What's wrong with people!

yeah, the feelings can be rough at first. i am still learning better coping skills. its a process. this is where OH is a godsend.

Thanks Jeff!
I know, my mom is afraid I'll starve!
I appreciate the support!!

 I know exactly how you feel the same thing happened to me when I went to the ER on thursday. The nurses said I didn't look big enough to have had wls. If people only knew how to keep their mouths shut. I didn't let it affect me too much as I vented on here with my support group the beautiful lightweights and then I moved on to figuring out what is going on with my body right now. 

People's opinions about my life was the main reason why the only people that know I had surgery are the lightweights, my husband and my longtime friend. As you can see my family was not mentioned in there becuae I didn't want to have to be under a microscope everytime I took a bite of food when I am around them. 

Take care it is an awesome thing that you didn't wait until you were ridden with health issues and you took initiative to have a better quality of life. HUGS!!!!

I've gotten it, I even have emails and comments on my incision photos that people are surprised they let me get the surgery. I have turned it around and chose to make it a compliment that they thought I was beautiful regardless. I've had 2 people that made that remark since open up to me that they are attempting to get on the path of WLS and now knowing that I'm doing it/just did it gives them inspiration to know they don't have to keep blaming themselves and thinking some new fad diet is going to be the overnight miracle.

I would simply tell them you appreciate the compliment however your health issues didn't have the vision to see how big the weight did or didn't look on you so you chose to value your health over vision based opinions. They'll be politely shushed by it. :)

Funny story, my husband's family is Apostolic/Pentecostal and so it seems from an outside point of view that these people move in nomadic groups of at least a few families when they do. Well, my husband's ex-gf from something around 15-20 years ago is on my Facebook and messaged me just today asking what procedure I got, that I didn't even look overweight, and then told me she is getting "sleeved". She'll be having it done September 9th somewhere in the Knoxville, TN area(if there is anyone on this board around there that had a VSG it'd be great to get you guys in contact) but spent the day emailing me back and forth asking questions and talking about how her family is against her having the surgery and such. Of course I had to tell her the stuff based upon RNY and was sure to clarify that because I'm not as proficient in the recovery steps for VSG since Tricare won't cover it so I didn't look at it.

We can all look at it 2 ways, we can use our voices to remove the stigma that it is something shameful and you should have to be 400 lbs + before taking the steps to get WLS... or we can continue to let them annoy us and not educate them properly.

She's probably having it done at Parkwest with either Dr. Boyce or Williams. (I'm in Oak Ridge just outside of Knoxville about 20 mins). My husband was going to get the sleeve but decided to go out of state with me to Dr. Pomp and get a DS.

You are welcome to put her in contact with me (just PM me and I will give you my email or find me on facebook at Elizabeth T Ramsey )

Liz

Did you have your surgery at NY Presbyterian?  I love that hospital.

Not yet, we are still getting me thru the approval process. I had to have 5 years of weight history and the 2005-2007 years were being difficult to scare up. Finally got my endo from those years on the phone day before yesterday and yes, they still had my records so they are faxing the weight records from those years to Dr. Pomp's office for me. Once Kimberly has that, she can get me a date.

I want to pick your brain about NYP if you don't mind.

Liz

I think all of the lightweights have heard those comments at some point. I figure if people don't understand, they can kiss my @$$. I have struggled with weight since early teen years, I have tried every diet out there, and my BMI was high enough to qualify me for surgery with no co-morbidities. People have always viewed me as "little" because I am so short. Bru**** off and know that there are many out there just like you and you can get great support here.

I'm just learning names and stuff from the posters here but someone named Mimi posted a couple of comments the other day that were nice, simple, polite, but disarming to those who chose to be rude about her weight loss.  I am going to have to look that up and keep them, because I will have a tendency to be somewhat sarcastic and I'd really rather not be that way but want to totally celebrate what this tool is going to help me achieve. 

Have a great day and remember that everyone loves marshmallows!

Blessings,
Kat70