Black and White

  • I was reading the copy of my report that my Surgeon gave me. Here is what it said.

    General Appearance: The patient is an obese white female resting comfortably.

    My reaction to this cracks me up. OMG!! They called me obese. I guess I still haven't owned up to the fact that at 300 lbs, yes, Sandra dear, you are obese.
  • sandi.. i got hold of a couple of my preop reports as well, and they said things like 'massively obese' and 'super obese.' <sigh> not a happy moment.

    and you're right.. we don't actually FEEL obese. it must be something else. couldn't possibly be us.

    the land of denial: a fabulous vacation place, but not a reasonable place to live in. unfortunately.
  • Because I'm on Weight Watchers I spend a lot of time on their website and the message boards there. I've always thought that it was strange that a lot of people there are offended by the word fat, yet that is how I think of myself and I have no problem saying that I'm fat. But the word obese! Wow! That really hits where it hurts! Don't get me started thinking about the fact that technically I'm morbidly obese.



  • Sandi, I know exactly what you mean! We know how much we weigh, but it just doesn't compute. We don't FEEL like we're obese. That couldn't possibly be me!!

    My girls don't understand why I say that I never realized how much weight I had gained. I mean I could look at the scale and see the number, but I was the same person inside that I had always been and it just didn't sink in.

    Right now I feel pretty fit and happy, and yet I'm STILL in the obese category. So I try not to think about it. Yes, I'm living in Jiff's Land Of Denial. I'm waiting for Mr. Rourke and Tatoo to greet me with a fabulous island drink!
  • I know exactly what you mean. I'm even guilty of thinking to myself that I am overweight when morbidly obese is the honest truth.
  • I always thought that the terminology was funny (like odd and haha both) I mean... first you are overweight- OK that makes sense you are over a weight - then there is this line where if you cross it you become obese - what that heck is that word about - is it an oboe crossed with some geese? is it short for o boy - geeze she sure is fat? and then the next level is morbidly obese ... like if you gain a few more pounds it is time to break out the black fingernail polish and start reading lots of Emily Dickinson! My favorite though is super - obese - I almost hung in there and tried to gain the extra 10 lbs that would have put me in that catagory because I figured that I was going to wake up and find sparkly tights and a cape hanging in my closet and that I was now so fat that I was invulnerable to external dangers!

    what was it Hamlet said, ah yes......words,words,words! these books are full of words...........
  • thank you saida!!!!!! THAT WAS FABULOUS!!!!
  • I just logged it all out on a piece of paper.

    If I lose 10# every month, I won't reach my ultimate goal (150) until February of 2005. Very sobering.

    I like the super-obese sparkly cape idea.

    My mom's friend in Florida said there are some women there who are trying to GAIN weight b/c they are not heavy enough to have gastric bypass.
  • SAPF: there's only one word for those weight-gaining women: STUPID!!!! post op life is not easy. this is not a quick fix. all those emotional eating urges are still there and YOU CAN'T EAT!!!!! now that they're completely out of control with their food, what will they do when they can't eat????

    very very sad.