Lori C.
About Me
May 30, 2013
Here is my "about me". I almost have to have a prompt to write, though. I saw the question/answer setup on some other people's profiles so I stole the questions. I hope they don't mind!
Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I have always been overweight, even when I was really little. But I was always a happy person with a lot of friends and it was something that just didn’t faze me that much. I suppose it’s like someone who is born blind – it’s easier for you to adapt to your situation if you don’t know any other way of living.
I’ve always had a very positive self-image even though I was overweight – then obese – then morbidly obese. It wasn’t until about 8 years ago that I started to lose that grasp on my positive outlook. I moved into an administrative job and started working long hours paired with an extreme commute. Friends moved away and married, so my active life outside work dropped off. In 2011, too much fast food and stress, and not enough movement had really taken its toll on my already-neglected body and I started having panic attacks all the time, my legs and feet started swelling, and I started getting out of breath just climbing the single flight of stairs to my apartment. My doctor checked everything out and didn’t find any problems, but told me that these were warning signs that problems were coming and I needed to do something NOW. She had been begging me to look into WLS for YEARS, but I was totally in denial. Just like a drug addict, I thought I didn’t have a problem and I could quit eating and start exercising anytime but there is no problem and no rush.
When I turned 30 last year and started to really think about wanting to become a mommy (even if I haven’t found the right guy yet) I had to face the fact that I probably couldn’t safely have a child and effectively raise him at this weight. I finally started to realize that I can’t continue on at the rate I’ve been going with my weight. Over the past year I have really started to try to look at myself and my behaviors in an objective way – that alone had been a monumental feat. I think I am a great person with a LOT of potential emotionally, intellectually, and physically but I have a long way to go. My hope now is that I can use WLS to boost myself into a better position to help myself.
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
Knowing that everyone can see my weakness and judge me on preconceived notions about people who are obese. Being left out when friends want to do activities that would be difficult or uncomfortable for me because of my size. Worrying about not being able to fit in the…bridesmaid dress, airplane seat, bathroom stall, car, theme park rides, chairs of any kind (office chair, lawn chair, dining room chair, dentist chair, etc.), elevators, restaurant booths (though it is a good deterrent), clothes in general, turnstiles – I could go on forever. Most importantly, knowing what a dangerous position I am in health-wise and wondering how much longer I can survive like this - literally.
If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren’t able to do before?
I haven’t had surgery yet, but I have a long list of activities and goals that I would like to do once I’m at a more manageable weight. A few of them involve airplanes and theme parks and not dying prematurely.
How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?
12 years ago I started a new job and got partnered with a lady that had had WLS. I had never even heard of the surgery before. My impression wasn’t good. Please don’t get me wrong! I really am a very laid-back tolerant person – I promise! BUT. This lady was one of the most inhospitable people I had ever met. She was mean, degrading, and I hate to say it but – well, gross. I inadvertently associated her with the WLS and I have to admit it was one of the reasons I didn’t want to look into it for a long time. I know that sounds crazy, but I’m just being honest. I don’t know what I was thinking – that having WLS would turn me into her?! I think it was another way my brain was trying to trick me into not moving forward with losing weight. Now that I’ve met many more people that have had the surgery, I understand how heroic an act it is to have WLS. I understand that it takes a LOT of work physically and emotionally. I just hope I have the strength to join the club.
What was your first visit with your surgeon like?
I liked my surgeon straight away. He was very kind and thorough, but to the point. He didn’t joke around and he was honest about the pros and cons of each kind of surgery. He made it clear that WLS wasn’t about aesthetics it was about health. I can’t tell you how much I respect that.
