Question:
What's Your Funniest
I had a washing machine delivered last week by a guy I've known for quite a while. However, I hadn't seen him in over 18 months [-125 pounds]. HE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE ME! When I let him in the house to deliver the machine, he asked me who I was! When I told him, his mouth literally dropped open and he just stuttered with disbelief! I felt great, but it was also strange. Anyone else have this sort of experience? — Kathy J. (posted on August 21, 2003)
August 20, 2003
Yes, the psychologist in my surgeon's office didn't recognize me after I
had lost 170 pounds. He walked right by me calling my name for the
appointment. It's a good feeling, but weird..because I have had friends I
haven't seen in years look right past me. Oh, course with the weight loss
I'm a redhead now instead of blond gray... take care and enjoy it.
— Karen Renee
August 20, 2003
I've had several people not recognize me if they haven't seen me in more
then 2 years. I went to a funeral last year and I saw a guy who I've known
since childhood - he even still lives down the street from me - anyway, he
says "My name is Pat" and I said "yes, I know you very well
and have for about 30 years!!". He finally asked me my name and I
told him and he just about fell on the floor!! He said he remembered me
but never would have recognized me because I was..er..ah... and I said
"fat?" and he said well, yeah. He looked at me MUCH differently
after that!!!!!!
— Patty H.
August 20, 2003
My wife and I (along with our girls) go to a family resort the same week
every year--- the same families have been going this week for years (so we
all get to catch up with each other for the one week we see each other each
year). One grandmother who is always there with her daughter and
grandchildren asked who Mary-Jo's (that's my wife) new boyfriend was when
she didn't recognize me.
— SteveColarossi
August 20, 2003
I am going to a wedding in October and I haven't seen ANY of the guests in
a few years. I had my surgery in February and I will be 8 months post op.
At 6 mo post op I am -116 lbs, so when the wedding rolls around I should be
close to goal. I cannot WAIT to see their faces. They know that I have had
surgery, but unless you see it face to face.. it's hard to imagine.
Congrats to everyone!!
— SarahC
August 20, 2003
Kathy Jo: I had a "planned" experience in July. I had kept my
surgery secret from a dear friend in order to surprise her with the new me.
Well, it worked like a charm. She kept looking at me, trying to
"find" my face. She told me she knew the eyes and the voice but
couldn't see me in my face as it had changed so drastically. It was a
wonderful reunion. I am seeing another friend in September, but she is now
aware that I have had the surgery. Either way, she has no idea what a
difference it has made. I am looking forward to this surprise, as well.
— Rhonda V.
August 21, 2003
I've got a good one for you! I was in a store with my hubby working on
picking out a present for my Mother in law. I wanted to put together a
gift basket, so I sent my husband off to pick out a nice basket for
everything. He was taking a long time, and I was starting to get
perturbed...finally, I saw him coming towards me. Relieved, I kept looking
at whatever I was checking out on the shelves. Out of the corner of my
eye, I saw my husband start to wal past me! I turned around and sadi
"Hey! Where you going?" Th look on his face was priceless, when
he turned. He was utterly shocked. He said "I don't even recognize
you any more! I don't know what to look for. I already walked past you
once!" Well, Wow, that was a revelation to me. I hadn't realized how
different I look And, it was pretty funny too.
— LMCLILLY
August 21, 2003
The other day I decided to stop and see a friend I hadn't seen since about
2 months postop. I stopped at her house and knocked. her husband answered
the door and I asked for her. He said "she isn't home and you are
?". LOL I laughed and said "I'm Carrie". He was so amazed at
the difference. I have known both for about 8 years and had seen them at
about a 50lb loss. So I decide that if he doesn't recgonize me will she?. I
drove over to her work. I walked in she acknowledge me and walked away
saying "I will be right with you maam." After a few minutes she
walks up and asks "how can I help you today?' I jsut stood there
looking at her. She asked again "what can I help you with today
?" I said "gee thanks Angel." She then did an "OH MY
GOD" and came around the counter and was so excited for the changes.
She and I have been friends for years and even co workers at times. I
thought that they look on her face was priceless. It is amazing what an
80lb loss can do.
— kaysjourney
August 21, 2003
My funniest post-op moment happened Sunday, August 19th. I am almost 6
months post op, down 106 lb. There was an air show on base, I took the
kids. (Hubby is in Iraq) We went to his sqadron booth to get some water
and chat and the Amn behind the counter, (who has known me for 4 yrs by the
way) is chatting and such and then after the kids get their water and start
to walk off he leans over the booth and says, "I am glad you are here.
