WOW Moment Stories....

I love hearing everyone's "WOW" moments...it's so motivational....I'd love to hear some more.....even if it's been a while....I'd love if everyone could post something that they remember that was a WOW in their WLS journey....this could even be pre-op.....

I had a WOW moment today....my daughter had her Kindergarten Graduation & we were at her school for the awards ceremony.  A friend of mine who I had not seen since before Christmas (I had surgery on March 17th of this year) was there and I made my way up to where she was sitting and sat behind her.  She turned around & we started talking--I heard she had just had gallbladder surgery & it stopped her from running the triathalon she was training for---so, she was telling me about that and right in the middle of her story she just stopped and stared at me--she said, "wait a minute...have you lost like 100 pounds or something?"----it was so out of the blue because we were in the middle of talking about her surgery that it caught me off guard.  I laughed & said, "Well, about 60 pounds".  Then she said, "In how long?".  I said, "About 7 or 8 weeks, I guess".  She was so shocked---the look on her face was priceless & she said, "Okay--wait, no, how could you lose 60 pounds in 8 weeks?"......I told her that I had bariatric surgery.....she was so supportive & the genuine look of shock on her face made my day!!!  It is fun to run into people I haven't seen since before surgery....I still have a ways to go, but this is really a fun part of it!!!  Wow!

Okay....NEXT WOW moment............

 Awww, your babies are growing up so fast!  Kindergarten today, elementary school graduation tomorrow!

That's a great WOW moment!  I'm having some, too and I find this journey to be the most entertaining one of my life so far!

Today I detoured by Wally World on the way in (boss out of town = lolligagging on my part).  The woman who does our housekeeping at night at work also works there days.  I saw her at the checkout and she was so complimentary on how much I've lost and how she can really tell, especially in my face!  That was so sweet!

When I caught up with my friend Carra at the dog show last weekend, she was busy grooming one of her dogs.  She looked up, finally, did a double take and said, "Wow!!!  We are going to have to go shopping and get you out of those sloppy big clothes!"  I hadn't seen her since mid-March (pre-op) and I wasn't sure if she'd notice the difference.

Yesterday I was at the Orthopedic institute doing physical therapy for my hip.  I had the old guy for my therapist and he had me do stretches on one of the machines next to the exercise bike.  A guy on a bike said, "Hey Purdy (the pt guy)--you trying to fix me up with a new girlfriend?"  That was almost kinda being hit on!  Dear diary!

And then a few weekends ago I was at Home Depot trying to slide bags of potting soil from the cart from the trunk.  This guy (not an employee of HD, either) came out of nowhere and helped me out--Here, let me get that!  ???  I have spent many a time loading unruly items into the back of my coupe (landscape timbers, 2 x 4s, mulch, etc) and no one has ever offered to help before.  

I think a lot of this is not as much from the weight loss per se, but my new, evolving attitude about myself from it.  Again, it is very funny to me!  Some people are more like, "Why didn't anyone help me before?  I'm the same person!"  But for me, I'm not the same person.  In the past, I was trying to blend in the background, I wanted to be left alone, not noticed.  Now, I'm much more social and okay with it!  

I can definitely tell that emotional changes within are being reflected in my demeanor now.  I'm loving it and expecting lots of WOW moments and NSVs to come!  It makes every day almost like Christmas--very exciting!!!

HUGS!!!
Denise

I know this is going to sound bad to some of you, so on the front end, if I offend you I'm sorry.  BUT.......We went to a Community Association Meeting last week, where we saw some old friends.  One of our old friends (male friend who is very married) said "You look so good, I'll bet you are you wearing a thong under there.".   We are OLD friends, but it did catch me by surprise!   I laughed out loud and turned red as all get out.   I shared the moment with my husband who also knows this person very well and the DH thought it was funny too.    

On the way home, I said to my husband again,  " that is so funny that he would have said that about a thong"!.........Then I said...."Hey!  don't laugh......It could happen!! "   LOL 

Not now of course, but at goal?    Oh well at this age, probably NOT!   But it was fun and I think it was an off handed Wow moment

Next Wow Moment ........

Okay, last Friday I had an interview for a new job so Ihad taken the morning off from my current one to go to the interview then I went on to work. I do not wear make-up on a regular basis because I can't stand the way it feel son my face. But on important occassions (night out on the town, interviews, etc) I do my face up "purrty". I had also gone out and spent some money on a brand new perfect fitting outfit.

Once I got to work, I was walking down the hall toward a colleague (who I see all the time by the way). When I got to where she was standing, her mouth dropped. She said, "I hate to admit this but you are looking so good now I didn't even recognize you!"  I'm not really sure if it was the make-up, the proper fitting clothes, or the weight loss (probably the combination), but I was surprised that someone I see almost every day didn't recognize me!

I totally agree that the way people around us react to us has everyhting to do with our own new-found confidence and increased self-esteem.  I LOVE it!

Next...

