're doing really good, Charlie.
Steamed vegetables are good.
[Charles] Since I went to meet Dr. Now,
I'm struggling with being motivated
because I'm not sure if I can move to Houston.
But I'm trying to do what I can to get the surgery.
-[Brad] Your wheelchair right here for right now. -[Charles] All right.
And then did you want me to get you anything to drink?
We got a little bit of juice in the fridge.
-Yeah, please. -Okay.
[Cheyana] So Houston, hmm?
-You gonna enjoy it down there for a while? -No.
-No. [chuckles] -[Brad chuckles]
You're not even looking forward to it at all, are you?
I'm a little worried about the surgery.
I'm nervous, not worried. More nervous.
But, um, I do want the surgery to happen.
-[Cheyana] Yeah. -I just don't wanna move to Texas.
I wanna see the doctor over video and in Seattle maybe.
[Brad] But even if you don't get the surgery,
I feel like if you keep to this diet, you'll be skinny without it.
I'm very proud of the progress my brother has made so far.
He's able to move around better,
so it's just a matter of time before he doesn't need me here all the time.
Uh, I've been kinda stressed lately
and thanks for talking with me about it, guys.
-Always around. man. -[Brad] That's what I'm here for, Charlie.
I gotta go do my stretches.
-Let's do this. -Yeah, I wanna watch.
I think my brother moving down to Houston would be a little sad,
but again, you know, if he's gotta do what he's gotta do
to succeed in his life and if moving down to Houston
is the next path, then that's what it is.
All right, so we're gonna start with our neck exercises.
[Charles] Yeah, it was pretty fun
hanging out with my brother and sister tonight.
So I'm very happy I have them for support
and motivation in my, uh, journey and my weight loss.
-Like this? One. -[Cheyana] Yep.
-Two. -[Charles] Two.
[both] Three.
-[Cheyana] Four. -[grunts]
-[Cheyana] Five. -[grunts]
[Charles] I have decided not to move to Houston.
It's too far and I'm not gonna leave my family.
If I were to move away from my family right now, it'd probably break my heart.
Dr. Now has just asked for too much.
And so there's no point in going to the appointment.
I told Dr. Now's office I will talk to him on another video call instead.
So I'm going to have that call with him today.
Bradley.
[Brad] What's up, Charlie?
Oh, wow. Look at that.
Oh.
[ringing]
How are you doing, Dr. Now?
I'm doing okay, Charles. What's going on with you?
All right, are you losing weight?
Yep. [sighs]
Not ready to move down to Houston yet.
Um, I have stuff going down here.
I was just wondering since I'm doing okay
with my weight loss down here,
if there's any way possible I can get my surgery down here?
[Charles] My family's out here,
I have a good support system going on out here.
Can you make an exception for me, have my surgery here
'cause I've been doing so well?
Then I'm gonna have to lose as much as I can
on my own and then I'll have to call you.
All right. So Charles, I wish you the best
and if you change your mind, give me a call.
Thank you, Dr. Now, and thank you for all the help.
-You're welcome. -Okay.
[Dr. Now speaking]
I don't look at it like I failed the program
because I'm feeling good, I'm losing weight.
I don't know what my future looks like right now.
It's kind of developing as I go.
But I'm confident that
things are gonna work out all right
and that I'll still end up getting the surgery eventually.
Just it's not gonna happen right away.
So I know I can keep going and that I'm gonna succeed.
I want to keep that momentum going.
And I don't plan to stop until I make it to my target
and get the life that I want.