Roxane Gay and VSG

Gwen M.
on 5/22/18 9:08 am
VSG on 03/13/14

I somehow missed this a month ago. I didn't think I could love Roxane Gay anymore than I already did, but I love that she chose to share her WLS experience.

https://medium.com/s/unrulybodies/the-body-that-understands- what-fullness-is-f2e40c40cd75

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

jenorama
on 5/22/18 9:42 am - CA
RNY on 10/07/13

I read that and I can't help but think she's headed for trouble. She clearly hasn't dealt with the issues that drove her to use food as comfort in the first place and diving headlong into surgery and admittedly doing things like searching for the full feeling are just the sort of red flags we see here all the time.

I hope I'm wrong, but I see trouble and minimal success ahead for her.

Jen

Gwen M.
on 5/22/18 9:45 am
VSG on 03/13/14

Yes - she seems to have a lot of self hatred to work through still and a lot of anger at "needing" WLS. I'm glad that she is seeing a therapist. And I'm glad she's being open about what her experiences and feelings are.

I hope that she gets to a place where she can be successful long term. I hope that this self-examination she's doing will be beneficial in the long run.

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

jenorama
on 5/22/18 10:44 am - CA
RNY on 10/07/13

Me too. It's a tough thing to realize the damage you've done to yourself physically and mentally and it's sad that she feels that going the surgical route is somehow lesser and that something is wrong with her for having to do it that way. But, at some point you need to forgive yourself and get on with the business of getting yourself right, whatever way you choose.

Jen

Sparklekitty, Science-Loving Derby Hag
on 5/22/18 2:09 pm
RNY on 08/05/19

I respect her courage to be open about her struggles. But I see a LOT of red flags in this writing-- many of which we see somewhat frequently among new posters here on OH. And at this point, her self-examination isn't getting anywhere.

Maybe with a different therapist, or more work, she'll get where she needs to be (physically and emotionally). But this still reads as if she's expecting a "magic fix" and it's kind of hard to sympathize.

Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!

H.A.L.A B.
on 5/23/18 7:27 am

It saddens me that someone over 40 still ha so many issues with her self image. And she is very successful in her writing, plus overall - out there. If you are a woman over 40, very successful, and ND you can't tell a jerk to "shut the f$$$ up" or come with some funny response to the comments - it shows a lot of issues she is dealing with.

When I was in my 40's - I had come backs for any insults - some funny, some ..not do nice. I wanted to lose weight because I knew it affected my life, and not because "norms" made me do it.

She needs a lot of therapy.

Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG

"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"

"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."

Sparklekitty, Science-Loving Derby Hag
on 5/22/18 9:47 am
RNY on 08/05/19

Yeah, this article makes her seem like an absolute train-wreck.

Sparklekitty / Julie / Nerdy Little Secret (#42)
Roller derby - cycling - triathlon
VSG 2013, RNY conversion 2019 due to GERD. Trendweight here!

The Salty Hag
on 5/22/18 1:23 pm
RNY on 05/20/13

No kidding. She's what...5, almost 6 months out? According to her, she's eating 1200-1500 calories per day. That is....rather alarming.

I wonder if she's been to OH...should be interesting if she has been /is a member here.

I woke up in between a memory and a dream...

Tom Petty

Linda W.
on 5/22/18 9:58 am - Clearlake, CA

WOW. What a wonderful exploration of the feelings and experience of going through weight loss surgery, trying to fit into a world not made for us. Thank you for sharing this!

Linda    
Gwen M.
on 5/22/18 2:15 pm
VSG on 03/13/14

Yes, I really appreciate her honesty in this piece. When I read Hunger, her words resonated so deeply with me. I was pretty surprised to see that she opted for WLS based on what she'd written in Hunger and I'd imagine that admitting it to the world was a huge step for her to take. I hope that the WLS gives her the space she needs to get herself sorted out and in a healthier place.

Time will tell but I'll definitely be cheering for her success.

VSG with Dr. Salameh - 3/13/2014
Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder and started Vyvanse - 7/22/2016
Reconstructive Surgeries with Dr. Michaels - 6/5/2017 (LBL & brachioplasty), 8/14/2017 (UBL & mastopexy), 11/6/2017 (medial leg lift)

Age 42 Height 5'4" HW 319 (1/3/2014) SW 293 (3/13/2014) CW 149 (7/16/2017)
Next Goal 145 - normal BMI | Total Weight Lost 170

TrendWeight | Food Blog (sort of functional) | Journal (down for maintenance)

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