Yvonne Jennings
Written: 2/25/2009. I have always been overweight from the time I was born at 8 lbs. 8 oz. I have always been riticuled & teased all my life, especially in school. It was very hard on me when I was in school wearing clothes that were never designed for anyone under 30, more or less a teenager. It has always been very difficult to find clothes that not only fit good but looked good on me even now. School wasn't the only place where I had a hard time because of my weight, I even had trouble with employers & workmates. I would be told that I need to loose weight because of their health insurance, also so I can look better in their uniforms & my presentation to their customers. There was even a time where I was hired to work at a new job and had to embarrassngly quit the very first day when they couldn't find a uniform that would even fit me. I was even turned down for another job because of my weight, when I told her (the manager) that it was illegal to put my weight into considering in hiring me for the job...she just looked at me and said; "Just try to prove it!" I got unnerving looks and hear cruel comments behind my back when people walk by me...especially when I am in a grocery store or a restaurant. I cannot even eat at IHOP on 183 here in Irving, because I cannot fit in any of the booths that they have...and they have no regular tables. That was very embarrassing walking out of there after I got stuck between the table and seat. There are many other eateries I cannot eat at for the same reason. Through the years I have watched my sister, mom, friends and celebrities (Jackie Guerra, Star Jones, Al Roker, Carnie Wilson, Sharon Osbourne, Roseanne Barr, Ann Wilson and etc...) get weight loss surgery ...and here I am, not able to get it because I am now dissabled, living on SSI and Medicaid. Until now, (that Medicaid is now paying for the surgery!) I am finally getting a chance to get the WLS myself and I am beyond ecstatic! I am ready, willing and now able to get the surgery!!!
Written: 3/28/2011. Now that I have lost almost all my excess weight...I have noticed a BIG difference in the way people act and treat me. There is such a BIG difference that it saddens me tremendously. Even though I am the same person now that I am at what people call the normal weight today as I was when I was morbidly obese, people treat me so much better! Why couldn'y they see me and act this way when I was obese? A couple of months ago I saw it happen again to another lady. I was standing in a isle with a much larger lady when a salesman walked up we both asked for help and even though he was closer to the other lady, he actually passed her by and wanted to help me first. How rude is that! I felt so hurt and embarrassed, I saw the old me in her and wanted to cry...but I smiled at her and said to the salesman that I believe that she was here first and that I could wait. People, we all have feelings and deserve to be treated with respect no matter what our weight is. Now that I have lost allot...I now have alot of saggy excess skin which is causing me alot of discomfort physically as well as mentally. It is putting allot of stress in my back, neck & shoulder areas. As well as other areas of my body with different issues like pinching. I also had a very embarrassing moment in Walmart where I was reaching up on a shelf, when I heard a young boy say, "Look mom, she has boobies on her arms!" I was shocked to hear that and looked over at him just to see that he was pointing at me and when I looked down at my arm I noticed that my sleeve was up and my sagging skin was hanging out. I was so very embarrassed and saw how that little boy could see it as that. Well I rounded the corner and left the store as fast as I could...When I got home I took a pair of sissors to all my short sleeve shirts. Now I only wear 3/4 to long sleeve shirts and praying everyday for help with getting plastic surgery.
