Chad Dean

Morbidly obese American, participant of the show "My 600lb Life"

Country:

USA

Content:

Chad Dean: A Journey of Health and Redemption
Joining "My 600lb Life"
A Rude Awakening
Family Support and Motivation
The Roots of Obesity
Trucking Career and Homebound Life
A Wake-up Call
"My Wife Should Not Have to Be My Caretaker"
Aisha's Silent Suffering
Seeking Help in Houston
Progress and Setbacks
A Tumor and a Turning Point
Apology and Redemption
The Final Weigh-In

Chad Dean: A Journey of Health and Redemption

Overcoming Obesity and Heartbreak

Chad Dean, a 317kg American from Hagerstown, Maryland, risked his life by refusing to take medication after gastric bypass surgery. Fear of death and losing his family became the driving force behind his journey to lose weight and regain his health.

Joining "My 600lb Life"

Appearing on TLC's "My 600lb Life," Dean dropped 117kg in a year. Three months after his life-saving surgery, Dean started losing weight rapidly but was afraid to admit to his surgeon, Dr. Younan Nowzaradan, that he wasn't taking his prescribed medication and couldn't eat solid foods.

A Rude Awakening

When Dean ended up in the hospital with a fistula between his stomach and intestine, Dr. Nowzaradan was furious. He confronted Dean about indulging in cravings and not following instructions, which had led to his extreme obesity in the past. Nonetheless, Nowzaradan fixed the problem, enabling Dean to eat properly, and within a year, he weighed 200kg.

Family Support and Motivation

During his arduous weight loss journey, Dean relied heavily on his wife, Aisha, 32, and their two children, Taqwa, 10, and Jojo, 9. "This is not what my kids deserve," Dean said on camera. "My kids' lives revolve around me right now." To Taqwa, seeing her father lose weight meant she could finally go outside and play with him. "That's my number one wish," she said. "I'd be so happy." During filming, she brought her father drinks, adjusted his footrest, and did anything he asked. Aisha worried about her daughter "being the parent" at such a young age.

The Roots of Obesity

Addressing his obesity, Dean admitted he didn't understand why he couldn't stop eating, but he knew it was consuming him. He shared that his mother's way of showing love was through cooking, which led to weight issues throughout his life. By high school, he had gained so much weight that his grandmother had to sew two gym uniforms together for him to play football. Upon graduating, he weighed close to 180kg.

Trucking Career and Homebound Life

Dean's weight gain accelerated when he started working as a truck driver. At 225kg, he no longer fit in the cab and had to quit. Aisha, a stay-at-home mom, became the breadwinner while her bedridden husband ate all day. It reached a point where Aisha said she didn't marry "this Chad" who had given up on himself. She was burnt out from carrying the household alone.

A Wake-up Call

"Kids shouldn't be burying their father," she said tearfully. Dean finally realized he had to lose weight or risk losing his family and possibly even his life. He became a burden on Aisha and Taqwa, who was increasingly worried about her mother. Jojo, who has autism, also required special care.

"My Wife Should Not Have to Be My Caretaker"

"My wife had to take care of me and clean me because I couldn't do it myself," Dean admitted. "That's degrading. That's not a marriage. We shouldn't be living like this." "We have two kids, and I feel like I'm the third child that has to be taken care of. It makes me feel guilty."

Aisha's Silent Suffering

Speaking candidly about the family's struggles, Aisha revealed that she had tolerated the situation until Dean reached a point where he couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom. On "My 600lb Life," Dean appears in just his underwear, struggling to turn over on the bed so Aisha could clean him. "The question is starting to boil up in my mind," Dean told Aisha. "How much more of this can you take before you're like, 'I'm done. He's too much for me'?"

Seeking Help in Houston

To get help, the family sold their home and relocated to Houston, where Dr. Nowzaradan took on Dean's case. The doctor bluntly stated that Dean's wife and daughter were enabling him and using his affection against him. He demanded that Dean lose 40 pounds in a month or he wouldn't approve him for surgery. Dean managed to do just that, and Dr. Nowzaradan's surgery reduced Dean's stomach by 90%.

Progress and Setbacks

Four months after surgery, Dean had lost down to 277kg. It was difficult for him to watch his daughter eat cheese puffs while he was on a liquid diet. However, he progressed to walking without a cane and finally took his children to the park. Dean knew he needed to transition to solid foods, but due to not taking his medication, he experienced severe pain whenever he tried to eat more substantial meals.

A Tumor and a Turning Point

After performing an endoscopy and discovering a fistula between Dean's stomach and intestine, Dr. Nowzaradan fixed the problem and urged Dean to start taking his prescribed medication. Down 64kg since surgery and 86kg since starting the weight loss program, Dean was able to take over household chores when Aisha fell ill with a cold. He was finally able to care for his wife, bringing joy to the family.

Apology and Redemption

Dean apologized for not being the man he should have been for Aisha, and she forgave him. He vowed to earn back his role as the head of the household. At 223kg, Dean went for a job interview at a trucking company. He was unable to fit in the truck cab, but this time, he didn't let it discourage him. Instead, he found renewed motivation and joined a gym.

The Final Weigh-In

At his final weigh-in, Dean had reached 200kg. Dr. Nowzaradan said that with Dean's progress, he would meet his next goal of losing an additional 40-45kg within six months.

Strong-spirit

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