Rant - An Invitation To Spend A Day In My Shoes

On this site we hear a whole lot about unsupportive spouses, families, friends, and co-workers.  This is my challenge to those people:

I truly wish that everyone who thinks that WLS is somehow less respectable than diet and exercise in every instance for every person could spend a just a few days in my shoes.  I want them to feel pain as they struggle to maneuver out of bed after taking off the CPAP machine that literally ensures they won't suffocate in their sleep.  I want them to feel the workout that just taking a shower and preparing for the day gives.  I want them to have to carefully powder or put ointment in creases of fat so that yeast infections or dermatitis doesn't develop or worsen.  I want them not to be able to comply with mandatory seat belt laws.  I want them to struggle to get in and out of the car.  I want them to have to always ask for a table when they walk into a restaurant.  I want them to be forced to stand in public places because seating that will accommodate them may not be available.  I want them to have to special order clothing and pay upwards of $50.00 for a quality basic t-shirt or $15.00 for a single pair of pantyhose.  I want them to spend quality time in the chairs at most establishments, professional and social, that are so small they  must literally squeeze into them and remain squished for the duration of the appointment, meeting, or social event while all the while feeling awkward with their own largesse.  I want medical doctors to provide them with standard size gowns that aren't large enough to ensure modesty for a “normal” sized person and become an  almost a comical accoutrement for an obese one.  I want them to avoid social interactions for fear that someone will make a remark about their weight or go to social functions where others, sometimes strangers, think it's ok to discuss what foods they are putting in their mouths or shamelessly give them diet and exercise tips.  I want their knees to go out on them when they are simply walking a straight flat path.  I want them to have to buy first class airplane tickets and reserve at least a full-size rental car just so that they can travel in some semblance of comfort to visit far-away relatives or take a vacation.  I want them only to be able to shower because getting in and out of the tub is impossible.  At the end of the day, I want them to be so physically exhausted and for their joints to ache so badly that all they want to do is to sink into a warm bath and realize they can’t because their standard size bathroom tub isn’t big enough. I want them to do all of this as a relatively healthy fat person.  Once they've mastered the relatively easy stuff,  I would add additional restraints that come from the myriad of physical ailments and diseases that are common amongst obese people.  I would bet that they would be mentally and physically exhausted after just a few days.  I want to ask them how they will be able to lose more weight than they'll eventually weigh at goal through diet and exercise alone.  I want to ask them how long they think it will them take to lose over 200 pounds.  I then want to tell them that the one medically proven method of achieving long term weight loss for super morbid obesity, WLS,  shouldn't be considered because they should be stronger than that.

Amy

I'm not sure what triggered this, but AMEN! I'm glad you had a forum to get this off your chest.  . 

I wish people could understand what it's like to be us. I've been frustrated - upset over comments my stepdad made after watching the episode on entertainment tonight about obese children. He heard some crying and said nothing a good spanking wouldn't cure. Then said that it's the parent's fault. I've been set off since. What get's me is that they have no clue I'm upset over that.

When I speak out. I'm treated as if I'm blowing things out of proportion.  I'm always feeling like I am the problem in my family. The black sheep because of my weight because I am unable to participate in family events. Had a new nephew born September 22nd this year. I've only seen pictures that I took off my sister in law's myspace page or the pne's that I recieved on my cell phone as a picture message. I only have my one brother. And sometimes I feel like I don't even have him in my life anymore.

I get upset that strangers can and are insensitive to someone like myself. I expect that, but what really hurts is when it comes from your own family or those that are supposed to love you unconditionally.

I know it's not healthy for me to be obese and at 573lbs perhaps more by now, but there's got to be better ways to help us other than beating us down emotionally. Emotionally I'm a wreck. I want to fix myself from the inside out but I have no idea how. I want a chance to really live life and to be able to enjoy it if even for a few. For a while I tried to enjoy my life as I am and to be ok with me , but most of the time I feel so sad and I cry alot.

I get upset when I'm told how easy it is to be healthy but yet  the one's telling me can't even live by example. Yet it's like such a sin if I even eat.

Love the post and totally agrees. Thanks Amy.

WONDERFUL POST AMY!!!!

NOW, LETS GET IT OUT TO ALL THE IDIOTS OUT THERE!!!

YOU TELL 'EM AMY!

 

People are morons.  Walk a mile in our shoes...Oh wait, most of us couldn't/still can't walk that far.  They just don't get it.  It's a HELL you have to live in to understand.

 

Thank GOD for WLS.

Amen Amy
I have 7 sil a few are pudgy but none my size and im just now getting the respect ive deserved for 17 yrs,wth i dont need it now but you could have never tugged this weight load around and accomplished the things i did at that size..
So sing it girl i love it.................

AMEN!!

I'm new to this forum, but I've been obese all my life.

YOU TOLD 'EM GOOD, GIRL!!!!