Back again

Ugh, I hate the trying to sit in the booth!  I haven't seen my family for 6 years and I know I'm way too fat to fly.  I am so happy to hear that you have overcome those challenges.  I find that these and my mobility have made my life far too small.  I wish I could hope for a change in shoes, but that is highly unlikely.  I wear a EEEE width and I even had that as a child, so no luck there!  I would love it though if shoes were the only thing I had to special order. :)

You never know -- I was in a 9 EEE shoe --- and truthfully, I probably was an 8 or 8.5 but I needed a 9 for additional width.  I always had wide feet, too -- even as a kid.

Now I wear a 7 to 7.5 -- and easily fit into regular B width shoes...

I had thought I was large boned.

HA!  My ring size went from a 9.5 to a 5!  I wear an extra small on top. 

I had no idea what was under all the weight -- just that I missed seeing my grandmother alive the last time because I didn't fit into a plane seat and was ashamed to fly alone.  Or how it felt to break a plastic patio chair at my friend's deck party.  I knew what it was like not to be able to always reach my butt to wipe, too.

I wish that you will overcome your personal challenges, too.  There's a great big world out there -- and we need you in it!

Wow that would be crazy if my shoe size went down that much!  I won't hold my breath though. haha  I wonder what size I'll wear in clothes.  I think a lot will depend on my poor boobs.  They are already sad and droopy from being so big (E cup), so I know they'll be pitiful after I lose weight.  I have always been busty.  I wore a D cup when I was 14! If you don't mind my asking, how did your breasts change? I think that's the body part I worry about the most.

My breasts have been the most surprising to me.  I had C cups since 6th grade -- went to a D in HS and then DD for almost my entire adult life.  I've always sort of identified with being a big busted woman.  Truthfully, I haven't ever been that saggy -- and my stomach was certainly bigger than my breasts -- but I guess I expected them to stay huge?  Anyhow, to answer your question, I went from a 46 DD and now I wear a 32C.  I am 44,  so they aren't as "perky" as I would like -- but it is nice to be able to wear cute bras and thin straps for the first time in my life.  It's very weird to be smaller busted now.  

Hi Rturnage - Welcome back to the boards.

Just wanted to chime in and answer your question about why I wanted to lose weight.  For me, it was definitely for health reasons.  My body was failing me.  I always hurt - movement caused pain, along with shortness of breath.  Had back pain for many years -- but then I started having problems with my legs:  Achilles Tendonitis in both legs, and Neuropathy.  Casts and crutches, and now cane.  When I went to my first orientation meeting, I had to use a wheelchair to get to the conference room.   Not.A.Good.Thing.  A few months ago I went to a support meeting and the leader asked about how life has changed post-op, and I said I was now able to walk on my own two feet to get to the conference room, and I broke down in tears of joy when I told him that.  

Now, I still need a cane for balance purposes, but I can walk distances and stand for more than five minutes.  Vanity has come into play now too.  Before, I ordered clothes through catalogs -- would buy things just so they fit.  Now, because my size drops quickly, I go to thrift shops and find amazing things in all sizes and colors - and I love it.  Friday at my local shop is "Fill a Bag for $5 Day -- you'd be amazed at what you can fit into those small plastic grocery bags.  A few pairs of jeans an a few tops.  I'm loving it!!!

Hope things progress quickly and you are able to get the sleeve soon!

Mary

Hi Mary,

Thanks for writing!  Ugh.  I know all about those physical issues.  I need a wheelchair when going to appointments as well.  I have had multiple slip and fall accidents over the years, so I'm pretty orthopedically jacked up.  I would love to go thrift store shopping!  I currently order my clothes online like you mentioned.  I wear a lot of dresses that are pretty, but they aren't cheap when you have to order things in size 5X.  Thank you so much for sharing. :)

Rachel

I am a single mom of 2 via adoption. My family is CRAZY so I knew I had to do everything I could to get healthy so that I am here to raise them to adulthood. My motivation was my kids.

I will admit now at 6.5 years out, it is vanity that helps me keep it off. I love the way I look now and I want to keep working hard to stay the same size. Also, I am a poor single mom and cannot afford to replace my wardrobe, so I HAVE to keep it off. 

Good luck on your journey. We are here to cheer you on!!

Thank you for writing!  I don't have any children, but I have definitely seen how much energy is needed to care for them.  It's just me and my cats, so that does make life a bit easier.  I can definitely see where vanity comes into play.  I posted my thoughts because I want to surround myself with positive people.  I know that many people (and me earlier in life) can get very depressed about their weight and feel ugly, unwanted, etc.  Since I don't feel that way now, I want to try to keep my environment as positive as possible.  I have a lot of empathy for others so I have to be picky and choosy or I get overwhelmed.

All about the health. I was 550, beautiful and sassy then became diabetic rny solved it all. 307 Down

I will be honest: I hated my body before my surgery.  At only 5'3" tall and over 330 pounds, I knew that I was generally unattractive no matter how nice my hair looked or how expensive my clothing was. What I hated more than how I looked, however, was how I felt. I was so sick of always being out of breath with just the least little bit of exertion, not being able to participate in activities simply because of my size, and constant worrying about whether I would fit into a seat, classroom chair (I was in grad school as a 45 year old), restaurant booth, etc.

What pushed me over "the edge" if you will, though, was having some chest discomfort on a couple of occasions after mild activity and then having my PCP tell me that I had officially become "pre-diabetic" (after watching my blood sugar creep up for several years in a row). My Dad was diabetic and had heart problems, and I look exactly like him and share both of his allergies, so I knew where I was headed physically. My knees also hurt terribly ALL the time.

If it had not been for the health issues that were starting to appear, I wouldn't have "pulled the trigger" on a WLS that meant rearranging my digestive system.  The idea of dying young or living with all sorts of health issues (and continuing to be so limited in what activities I could participate in because of the weight) was scarier than the surgery.

Lora