Morbidly obese... `oh, gosh, I thought it was a death sentence when I first heard the words. Oh, gosh, it is. If you are morbidly obese, you're digging your grave with your fork. If you are morbidly obese, the only exercise you're getting is at the elbow. If you are morbidly obese, even organ in your body is working over time and every joint in your body is weakening under the pressure. If you are morbidly obese, you are like the rest of us and have done all the yo-yo dieting and tried it all and lost some weight and gained it back and it found some friends to bring with it. If you are morbidly obese, you are usually laughing and loud and talking and, knowing you aren't invisible, being the center of attention.
If you are morbidly obese, you may be laughing on the outside but most likely you're crying on the inside. If you are morbidly obese, you're used to the looks IF you go out in public. If you are morbidly obese, you don't go to movies cause you won't fit in the seats. If you are morbidly obese, you don't go to restaurants because people stare. If you are morbidly obese, you DO go to buffets....because everybody else there is morbidly obese as well so nobody is looking at anybody. And you know how I know all that? Because I've been morbidly obese for more years than I want to count.
Let me assure you that for me, and this isn't for everybody, weight loss surgery was the only permanent answer. I could lose the weight, I just couldn't keep it off. And that yo-yo thing killed my thyroid and now I'm on med for the rest of my life.
Surgery is not for everyone but it was for me. There are many wls surgeons and many wls surgeries. Do your homework. Decide on the right surgeon and surgery for you.
I'm a wls support group leader and if I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me. Like most women, I've never put myself first so this was a first for me which is only one of the things that was difficult about this whole journey.
Its a journey and not an easy one. Its a roller coaster ride with its ups and downs. Its a meal by meal lifestyle, not a day by day. So, don't do it alone. Get support...whether its attending support group meetings or online. Reach out. There are people there to help. And I am only one of many and would be more than delighted to do anything I could so please don't hesitate to contact me.
La Wanda (banded 11/14/2005; down 85 lbs at my one year anniversary)
