WLD QUESTION OF THE DAY

Hi Renee, I soooo know what you are saying...I recently had a "issue" where I work. A girl that I work with was saying that I "took the easy way out with having the surgery" and was informed by another employee that she was jealous of me....I really still don't understand the whole deal (she lost over 100 pds with Weigh****chers) I gave her so many compliments on her weight loss and couldn't understand why she never returned a compliment. It really hurt but I guess some people would rather be your friend when your what you are on the outside not the inside. I still look in the mirror and see a heavy person. Hopefully that will change someday... My fiance had a hard time with my weight loss. He's very supportive, don't get me wrong, but he now says I get more attention than I used too. I told him I did my surgery for 1) my health 2) our children and 3) to make a better and healthier life for our relationship. Most importantly was for me....I am so thankful for this surgery. I look at it as a tool and not a magic wand like some people think (girl at work). I struggle everyday with foods and exercise but am getting better as I go along. I hope I never have responded to anyone with a "better than you" attitide, because I look at this site as a family and am thankful for all the help we can give each other. Have a great night!!! Karry 311/189/167 goal

Hey Karry, By the way, you look fabulous, girl. I just had to say that if I haven't told you already. Anyway, I get ticked off when folks say that surgery is the easy way out. OH YOU DON'T KNOW how I could kick someone is the behind for that remark! Oh, so they think this is EASY? Yeah right. I have had to put folks in their place big time by first of all asking them do they have any clue what goes into JUST THE DECISION to have this surgery? How easy is it to lose weight and gain it a thousand times using a whole slew of methods, only to end up bigger than ever and finally have to break down and admit that you need serious help with this? Emotionally that is a HELL of a huge step. They think it's easy to have to recount and document your weight gains and losses? All of the attempts and failures at weight loss? List every ailment you have ever had that was related to weight loss and have OTHER PEOPLE DECIDE whether it was ENOUGH to warrant you having surgery? What about the pre-op testing? Being poked and proded and tested dozen of different ways? And finally the decision to put your life on the line to have your insides re-designed so that it is physically impossible to eat more than what a baby eats - even though you crave and want what you used to be able to eat? THEY THINK THAT'S EASY. Humpf. Let me tell them a thing or two, ok? Sorry, but that stuff just burns me up. I say for all who are able to fight and win their battle with the bulge by more conventional methods, MORE POWER TO YOU - and I mean that wholeheartedly because I would have loved to been able to do it myself. But I wasn't so fortunate that way but am thankful for this surgery tool because I was lost without it and anyone who hates on me because I got it done this way can go scratch. So I'm hoping off the soapbox now and once again, congratulations at making goal and you look GREAT. STRUT IT GIRL! STRUT IT!!!!

Renee Great topic and one I think we can ALL relate too. I know what you mean by the raising of eyebrows, I have a friend who works for the agency I work with, she had WLS 6 weeks before I did. She had less to lose and shes at goal...and looks wonderful, BUT her attitute is ugly as heck.......Right down to leaving her hubby for men at a bar who would not date her before, but, now they will, so shes a happy gal. I saw her not only change in body.....but more so in attitude. Now, I know I have change to some extent, perhaps walking with my head held up rather than down.......smiling and meaing the smile.....and having a sparkle in my eye that for the life of me I dont remember seeing before. Wanting to leave the house instead of wanting to hide inside it. I wanted BADLY for this journey to not change the person I was before, I was , and still am a very heartfelt person.( prolley my best quality) I have always been that way, not because i felt I had to be, because if i wasnt, with my weight I would have nothing......I did it because it was who I was.....who I am today. I guess what I am saying is I am soooo gretful that I was able to have WLS and a new lease on life , that I soo dont want it to be filled with this person im not. I am who I am....and I dooo hope that one day someone wont say to me, "during your journey you lost Brenda"........I think that would sadden me to know I lost the best part of who I am. At the same time.....I love the smile, the sparkle and the way I feel. I love seeing people look at me and know I am becoming the person I wanted to be for soooo long, and now Im am getting there. Hope this wasnt too long and Did I even touch on what you were asking?? Loved the question.......it really made me think....and Im blonde....sooo thats a hard thing for me !! Love to You Renee Brenny

Brenny, you keep me cracking up. You are too much! But like Christine, you are one of those people who folks can see the light coming from you. You are true to who you are, genuinely good people, able to laugh at life and at yourself, and just fun to kick it with. I'm glad that hasn't changed about you and doubt it ever will.

Hey Renee, Well you know I have to respond to your post for sure cause I so know what you are talking about. I must say that I really havent run into anyone whose attitude has changed drastically after WLS by that I mean in a bad way. My pre-op friends before WLS Marcia L, Celena, Angelene, and you ofcourse, even though I dont hear from anyone all the time cause I know life after WLS is busy I still hear from everyone with no problem. Now, I do see where people self esteem do drastically change for a better in a way or get too ****y (for instance ME). It can be a good thing cause you know when we was bigger your self esteem tend to be lower. As for me it never has whether I was big or small. I just hope that when people attitude changed that it wont be to make things in their life worse. I feel that if God has supplied these surgeons with that ability of doing such surgery to better peoples life that everyone would take it easy with the life change. Even though we know that aint gonna happen but hey everyone is different. So for me WLS couldnt do me any better than what it has after loosing all this weight. But the nice and crazy Jonathan has always remained the same way. LOVE YA

Wow, J ... Look at where your journey has taken you! Great pic. God bless and good luck.

Hey Papa! You are a nut, you know that? But one thing I can say about you is that you were a nut before and you are still a nut. You were a sweetie before and you still are. You were a hooker before and you still are. You had a big head before and you still do. WLS hasn't changed you. JJ is JJ is JJ and that's the triple truth. I am the same way. I think I was good people before WLS and I still am. But I also know that I was opinionated and fly my mouth open wide and often before WLS and I still do. I think my point here is you are who you are. If WLS has an affect on folks attitude, it should be to strengthen self-esteem, bring out a person's ability to be themselves, enhance what was already good about them and hopefully help to minimize the negative. At least, that's my dream, ya know?

Girl you know your right! Luv Ya Rosie

Hey Renee How are you? It's so good to see you. Being on the boards, I can sure relate. All I can say is that I'm thankful that I'm the same geniune person. Thank God for my pre-op friends who are real cool and down to earth. People are who they are, real or phony.

For the most part, as this incredibly journey brings me back out into the world, I'm kinder and gentler than ever. Because it all comes from HIM after all and HE has put so many of my wonderful OH friends in my life, in my path, with their hands to hold as we take our individual journeys together. Many times I made it to thin but ended up fat again; the one thing I have finally learned (if nothing else) is that I must always remain humble and grateful.