Posted on 03/08/2007 1:11:12 PM PST by DeerfieldObserver
Manuel Uribe, who once weighed half a ton, left his house on Wednesday for the first time in five years.
Six people pushed Uribe's wheel-equipped iron bed out to the street, as a mariachi band played and a crowd gathered to see the man who once weighed 1,235 pounds.
"It's nice [being outside]. Many thanks to my travelling Mariachis," Uribe said after taking a sip from a champagne bottle.
Unable to leave his bed for more than five years, Uribe has lost 397 pounds since he began a high-protein diet a year ago. He now weighs about 840 pounds.
To celebrate the milestone, a forklift lifted Uribe's bed onto a trailer pulled by a pickup truck and the 41-year-old mechanic rode through the streets of San Nicolas de los Garza, a Monterrey suburb.
"I'm very proud of him and very happy. I hope God continues to give him the strength to move forward," Uribe's neighbour, Leonor Garza said.
Uribe was a chubby kid, weighing more than 250 pounds as an adolescent.
In 1992, he said his weight began to balloon further.
Since the summer of 2002, Uribe has been bedridden, relying on his mother and friends to feed and clean him.
He drew worldwide attention when he pleaded for help on national television in January 2006.
Afterwards, an Italian and a Spanish doctor both visited and offered him gastric bypass surgery.
But Uribe chose to accept help from Mexican nutritionists working with the Zone diet which he says he will stick to until he reaches his goal weight of 265 pounds.
Doctors say it may take between three and four years for Uribe to reach his goal.
Uribe said he plans to start a foundation to help overweight people get medical assistance and teach them about healthy eating habits.
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It's good to get out every five years or so.
OK, now you've got me curious - if they can do things like play volleyball, does that mean they are controlling the body together in a coordinated way, or do they take turns controlling it? If you pinch a leg, can they both feel it?
Thank you. Please remind me to miss that tv program.
The guy didn't have the courage to get a gastric bypass. I find it hard to feel sorry for him.
I had to go back and look but that does look like his sack! I've heard of having BIG BALLS before...
Wow. I suddenly have a wild urge to use my tread mill.
Believe it was their doctor who said "no". They don't physically feel sensation done to the other's half.
This was a very fascinating program, and I found I almost forgot they were conjoined after watching it for awhile. Very nice, normal acting teenagers. My question is what will happen when one dies? Since they have separate hearts, and other organs I wonder if they both would die at the same time.
Is it on the Freaks-R-Us channel? (sorry, bad joke)
I remember seeing a documentary on them about 8 years ago, and have since wondered how they are doing. I am glad they seem to be doing well. I find those girls to be quite inspiring, and plan on watching the upcoming one.
Two heads, two hearts, two stomachs, three lungs, three kidneys, two gallbladders, two spinal columns; everything else as in a normal person. Right head, controls right side; left head, left side. Left head no feeling on right and vice versa. So how they coordinate actions that require two hands: piano playing, keyboard typing, playing softball, volleyball, swimming, diving, bicycle riding, etc. is a mystery to the medical doctors.
FNC has the Duke guy that invented the automatic beer deliverer on now. Maybe that's what this guy has. Only it tosses bags of Doritos.
If you're speaking about the girls, I think you'd be very surprised at just how normal they are. Sure their appearance is shocking at first, but at least in my case I found I was more caught up in how they interacted with their family and friends while living as normal a life as they can under their condition. Fascinating program,
Courage? He's shown more courage losing weight the old fashioned way and addressing the issues of what caused his weight gain than relying on an operation as a cure all.
Have you had a gastric bypass? I'm curious because I've had basically the same operation even though mine wasn't for weight loss so I only had 25% of my stomach removed instead of the normal amount a true gastric bypass removes.
He could not maintain this weight by himself. Whoever buys his food should be charged with a crime..... that is gross. What the heck is that dragging on the floor? I'm afraid to know.
Does this bowling ball bag shoe make me look fat?
What sort of mechanic is he? He would be a good airplane mechanic. He could just lay on his back and they could move the 747 back and forth as necessary.
I have read only a handful on replies on this thread like yours. We should be wishing him well. He has a problem. He's doing something about it. Instead most of these thin and beautiful people on here keep making fun of the guy. You can't read an article on here about someone who is overweight without a bunch of people laughing or judging.
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