Weight Loss Survey Responses

The following are Jo Ellen A.'s responses to the Weight Loss Survey:

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I have had a terrible struggle with self-esteem since I was a little girl. I started gaining weight in 6th grade, and I was tall for my age at 5'2". Even though I weighed only about 125 lbs, my teacher starting calling me buffalo. It caught on the the entire bunch of popular boys in the class started calling me that too. My teacher was formerly military and seemed to like the boys best. He would make fun of me when I ran. I hated him and I hated myself more. We thankfully moved to another town after 6th grade so the buffalo thing didn't move with me. I made life long friends who I still see today. They are so wonderful and supportive. However, I slowly gained weight over my jr. high and high school years and didn't date in high school at all. My top weight was 150 lbs., and as I never grew beyond 5'2", it seemed to keep the boys away. As an adult, I started to make bad choices about the men I dated because I didn't have any self esteem. I struggled with my weight but eventually got it together to get a master's degree and lost 50 lbs. During this time I also had 2 fabulous children. My husband was a cold and unfeeling man. I became bulemic during my marriage and after I divorced him, and had therapy, I stopped purging and kept binging until I gained over 130 lbs. I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, and many other diets only to gain it all back. I am now 50 years old and haven't had a man in my life since my divorce in 1988. I have suffered from a familial depression for many, many years, mostly it seems to be related to my weight and self esteem problems. I would love to stop feeling pain in my joints, be healthy, happy and maybe even date a nice man! I am undergoing WLS in 4 days. Wish me luck.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

I hate the way I can't move and do what other people seem to do with ease. It is painful and exhausting to be active so I am not. I never was a particularly active person, I always preferred to read or nap best but I was active as a child and very good at games like tether ball and jump rope. I would like to be able to walk stairs, do active things and help others without wearing out. Less important but still something I hate is not attracting a partner to share my life with!

How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

One of my co-workers had WLS 3-4 years ago. I attended an information meeting then but it seemed too drastic and I didn't see myself as one of "those" people (of course I am now proudly one of them). The surgeon told us at the meeting that we'd be expected to lose about 10-20 lbs. I thought then that if I could do that, I could keep going. I did for over 40 lbs and starting working out with a trainer. But then I plateaued for a year even though I was doing the same things. I realized that when I went back to that informational meeting again 2 years later, that the WLS was my only answer. I am now 4 days away from surgery and can't wait to see the results!