Chief Brennan's last wife was a real *itch." To prevent him from
humiliation I just said thanks. I could barely hold the laughter inside!
Best compliment to date!
— TraciB
August 21, 2003
Two experiences here. Yesterday I went to a seminar at a company where I
had worked a few years ago. I walked in and everyone kept looking at me
like they had seen me somewhere before. It was so funny seeing everyone
look at my name tag before they looked at my face. The other experience
was when I was at another seminar in a hotel here in town. I went to the
restroom, which was very crowded, and kept seeing a woman who looked
familiar on the other side of the room. As I got closer I kept trying to
figure out who she was. Then I scratched my ear and realized she was doing
the same thing. DUH - IT WAS ME IN A MIRROR. It's bad when you don't even
recognize yourself.
— Vicki H.
August 21, 2003
My dentist's office prides itself on being "up" with technology,
so they have pics of all their patients taken with the computer cam so that
you can be id'd gracefully, maitre d' style, when somebody comes out to the
waiting room to fetch you back for whatever. Smooth, huh? But ... I'm
waiting, and waiting, and there's a little gaggle of staff in their
matching dental jackets (beige! friendlier than stark white, you know)
gathering around a terminal, staring at me, and frowning over the computer
monitor, and staring at me again. Finally, they elect a spokesperson and
summon me over, in a real quiet, fung-shei-kinda way, of course. (No need
to rattle the others relaxing amid the aromatherapy candles and low
lighting.) I'm thinking, great, they don't have the appointment in their
book, or I came on the wrong day, and they've sized me up (correctly) as a
world-class complainer concerning messed-up doctors' appointments. Nope
... turns out they've been staring at the pre-op picture they took a couple
of years ago and trying to figure out if it's really me, and then
struggling to pick a spokesperson to find a diplomatic way to ask if I've,
ahem, perhaps, changed my look a bit (yeah, there's 140 fewer pounds of
"look"). "Well, we KNEW it had to be you; it was in the
eyes!!," they assure me. New photo taken; and this was the same week
I finally had my driver's license pic re-taken, as I was having trouble
getting checks OK'd in some places using my pre-op license pic as an i.d..
— Suzy C.
August 21, 2003
Traci, ROFLMNSFAO. Anyway. Just yesterday, hubby and I met up with some of
his management team to celebrate their new contract. I've met this group
many times at various functions. However, one came over to our table, with
grin from ear to ear, asking my husband who his dinner date was. I thought
he was just flattering me, but I realized he did not recognize me. I said,
you know who I am. He gasped and said, I can not believe it...he called
each of the managers over to "re-introduce" me. It was funny.
After the commotion settled, I whispered, you thought my hubby was having a
fling didn't you?.....he just gave me a sh*t eating grin. -Kim open RNY
7/17/01 -145ish
— KimBo36
August 21, 2003
OMG. Traci, I just read your response -- that IS the funniest post-WLS
story I've ever read!!! Rock on, g/f!! LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!
— Suzy C.
August 21, 2003
I had one former co-worker see me and say, "Oh my God! You've lost so
much weight. THat is a good thing, right? I mean, you aren't sick or
anything are you?" He was afraid he had really put his foot in his
mouth - I guess he thought I had some serious illness that made me lose so
much weight. The best thing about looking SO different is being able to
walk past someone that you don't really want to talk to without even being
recognized. Happens all the time in Wal-Mart - my shopping trips there are
so much faster now since I have my own built-in disguise!
— redheadtedd
August 21, 2003
I have so many stories to tell...most of which are on my WLS profile, but I
think the latest one that tickled me pink was when I was down to see my
attorney (whom I hadn't seen for over a year). Last time I saw him I was
size 24 and 253 pounds, now I am size 6 and 141...anyhow, I said, "Hi
Todd!" and he stuck out his hand and introduced himself to me...until
he saw my husband and realized who I was. It was pretty funny. Then his
secretary was said, "Are you relative of Rob's?" I said,
"Yes, Lori, I am his wife." She said, "You're not
Molly!?" I feel good and then very strange when this happens. I also
got carded a few weeks ago at a night club (I'm 33 years.) Yeah!
— missmollyk
August 21, 2003
I had a male co-worker, who was reluctant to comment about my appearance,
say, "With all due respect, ma'am, are you losing something?" I
just smiled and said, "Yes, but I expect to get my mind back any day
now."
— PEARL B.
