What Is Wrong With GG on 'Doubling Down With the Derriocs'? Her Health Issues, Explained

Season 5 of Doubling Down With the Derricos has seen Deon and Karen experience some high highs and some low lows. Among the concerning storylines in the TLC series, one centers on Deon's mom Marian Derrico's ongoing health issues. Lovingly referred to as "GG" by her family, Marian underwent heart surgery early on in Season 5. By Episode 9, however, it was clear that she was still struggling. This left viewers wondering: What is wrong with GG, exactly?

GG may be turning 73 in 2022, but that hasn't stopped her from being an active presence in her grandkids' lives. Unfortunately, she has been experiencing some concerning health issues lately, including tightness in her chest.

In the Season 3 premiere, what initially seemed like indigestion turned into a trip to the hospital. GG ended up need surgery in order to place stents in her heart. Viewers witnessed the family matriarch slowly heal after going under the knife; however, months after the surgery, GG still wasn't feeling right.

In Season 5, Episode 9 of Doubling Down With the Derricos, GG opened up with her son about symptoms she had been experiencing. "I have good days and I have bad days," she told Deon during a meetup. "I have pain sometimes. Some days I wake up and I'm just extremely tired ... My body is tired. I'll feel heaviness in my chest."

A worried Deon told the camera: "GG just had heart surgery not too long ago, so when she mentions about having some type of discomfort in her chest, that concerns me. That really, really concerns me."

Luckily, GG already had a followup visit scheduled with her physician the following week, during which she planned to address her concerns. Deon later spoke to Karen about how his mother had been feeling: "We're months out now from those stents, so she should pretty much be good. So the fact that this is coming up now like this, it leads me to believe it's something else."

In Season 5, Episode 10, Deon explained GG was previously diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014. With chemotherapy, doctors were able to reduce it — but they were not successful in getting rid of it completely. That's when viewers learned GG's lung cancer had worsened in recent months.

"When she went to the doctor recently, they told her that the tumor in her lung had grown," Deon said. "She's been dealing with this and bottling this up herself over the last several months."

An emotional Karen told the camera, "GG is a second mother to me. So the thought of her not being here is just too much right now to even try to process."

Meanwhile, Deon admitted: "Watching GG go through this is very, very scary. We still don't have a lot of information. But her doctor is running some more tests so all I can do is stay prayed up."

Because of GG's health, the Derricos decided to put their South Carolina plans on hold and not to move forward with investors on their dream of opening the Derrico Family Pavilion in Myrtle Beach. Deon and Karen instead agreed that remaining present for GG in Las Vegas was far more important.

Hopefully, the Derricos will share more about GG's condition on future episodes of Doubling Down With the Derricos. In the meantime, you can also keep an eye out for updates via GG's Instagram, Deon's Instagram, and Karen's Instagram.

Catch new episodes of Doubling Down With the Derricos at 10 p.m. EST on TLC and on the Discovery Plus app.