friends post- MGB

[Guest guest]

I have been the luckiest person when it comes to this! All my

friends have been wonderfully supportive. People at my old job would

tell me how much I had changed, I'm more of an introvert around

people I don't know too well. But around my friends, I've always

been Mrs. Extravert. My best friend actually relishes the changes.

Now I'll actually go out and do things with her. I'll be 25 on the

27th this month and for the first time in my life, I'm living more

like a 20 year old, and less like a 40 year old. I went to every

concert that came to the area this summer, something I hadn't done

before. When we go out to eat, I don't care if we sit in the bar

area (I don't have to avoid the tables any longer). I'm no longer

afraid to walk past a group of teenagers in the mall. I don't worry

about what people are thinking about me in public. I have SO much

more energy than I had before. I hope my luck with my friends

continues to run. I don't have many obese friends though, perhaps my

situation would be different then.

manda

> Genny,

>

> Sorry about your experience with your sister and others at church.

I do not

> think, however, that a person should lump all friends into a

category that

> they will leave or betray once a person is thin. I do have one

friend that I

> don't see very often, that I think REALLY wanted me to fail at this

surgery.

> She is obese and wanted to have the surgery, or at least she talked

about it

> a little (very little). I think she is upset with me and I know

she's

> jealous because she told me so. True friends will NOT be jealous!

They know

> what we've been through to have this surgery and how much we've

struggled

> prior to surgery. It's so unfair for someone who hasn't been

through what we

> have to say they are " jealous. " Were they jealous when we were fat

and

> miserable? Did they even want us to have a better quality of

life? Everyone

> has been very supportive of me and I'm so thankful for that! That

includes

> family, friends, and coworkers.

>

> I'm sorry for your experience and in my opinion your sister should

be ashamed

> of herself for treating you that way! Maybe one of these days

she'll realize

> what she's doing and you two can mend fences. I know it has to

hurt you

> deeply. I can't really imagine one of my sisters treating me that

way.

>

> in OK

>

> In a message dated 09/05/2001 7:27:53 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

> delliott@a... writes:

>

> <<

> I am Genny Elliott, and I had surgery 1 year and 2 months

> ago,with Dr. Rutledge. When I had surgery I weighed in at 252lbs.

and I

> now weigh 127lbs. I am wanting before long to put my before and

after

> pic. on the list but I haven't found time yet. When I started my

size

> was 22-24 and now I am a 7-8 on dresses and a 8 in pants and

shorts. I

> live in Texas about 45 minutes east of Dallas. I did go to 1 on the

> monthly meeting, but I lost contact and don't know when they are.If

> anyone out there can help me on when the next meeting is I would

> appreciate it. Well about myself, I do take vitamins everyday, I

do not

> work out at a gym but I do play softball on a league with my

husband and

> sister. Me and my husband are associate pastors at our church for

the

> past 3 years and yes they've been through this whole process with

me. I

> have recently experienced conflict concurring my weight, I had

some of

> the people in my church (my sister being one) and told me I was

cocky

> and becoming mean and always talking and now joking about weight.

This

> was so untrue. They are calling confidence which they never seen

in me

> before as cockiness, and standing up for myself instead of being

ran

> over as mean. I'm now the smallest lady in our group that hang

around at

> church. I have done everything with these people for years and what

> started out as support turned into insecurity. I have had to talk

to

> them and explain to them I love them very much and I am sorry they

had

> taken some of the things I had been saying in joking, was taken so

bad

> and personally. I now have learned when you are smaller you can't

say or

> joke about weight EVER!. With my sister, I had never been smaller

then

> her and she is not taking it so well. So when this all blew up

this was

> her opportunity to jump on the bandwagon. I think I have worked

most of

> it out, I am now watching what I say and do around them. I did not

> expect this or prepare for this and it hit me like a ton of

bricks. Just

> remember friends are there for you as long as you are larger but

when

> you pass them things change and they may not be there later.Just be

> careful and be sure your friends are handling this well because

some

> women have problems later when they finally see you look good.

> Thanks for listing,

> Genny Elliott

> 252/127 July26th 200 >>