August 21, 2003
I went to a family party at my Aunt's house for Easter. I was a year
post-op, down about 140 pounds at the time. I had seen everyone there at
Christmas and had only lost about 35 additional pounds since then, but had
started a major weight training program, gotten contacts and restyled my
hair. Of the 35+ relatives there, only my immediate family recognized me
when I walked in. It took at least 10 minutes for others to realize who I
was. And 2 very elderly aunties never did catch on. My uncle dragged me
over to them hours after I arrived and said "you don't know who this
is, do you?" They looked at him and said no and when he told them,
one dropped her plate of food and shouted loud enough for the whole room to
hear "That's Missy? But you used to be so FAT!" In addition, I
sat down next to my favorite cousin to have dinner, and found out later she
hadn't a clue who I was til I started talking and was trying to figure out
why there was a stranger there coming to sit by her. Keep in mind we
practically grew up together and were very close until family ties caused
us to see each other less often. I laughed my butt off on that trip home!
— Melissa F.
August 21, 2003
I just remembered a funnier one! A few weeks ago I was in my backyard
mowing the grass. An elderly widow lives two doors down and I hadn't seen
her for about 8 months as she'd had a heart attack or something. She came
outside while I was out there and I could see her peering at me intently
from across the fences, occassionally glancing at my Rottweiler Maggie, who
was out with me. Finally she yelled across the yards "who are you?
What happened to Melissa, and how come you got to keep her dog when you
bought her house?" It took me a good 5 minutes to convince her I was
me!
— Melissa F.
August 21, 2003
I work at a university, and had my surgery right at the end of last Spring
semester. Faculty are coming back on campus this week. Most of them last
saw me about 80 pounds ago. I know that several of them haven't recognized
me when I've said "hello" in the hallways. One even walked past
me, answered "hello" back, took a few more steps down the hall,
then stopped, said "wait a minute" and turned around and came
back with a look of disbelief on her face. She admitted she hadn't
recognized me. This was a professor that I've worked closely with; I even
supervised one of her students in a practicum project. It's both
flattering and weird not be recognized, especially when I don't look any
different to myself.
— Vespa R.
August 21, 2003
Isn't it fun when people don't recognise you. We lived in a very small town
for 32 years and so we knew the neighbors fairly well. We moved to a not
quite so small towm about a year and half before my surgery. A few months
ago, we went to an eagles picnic. One of our old neighbors was there. We
went up and said hello. He looked at me then started talking to my hubby
and ignoring me. When hubby ask him does she look any different, he looked
again and said my god. I thought you had gotten a divorce and a new woman.
Then he hugged me and told me how good I looked. And awhile back, I went to
my old church and got a lot of compliments, but one of the older ladies
just walked up to me and said, "Carolyn, Where has your weight
gone." Then she walked away. Thank god for this surgery. I am almost
15 months post-op and down almost 130 pounds. Hugs to everyone.
— Carolyn L.
August 21, 2003
It was so funny. Today, however, the poor boy realized his mistake. I had
to go to hubby's shop to pick up some papers. He apologized profusely. I
felt so sorry for him. I told him he was right, Chief Brennan's wife WAS a
real *itch. She weighed almost 300 lbs and was miserable. He still looked
very embarassed. Poor boy. LOL
— TraciB
August 21, 2003
After 3 months and a 70.5 lbs loss, I had many people who walked right by
me in Walmart who NEVER knew who I was. I got a kick out of walking up
behind them and asking them why they were snubbing me. (All the time with a
big grin on my face so they knew I was'nt mad). I'd love to see the look of
shock on their faces. Priceless. :)
— Danmark
August 25, 2003
I was strapping my grandson into is carseat and he in a shocked voice said
gramma, what is that on your arm, I looked and it was a piece of wrinkly
skin hanging forward. I said it is just my skin, & he wanted to know
why does it look like that, and reacked out and patted it. I said It is
because I am just an old lady (42) and he patted it again and grinned ear
to ear and said it's very bouncy, i wish I could jump on it. ROTFLMAO
— **willow**
May 10, 2004
My boyfriend and I broke up before I had the surgery. I moved back across
the country and hadn't seen him for almost 6 months. He decided he wanted
to come in and see me because we truly missed each other. When I went to
pick him up at the airport, he got off the plane, looked directly at me and
kept walking. I finally yelled for him, he turned around and his mouth
seriously dropped open and stayed that way. It felt absolutely incredible.
— Yaga110
Click Here to Return