Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
All my life people told me i was "big boned". I wasn't severely overweight as a child. I was a little chubby as a baby but nothing extreme. I was always compared to a sister that was 2 years older then me but short and skinny. In fact, my whole family was thin, popular, athletic and then there was me. My mom, sisters and myself took dance lessons most of my childhood. They all were on a dance troop but I tried out every year only to be told once I lost weight I would be accepted. In high school and as a young adult I battled my weight between 170-200 pounds which at that point I thought I was extremely overweight and had a low self esteem from it. Never having the experience of a boyfriend and never feeling loved for who I was. At this point my sister who I was compared to was 5ft 3in and maybe 100 pounds while I reached 5ft 8in. Again, I am just "big boned". In my early 20's I met the most wonderful man who quickly became my husband and father to my 3 wonderful children. While pregnant with my 1st child, I gained over 85 pounds and never lost it after she was born. Same thing happened with my next 2 children topping off at a whopping 327 pounds as my highest weight.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
I had no energy to be a mother let a lone a good wife. My children still got to experience lots of fun activities with their dad by I always sat on the side lines and watched. I tried to go on a roller coaster ride only to have 2 attendants pushing and tugging to latch the safety bar and then told I had to get off the ride because I was too big. It got to the point where I couldn't wear a seat belt and couldn't fit into my car. My first plane ride was horrible. I couldn't buckle the seat belt and when I told the flight attendant, she got upset with me for not speaking up and she proceeded to retrieve a connector and passed it across 5 rows of passengers. I went to a baseball game only to leave early because the arm rests were digging into me causing bruises. Not being able to go into a store and find clothes in my size was a battle. Even the plus size stores were limited in my size. I was at this point a size 28/30 and 5x which is the highest size most plus size stores carry.
If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?
I enjoy so many little things now. From buckling my seat belt to sitting in a chair with arm rests and actually being able to use the arm rests for my arms and not my hips. Crossing my legs and having my leg not sticking straight out. I can now sit "indian style" too. I don't have to look at the weight limit signs for anything anymore. I can be pushed on a swing and ride any roller coaster ride I want. I really enjoy going to the mall and being able to find clothes in my size no matter what store I go to. I can ride a bike and go for long walks with my family.
lilsqrt75
