# Re Debi Thomas how does a ex-Olympian/Orthopedic surgeon become destitute? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 7, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905 "2015-11-07T16:06:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/21 "2015-11-08T00:20:40Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > There seems to be a lot left unsaid in her story. I suspect addiction and/or other mental health disorders are likely to have been involved. Said disorders often lead to financial, medical, and other misconduct. > > For an orthopedist to be successful (as a general rule) they need surgical privileges at a hospital or other surgical center. Lacking that, they’re limited to office-based orthopedic work only, which these days does not pay all that well. > > Lose those hospital privileges at one particular location due to bad behavior, and that fact will be widely reported within the circles of hospitals, review boards, and licensing bodies. This can well result in losing privileges at other hospitals when they hear of it, along with investigation/discipline by the state licensing board. Once that happens, it’s a long, long road back. I looked up her Virginia medical license; it had expired in 2014, and some kind of action was taken against it but details are not available online. I agree that it sounds like drugs, alcohol, and/or mental health issues. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/22 "2015-11-08T00:43:00Z")
Existing thread > **[Re Debi Thomas how does a ex-Olympian/Orthopedic surgeon become destitute?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=774494)** > > Her "Go Fund Me"request story me was here. Not that she hasn’t had difficulties but a beg video to get money to get a reality show (and she landed that deal) vs going back to work as a doctor is … kind of weird. Divorces and stingy Medicare doesn’t... ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/23 "2015-11-08T00:49:07Z")
So sad, obviously something happened that resulted in her medical license being revoked. Worse part is the fact that she is living with her abusive boyfriend, shows she feels she has no where to go. ---
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/24 "2015-11-08T00:50:41Z")
Very sad, she is living with an abusive jerk which shows she has no one else for support and no where to go, so she is sticking with him. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/25 "2015-11-08T00:54:51Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Existing thread > > [Re Debi Thomas how does a ex-Olympian/Orthopedic surgeon become destitute? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=774494) I saw that after I started this one. Could they be whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/26 "2015-11-08T01:10:46Z")
> [@Nema98](#): > > Very sad, she is living with an abusive jerk which shows she has no one else for support and no where to go, so she is sticking with him. Could it be that she does have support but she stubbornly chooses to stay in the relationship? Thats something I have been guilty of doing. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/27 "2015-11-08T01:12:58Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Could it be that she does have support but she stubbornly chooses to stay in the relationship? Thats something I have been guilty of doing. It does seem like a series of bad decisions is in play here; this relationship may be just the latest example. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/28 "2015-11-08T20:51:19Z")
Where does it say that her boyfriend is abusive? I’m not saying he isn’t but I’ve only seen that he’s poor and doesn’t have movie star looks. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/29 "2015-11-08T20:52:34Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > I’ve only seen that he’s poor and doesn’t have movie star looks. I think that’s the standard for abuse these days . . . ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/30 "2015-11-08T23:05:41Z")
I heard a long interview with her in 2009. She came across as funny, mature, self-assured, able to look back at her experiences and make a realistic assessment of her personal flaws at the time of the Olympics. She did not come across as bitter or mentally ill. > **[Episode #30: Debi Thomas - figure skating interviews : The Manleywoman SkateCast](https://manleywoman.com/episode-30-debi-thomas/)** > > An interview with Debi Thomas, World Champion, National Champion and 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist. However, in 8 years a lot can change. Surgeons and anesthesiologists tend to be high risk for substance abuse. If I had to pull a guess out of the air, I’d guess that. [http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov14/managing7.asp](http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/nov14/managing7.asp) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/31 "2015-11-08T23:39:18Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > Where does it say that her boyfriend is abusive? I’m not saying he isn’t but I’ve only seen that he’s poor and doesn’t have movie star looks. “Anger issues” is a code word for “abusive”. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/32 "2015-11-08T23:55:59Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I hate Iyanyla. She and Dr. Phil are the worst people on the planet. I’d be infuriated if someone insisted I felt a certain way (ashamed) just because that’s what they think I should feel. Fuck that bitch. I hadn’t heard of Iyanla Vazant before reading that article, but that’s exactly the same reaction I had. Also, how is demanding that someone feel ashamed supposed to _help_ them? Isn’t that likely to make her crawl further into her hole, and lose the will to do anything at all? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/33 "2015-11-09T04:50:31Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > I hadn’t heard of Iyanla Vazant before reading that article, but that’s exactly the same reaction I had. Also, how is demanding that someone feel ashamed supposed to _help_ them? Isn’t that likely to make her crawl further into her hole, and lose the will to do anything at all? Ms. Van Zant had several massive best-sellers in the 1990s, mainly aimed at black women and in the inspirational/self-help realm. I had no idea she was still around. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/34 "2015-11-09T16:21:39Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Could they be whooshed? …that word…I do not think it means what you think it means. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/35 "2015-11-09T16:46:33Z")
This story saddens me. This was a young woman who had pretty much everything the world has to offer. And she got it by working for it. You don’t become either an Olympian or a surgeon easily. She should have cruised through the rest of her life with colors flying. It would be interesting to know what really sent her off the rails, whether it was drugs, fraud, or some type of mental challenge (I’m leaning toward the undiagnosed bi-polar theory, too) that arose when she reached barriers she couldn’t overcome and wasn’t able to handle the failure. In any case, I hope now that her issues are public, that she gets the help she needs to get back on her feet. Somewhere deep inside she still has the grit and determination that got her to the top of her sport and got her that medical degree. Hopefully she can reconnect with it. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/36 "2015-11-09T18:35:33Z")
I “smooshed” 🙂 these two threads together for you. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/37 "2015-11-09T20:33:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Pretty sad; I wasn’t aware of how much of a mess she was in now. > > Her first husband (whom she married just after the Calgary Olympics) was a high-school classmate of mine. I haven’t spoken with said classmate since the two of them were married (and divorced), so I have no idea of his POV of her now, or if they have any contact with each other. Well according to the article he “felt lost in the midst of her popularity.” I have a feeling he might have a different perspective. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/38 "2015-11-09T22:42:44Z")
> [@Mixolydian](#): > > …that word…I do not think it means what you think it means. We use that term on another website. A little Google-fu revealed that her son is actually 18, not 13 (maybe he was 13 when they divorced) and he and his father live in Arkansas. The son is on a college football team. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905/39 "2015-11-09T23:27:12Z")
A friend of mine who has been following the media on this story today tells me that Debi’s son (or someone else posting under his name) has been vigorously defending his mother all over social media today. If that is indeed true, I feel so sorry for this young man being put through this wringer because of his mother’s issues. There is always collateral damage with these stories. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-debi-thomas-how-does-a-ex-olympian-orthopedic-surgeon-become-destitute/736905.md?page=1)