Too fat to fit in 1 chair!

Just have to share... Last night my son was in a play.  We went to the auditorium to see the play and were the first in the audience.  We got the pick of where we wanted to sit.  We chose the front row.  My husband is a big guy 6'3" and like the leg room plus it was great to see everything.  Anyway the seats were so small it hurt to sit in it...plus...I really didn't fit in 1 seat.  I kind of spilled over into the seats on either side of me.  We knew it would not be full so we left a seat between us.  Anyway, a man and his son sat in the 2nd and 3rd seats over which left the seat closest to me empty which he 'saved' for his wife.  She  sat on the other side of her family rather than sqeezing into the seat by me.  It was embarrasing as her husband made a little deal of telling her to sit next to him.  So, they moved and I put my program on the seat so no one would try to sit there.  Like I was saving it.  The an older couple asked if the 2 seats by me were saved and I said yes.  My husband didn't like it that I told them that.  He asked why???  He was not there when the incident happened with the family.  He's not a little guy but not near as big as I am either.  The whole thing was very uncomfortable.   I can't wait until surgery.  I am scheduled for April 21st.  Please tell me it will work for me.  Please tell me situations like this will be behind me.  Please tell me all the pain and effort of surgery will be worth it.  Please tell me I am doing the right thing and my life will be better in this regard.   Vicki

The pain and effort of surgery will be worth it... we're saving a seat (one size fits all) on the loser's bench for you.

I'm going to make you feel much better.............. i was at a seminar with  some colleagues and was introduced to a highly respected person in our field, when he says the following to me: " OH.....I see you're with CHILD"...... i responded....... " NO....I'm just with FAT" if you could have seen the look on his face................I then said to him....... "Don't worry, you'll get over it!" his mouth was still open as i walked away. people are so self centered all they think about is them, their lives and what works for them....anyone gets in their way they just don't think.... being healthly and living a better life is worth every horrible person you will ever encounter!!

You're story breaks my heart because I can so relate. I can promise you humiliating situations like this will go away. Having the surgery is benefical in many more ways OTHER than health reasons. Although health alone is reason enough, you will be able to do things you can't even imagine now. My life is so much better now. If for no other reason than I'm comfortable going anywhere and doing anything I want.

I have so much compassion for obese people now. I often go out of my way to make personal contact because so many people look with disgust or pretend not to see them at all. Even if it's just a smile or a hi, I feel better knowing I tried to be nice because others are so ignorant and rude.

Thanks for sharing this story. I always 'pretended' things like this didn't happen. You've got a lot of courage.

Best wishes for a successful, complication free surgery and  a life beyond your wildest imagination!

Karen

 

Vicki, I have been in that same situation...unfortunately for me...it has been at numerous events where tickets were purchased and there were people that HAD to squish in next to me. I try really hard when we buy tickets for events to get an aisle seat...but that hardly ever happens. I end up leaning into whoever I did  go with so that the poor stranger on the other side of me is not having to have me spill into their space. Once this woman very rudely traded places with her  teenaged son,  who was horrified...but had to do it anyhow. I felt bad for him and leaned over and  quietly apologized. I have also had teeny weeny stick women look at me...glare...and grab their man's arm and push him to go first. Are they are afraid they will catch fat if they touch me? The saddest thing is I usually try to avoid going places like that without my husband,   because I don't want  him to be embarrassed...but it has happened. Congratulations on your surgery date.  I am almost 7 weeks out and down a little over 30 pounds. YES this will work for you...soon we will be sitting in whatever seat  they have for us and crossing our legs to boot! Stay positive!!!  I am hopeful that the next time I travel by plane  that my seatbelt and tray table will fit...and I won't be spilling over onto my neighbor! YAY us!!!  Good luck to you! Chrislena

Thanks everyone for replying.  It's good to hear that others know what this is like and have lived through it.  Although this isn't the first time its happened to me, its a fresh wound.  Thanks Vicki

Vicki: I can relate, 5 yrs ago, my husband won 4 seats to see a Portland Trailblazer basketball game at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Or.  I had never been to a live event or to a big arena like that.  The seats we had were up in the "nose bleed" section  You almost needed oxygen to get to them.  I was so embarrased when we got up there, I could'nt even fit in a seat, and ended up standing most of the time or sitting on the steps.  It gets a whole lot better after surgery.  I had open RNY on August 22, 2006, I started out at 526 lbs, now I am down to 243 lbs.  It feels so good to finally be able to sit in a chair with arms, and I can even cross my legs!!.  I still have a ways to go, with hopefully having plastic surgery to get rid of all of my excess skin. Yes, the surgery is definately sooo worth it. Good luck, Peggy

Since we're a "growing" population, hopefully the powers that be will realize it and install larger seating in new builds.   I know seats are larger than they used to be, but there is still room for improvement.

My husband and I frequent an historic one-screen art deco movie theater that features only foreign and indie films.  This place has  tiny  seats and the arms are fixed, and can't be raised like you can with some newer establishments.  OUCH!

-Cynthia 

I know that feeling all too well.  But I can also tell you that it will be behind you before you know it.   I still look at chairs to evaluate if I think there will be enough room for me.  It's in my brain and I just can't get it out after a lifelong history of obesity.  But, I fit everywhere now!  I went to the movie theater last night for the first time in a long time.  I was SO comfortable in the theater seat!  I did not feel like I needed to raise the arm or anything ... was very comfortable and just like "everybody else" for a change.  I also can sit in booths in restaurants now, and actually have too much room instead of not near enough.  I even went to a meeting recently in an auditorium where they have those theater seats with the little desk that swings up -- you know what I'm talking about?  Well, I had to see if I could do that because I never could in the past.  You know what?  I COULD DO IT!  I swung the little desk thingy up and had extra room between me and the desk!   It definitely gets better and it's definitely worth it. 

I well remember how that feels ... I used to use the bus when I was MO, and people rarely sat next to me.  I don't think it was for any reason other than there was not much room left.  One time, I squeezed in next to another overweight woman, and she went on and on (very loudly!) about how I was so fat I was pushing on her.  Mind you, she was quite large herself.  I just ignored her rather than get in a cat fight with an ignorant person.  I figure Karma is a ***** and she'll get hers in the end.  I've also been too fat to fit into movie theatre seats Anyway ... hang in there.  Surgery is sooo worth it, hon. Hugs, Annette