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

I was never anything but FAT. My childhood was mortifying...in those days fat was worse than a disease. No one wanted to be friends with the fat girl. I was a target and had no clue how to begin to defend myself. I was shy and alone. My mother had no clue how to relate to me and when I would go crying to her she would respond...."beauty is only skin deep" or "if you lose some weight they will leave you alone". Don't think of her as a villain, I was her first and only FAT child. My brothers and sisters are all average and none of them have had a fat day in their lives. So how could she know what I needed. To make things worse military doctors had her put me on strict diets beginning at 3 years of age. I wasn't a couch potato, I was active. My activity did decline because I was ashamed to be seen and I felt ugly and so I would hide away, whenever and wherever I could. In my teen years it became worse....I NEVER had a date! No lie! Not ONE! I had "secret boyfriends" but I couldn't tell anyone. They didn't want anyone to know. So I would try every diet I could find but never had success. By High School Graduation I was over 200 pounds, the biggest girl in my class and I went to SENIOR prom alone. By that time I was determined that I was not going to allow people to keep me from enjoying life. Not a very enjoyable night I can tell you....whispers and giggles and names and laughter...but I stayed until 10:00 and then I left. Because of a lack of self esteem...I became promiscuous...looking for love wherever I could find it. SEX IS NOT LOVE! Young people if you don't get anything else from my BIO remember SEX IS NOT LOVE! I ended up pregnant at 21, alone and scared but ready to have that baby because I knew I could be a great mom even if I was fat. His dad and I did eventually get married when he was almost two and we have had 22 fabulous years of marriage.

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

Being Overweight makes you INVISIBLE to some or a BULLSEYE for others. 1 year after surgery my husband had a heart attack. The week I brought him home, the television fried. So I had to go to A big box store alone to get one. This is right after the BLACK FRIDAY week. I found a 36" tv and was about to attempt to put it on my buggy when a stranger walked over and said..."here, let me do that...your too small to be lifting that." I promise you so many times in the past I would lift things that big or bigger and nobody cared. The fat girl doesn't need any help. People make fat jokes with you right there and expect you to laugh. They would never tell racial jokes and expect a person of that race to laugh.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

One of my best moments was two years after Surgery...my son who was about 15 was with me at Sam's Club, we were walking out and I had handed him my card and receipt so I could look for something in my purse. HE said " MOM, wait...the lady gave you someone else's card." When I looked I said "no they didn't son that mine" He looked at the picture in disbelief and said "Mom...I don't remember you ever being that fat." Your children just look through eyes of love your body shape doesn't determine their love for you. Parents remember that. I Just loved going into any store walking to the misses isle and finding something I liked.