900lb Brother Needs Help
My heart aches as I write this, but I'm reaching out for help and support for my bedridden, morbidly obese younger brother. He's been struggling with his health, weighing over 900 lbs now, dealing with lymphedema, and now relying on oxygen due to shortness of breath. We've hit roadblocks finding care facilities.
The reality is stark: there are no local resources equipped to handle someone of his size on a regular basis. His lymphedema worsens, and we're doing our best with compression supports, but it's an uphill battle. We've reached out for help, made countless calls, but options are slim. He has dealt with a lot from being home schooled due to bullying, experiencing SA trauma at a young age, and dealing with the death of our grandparents and mother in a few short years. When the pandemic happened that's when the weight piled on, he ended up with pneumonia, and became bedridden. I am also obese at 350lbs and my dad is over 400.
I'm reaching out here, hoping to find support groups, connections to individuals who've faced similar challenges (700 or more pounds), and stories of real people who have successfully overcome immense weight struggles against the odds. It seems there is nothing out there exclusively for people and families with loved ones who become bedbound from their weight at 700 or more pounds (except one humiliating tv show/doctor who asked "what do you expect me to do?").
I know this is the internet and so no one is required to be nice, but this has mentally wrecked my family, especially me because I don't want my little brother to die. For example, I'm not the one who controls the food. I don't even live with him, but I try to visit once or twice a month and help around with household tasks since Since it's gotten this bad I've personally had to be heavily medicated and seeking therapy because I started having panic attacks in the middle of the night being afraid I'd wake up and get a call he is dead. He is only in his 20's. He should be living his life and not stuck in a bed.
We acknowledge the hurdles ahead: addiction, breaking enabling patterns, therapy, and more. But amidst it all, my brother remains hesitant to seek help publicly, fearing the stigma and spectacle. Please, if you have insights, resources, or personal experiences with being over 700lbs or having a loved one reach that weight, let me know. I'd love to reach out to people privately to hear what successfully worked to save their lives. This feels like it's the end for him if we don't do something fast.
