Can you share with me????

Hi Friends, first let me thank you all for being so helpful to me in my journey. It's hard to imagine that it's been almost 4 years since my surgery! I have been developing a lecture regarding the insensitivity of the public towards the obese. I am doing this for several reasons.....to educate healthcare workers, to lobby for obesity discrimination to be prohibited by the ADA, to educate the public at large to the plight of this last socially acceptable bastion of open and rampant discrimination, etc. Right now all I have to go on is my own experience and I was wondering if you could help me to help others by sharing your experiences with me. I know it might be painful but maybe with all of us putting forth an effort it will be worth it in the end. I'll go first and share one of my most hurtful experiences. When I weighed 263 I interviewed for a job as a receptionist at a popular radio station. Because it was for a receptionist position, the interviews were all done over the phone. You mailed or faxed in your resume and then everything was done over the phone so they could evaluate your phone skills and dealing with the public. I made it all the way down to the final two applicants and was invited in for a meeting with the president. Even at 263 pounds I took great pains with my appearance and fixed my hair and makeup and wore nice, professional clothing. I arrived at the office and saw that the other applicant was a tiny lady who was very pretty. When the president came out he literally looked at me first and then looked at her. He walked up to me, shook my hand, told me he didn't think they had anything for me and hoped I hadn't been inconvenienced by coming in. He then took the other lady by the hand and ushered her into his office. I almost felt sorry for her. He was practically drooling over her. I left the office in a conflicted mess. I was happy that I didn't have to work for an ignorant man like that. But, I was devastated because he had totally discounted my intelligence and my abilities because I was morbidly obese. I felt worthless. I was too ashamed to tell my family what happened and I lied to them and said I'd had a great interview but he must've like the other lady better. It wasn't until I'd had WLS that I shared this experience with them. The really terrible thing about this is that this scenario and worse is played out over and over each day with morbidly obese individuals. Can you share your experiences with me? I know I'm only one person and I don't expect to change the world but I figure even the mighty oak started out as one little nut. So, this little nut is seeking your help. Thanks again for being a wonderful, supportive WLS family! Hugs, Rona

Hi Rona, Here is my story... I was in the 7th grade (I have been fat since early childhood). It was the beginning of the school year and I was sitting in health class. During the first week, they weigh each of the students and record it in a little notebook. The gym teacher does the weighing and a "gym aid" does the recording in the little notebook. There was no regard to feelings, no regard for confidentiality, nothing. And of course, the gym aid is always one of the most popular boys in school. I can remember having to hold in my stomach just to make it up the aisle to get to the scales, afraid I would knock something over with either my butt or my stomach. Then came the weigh in. I stepped on the scales and I hear "Roberts...169 pounds" followed by lots of laughter from the class. I stepped off the scales, dropped my head, sucked in my stomach and made my way back to my desk. I was 13 years old and totally humiliated and hurt. I still feel that same pain today 31 years later. As I turned to sit in my desk after being weighed, I saw my teacher giggling too. I will never know for sure that she was laughing at me, but at that moment and in my memory, she was leading the class at my expense. I look at obese kids today and my heart just goes out to them. I want to shout at their mothers... please start making some smarter choices, get them some medical attention. Do something, do anything help prevent the pain that is coming. Kids are cruel, adults can be just plain mean!