My hopes.......

I hope that after my surgery, I will always remember how awful it felt to be stared at and whispered about and that i WONT do it to others. I hope that I can remember how much harm is done to a persons self esteem when they are looked down upon and thought to be weak or lazy because of their size. I hope and pray that I can be an advocate for people who are overweight and suffering; and that I will hold my tongue when I want to say something I shouldnt about someone who is heavy. I hope that I can set a good example for those around me, and let them know that discrimination of ANY type is WRONG. I hope I never forget....never!!!! I hope this will be a stepping stone for me to become more outspoken FOR overweight people, NOT against them. These are just a few of my hopes~~ HUgggZZzz!! traci

VERY well said and well put!!! And I agree with you 100%. I would love to raise awareness that being MO doesn't mean you eat too much, that there are a lot of other contributing factors and some of them are completely out of the individual's control.

I hope the exact same thing. I think it's so important to remember to not judge someone until you've walked in their shoes. This brings to mind something very important. I am 29 years old. I look young, and to glance at me, you'd probably not know I have MS. I have a handicapped parking permit, and I use it often. I have to. THe daily fatigue and muscle spasms make mobility difficult, but it may or may not be obvious to others. I feel COLD STARES and HARSH JUDGEMENTS every time I get out of my car, which was parked in the handicapped parking place. I've had people smirk and make comments. It doesn't help that a few years back, a state legislator (wish I could remember his name) came out in a flaming article in the Daily Oklahoman saying that unless you are in a wheelchair, you had better be prepared to justify to any passing people *why* you are parked in that spot. He basically encouraged a vigilante attack on people using handicapped parking spaces. I know that I'll probably never be on "the other side" of MS, but I do hope to be on the other side of obesity. Great topic Traci.

I am 36 years old and was diagnosed in my early 30s with lupus and fibromyalgia ... I could have gotten a handicap sticker, but with my kids driving me around and such they can let me out and park so i opted against it. But it is really, really difficult for someone that does not "look" handicapped - I feel your pain. My daughter and I even go around at times because she forgets the kind of pain i live with daily - even though the majority of the time she is wonderful. People on the outside do not realize that just because you walk fine today doesn't mean that tomorrow you won't need help walking to the bathroom because your joints and/or muscles don't work properly. I truly hope (my rheumatologist says it's possible) that through WLS I may actually be able to go into my first remission since 1998. I gained my weight through years of being bed bound while taking steroids and have not been able to exercise to get it off. I hope to be an advocate for others out there that have the fear of the surgery i did - I've fought it for 4 years - and that don't know how it can improve their lives. At the same time I want to offer support and understanding to those that chose not to have WLS. It isn't right for everyone at every time. I just want to have a postive impact and people to see how this has changed my life for the better.

OMGOSH thanks you girls for sharing those things!!!! we DO tend to be SO judgmental at times over so much...and why???? WHY???!!!! all we do is add fuel to the fire when we do that!! our society has to stop this kind of behaviour!!.......HUUUgGGZZZzzz to both of you!!! you both make wonderful points!!!!! ( I LIKE wearing rose coloured glasses; and YES the cup is half full!!! )