I love to read stories like these. They are so inspiring and you know... I really believe in all my heart that God lets us have these little "nuggets of gold" to encourage us...  sometimes, they come when we are down and discouraged...  they boost our spirits up so high!  Then at other times, we're already happy and they just make us burst out in laughter, or light up our faces even more...  it's good for you as new folks to do these things...  us oldies, we don't get them as much as we used to, but we still get them!

Yvonne (Bariatric Girl) shared a few things with me some time back about how we felt about ourselves as obese.  Could it have been that we hated ourselves, and almost expected to "put people off" and so that is what we got in return?  It very well could be, and you know...  the more weight you lose, the horrible self esteem will begin to fall away too...  you will see that you are worth so much more than you ever gave yourselves credit for...  It truly is an amazing transformation to go through, hard at times yes, but incredibly rewarding.  It's also an amazing transformation for everyone else to watch as well!  Thank y ou for sharing it with us.

Well I already posted one WOW moment but just had another one this afternoon.  We are going on vacation this weekend to an amusement park. Since I had my surgery in February, I really didn't have any summer clothes that fit so off to Kohls I went in search of some capris. EVERYTHING I PICKED UP AND TRIED ON FIT LIKE A GLOVE! I felt that I had choices in my clothing because it all fit and looked good!  BUT better than that, I tried on (and subsequently bought) a pair of SHORTS. I can't even remember the last time I wore shorts because I always hated how they ride up when your legs rub together while walking. I walked around the fitting room several times to make sure that wasn't going to happen and ... low and behold it didn't! I CAN wear shorts again! Bring on summer vacation!

Yippee........

I had one recently even though I am definitely an "oldie" at 3 1/2 years post-op.

I learned recently that one of the ladies I currently work with is SIL to a lady I worked with about 7 years ago and had no idea I had had WLS. We decided to play a little trick on her.

Co-worker asked SIL to lunch and told her she was bringing a couple of ladies she works with along. We arrived at the restaurant to find SIL already seated. Co-worker introduces the other lady with us to SIL as she slides into the booth but doesn't introduce me. SIL sits there looking at me and waiting for an introduction. Finally I say "You don't have a clue who I am do you?" Her jaw drops and she says "Susan Jones! OMG you look wonderful!!" She said she did not know me until I said something.

We had such a laugh over this. The two ladies I currently work with already knew she wouldn't recognize me because they have seen my before pictures.

So, even at 3 plus years, the WOW moments still happen.

I've had a few.  They are not happening as often anymore, because, I'm almost "done".  Everyone at work knows the "new" me and all.

The most recent was this last weekend...

I went to Opry Mills this last weekend.  I just went to do a little walking and also browse.  I was not shopping but browsing.  Those of you that are not at a stage yet to shop for clothes don't know this yet, but you will soon find out.  I used to hate shopping, because I knew that I cound not buy anything at a mall that would fit, except shoes or a hat!

I walked into Old Navy and was looking around.  I found a couple of shirts on the clearence rack that I liked.  One was an extra large and one was a large... A LARGE!  I took both back to the fitting room and went to put on the extra large first, then I said "Wait try the large on first".

I put it on and it fit.  It was tighter then I like, but if I showed it to someone else they would have told me that it was fine.  At that point I knew that I was really getting there.  I was a "normal" person again.  I do not remember that last time that I EVER fit in a large shirt before.  And it being an Old Navy shirt at that!!

The only thing that I did not like was I could see that little side "pooch" on either side.  But it was not that bad.  I knew that I would ever fit into a large shirt.  I have noticed lately that the extra large shirts that I have are starting to get bigger on me.  I should say some of them anyways.

I feel like a normal person again.   I know I'm stuck on this word normal, but when we think about it according to the rest of society, overweight people ar not normal.  They cannot do things that "normal" people can do, i.e. fly in airplanes, ride theme park rides, sit in most chairs that have arms on them, sit in a booth at a resturant.  I can do these things now.  I feel NORMAL.

Also one more...  (sorry!)
I went to 3 movies this last weekend.  i love going to the movies, but in the past I would not go because I was not comfortable in the seat.  I would make sure that the screening that I went was not busy for fear that the theater would be packed and I would have to sit right next to someone.  I went this last weekend, and did not think at all about it.

I cannot wait till all you new post-ops, even pre-ops are able to experience these things that everyone here is talking about.  So much opens up to you as a thin person, that in the past we have had to deal with.  I would NEVER change my mind, or have 2nd thoughts about my choice to have surgery!

Sorry to ramble, but that was my most recent WOWs!

Michael.

About a month ago my wife called and asked me to pick up our granddaughter from daycare on my way home from work because she had an errand to run. 

When I went inside to get her, theowner of the daycare, who we have known for several years,  said "May I help you sir?"  I said "I'm here to pick up Lindsie." 

She looked totally puzzled and said "Pick up Lindsie? Well who are you?"

I then remembered she had not seen me since before my surgery over a year (and 200+ pounds) ago.  I had to laugh. "Ummmm - I'm still her Pop!"

She looked at me with a shocked look on her face and said "Oh my Lord!  I didn't even recognize you Bob!  I'm so sorry! You look like a totally different person! You look great!"

Hehehe . . . that felt good!