Airplane worries!

Hi Barbara, What a great story! Thanks for sharing it, so very uplifting and encouraging. I am so proud of you for losing over 100lbs! WOOHOO That is awsome! I wish I had known you were in DC. We only live 30 minutes from there. It would have been cool to meet and have lunch. I had my surgery in DC at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Next time you are down, please let me know. You could even stay with us if you ever needed to. We have lots of room. Enjoy the roller coaster! Hugs, Robin

Hi Robin - next time we come to DC I will definitely get in touch with you - it would be fun to meet you. My daughter actually moved to Arlington - she works for the Department of Education. She went off to DC to get her master's degree from George Washington University. She was a White House Intern for a while and loves the DC life - so she will probably be there for a while! Thanks for the invitation and hope to meet you sometime! Barbara

Were you writing my thoughts? I still dont understand fully why we cant see our new selves!! I flew over the summer, and since the belt fit, the only explanation I could come up with is that this airline must have larger seat belts than other airlines. Couodnt possibly be due to my weight loss!! I was celebrating inside also when my seatbelt went on with ease!! I totally relate to your nice story. Congrats and good luck.

Don't you just love this journey we are on! I think it will be a while before we forget our once "fat" bodies and totally deal with our new selves!

Congrats Barbara, I flew to Vegas this weekend and chuckled to myself as I cinched up my non-extended seatbelt and looked to see that I had about 8 or 9 inches of slack. It was a nice feeling indeed. Your exit row story reminded me of when I was flying last year at my heaviest pre-op weight. Barb & I had gotten exit row seats on an extremely full flight. We sat down and, of course, I couldn't get the belt buckled. I asked the attendant for an extender, and he informed me that you couldn't use one in the exit row. Talk about panick. I immediately began thinking of the embarrassment of having to be moved in front of everybody on the plane so that I could get in a row where I could use an extender. I started sucking the gut in and repositioning myself, trying to get that damn thing buckled. I believe that I most have broken every rule of physics, because I was somehow able to get it to buckle, but it was the most uncomfortable airplane ride I've ever had. It's nice to know that those days are over forever! Scott

WOW Scott - your new picture is amazing. You have done so good and we are so proud of you! Don't you just love to fly now and know you can buckle up and PULL it tighter! Never thought I would see that day! Barbara

Barbara, First, CONGRATULATIONS on joining the century club! I'm so proud of you and all that you have accomplished. What great progress! Also, I can completely relate to the Southwest Airlines story. The same thing happened to me several years ago. It was so humiliating. I have never flown Southwest since. They handled the situation so badly that I haven't had the courage to try flying on that airline again. I understand the theory behind the second seat purchase, but I think they need sensitivity training! Also, I flew all the time while MO and Southwest was the only airline that ever made me purchase an extra seat. It seems to me that it should be standard procedure for all airlines or none. I know how wonderful it is to realize that you will NEVER need a seat belt extender again. Never, ever! Here's to 100 pounds gone forever and seat belt extenders gone forever! Hugs, Stephanie

Stephanie you are always so sweet and supportive! This group of MARCHER's are so glad you are in our number! Isn't that Southwest experience humiliating? I wonder if they keep the "you have to buy an extra seat" coded by your name in the computer??? I would love to have the opportunity to fly SWA again and call my name because it was coded in the computer and me report to the desk and them say I need an extra seat!!!!! Sometime we should fly somewhere together and see if it happens and then stick our tongues out at them! I think SWA might be the worst for making folks buy "extra seats"!! Thanks for all your support Stephanie - and by the way your new picture looks wonderful!!!! Hugs to you...Barbara

Wow, what great therapy that trip turned out to be. Congrats and thanks for sharing your story. This really is a journey. Keep up the good work, Mary