FM body size/Melody and whomever

[Guest guest]

Melody - I might be willing to trade you bodies. I grew up with the stigma

of being overweight all my life. Compared to today's reality of obesity

widespread, I was just fine back then, except that mostly everyone else was

still skinnier. My mother harped on me all the time about my weight, to the

point that I felt she would never really love me, unless I lost weight.

When I was diagnosed for FM, of course, she believed it was because I was

overweight and out of shape. Yet she wasn't supportive at first when I said

I wanted weight loss surgery. Anyhow, I've said before that losing over 100

pounds did nothing to help my FM. I was able to move about more easily, but

the chronic fatigue still kept me from doing much.

I understand that you're coming from the total opposite end of the

spectrum. I just find it hard to believe that at your now healthy weight,

people still ridicule you for being too skinny. I thought the image of the

stick-thin models was still the ideal body image in this country. There's

been a bit of change in that over the past decade, but not a lot. What is

wrong with people that they have to be the judge on how someone should look

anyway?

My opinion is fibromites come in all shapes and sizes.

That's one thing I love about these groups. We don't know what each

other look like, fat, thin, black, white, blue or purple. We learn to love

and care about each other without having to deal with body image. OK,

that's enough for now. Thanks for listening.

Jeanne in WI

>I was always a pencil, but the year my fibro symptoms began, my weight

>plummeted. I didn't know what ibs was, yet I was having these attacks and

>didn't know why. I couldn't eat and my weight went down to 95. Of

course everyone was all 'she needs to eat a sandwich' or 'she must be

anorexic.' That just made my depression plummet to an all time low. I

hated the ridicule, criticism, insults, being accused of anorexia, you name

it. I saw doctors and doctors and doctors, told them I hurt all

over, had headaches, stomach problems, and just couldn't eat. They said it

was all in my head or stress.

>

> Anyhow jumping ahead a decade, I'm at a healthy weight but it is a daily

> struggle sometimes. I don't have a normal appetite like the rest of the

> world, and being thin in the world today is VERY abnormal. So I've always

> felt like such a misfit and never really fit in.

>

> It's nice to know I'm not alone. Some days I do feel completely alone.

> People still do that 'GOSH she's SO SKINNY!' with a sneer. Some days

> it's no big deal, I'm 36 and been dealing with these comments for more

than 20 year now, so I'm way used to it. But other days I want to say

" then let's trade, you take my fibro ibs body and let me have your 'I can

eat anything anytime' body, I'd gladly trade!!! "

[Guest guest]

It's totally not the ideal for how people want their bodies to be. If

you are in any tv groups, and someone in the public eye is 'thin' they

get more insults than those who are 'healthy' or have weight.

But my body is just abnormal to begin with. Meaning, I'm not tall, I'm

5'5 " but I have these long lanky bones from my father so I appear

taller, skinnier, long monkey arms and long stick legs, short torso, and

have always been that dorky awkward skinny girl. So in school, I never

got dates, I never fit in, clothes fit me all wrong, jeans were all

'high waters' (this was during that acid washed craze, lol) I had one

high school friend in a very large high school who is still my friend

today. I had two or three acquaintances but they gave me a lot of

pressure as well to 'eat a sandwich.'

The difference between now and then is that I don't care anymore what

other people think, I'm happy to be alive really. Other people don't

live in my body and deal with the issues I deal with. They don't

realize that if I eat a big heavy meal, it might trigger an ibs episode,

so I eat small frequent meals all day.

They haven't met my father who still has these pencil legs even in his

sixties.

I think God made me this way for a reason, as he makes us all different

sizes, colors, shapes, you name it.

But if I could trade with a plump NON-fibro body, NON-ibs body, NON acid

reflux, NON any tummy troubles AT ALL, I'd take it in a heart beat. Let

the naysayers do what they will, at least I'll 'fit in' when it comes to

eating holidays, at least I'll be able to find my size in clothes, that

in and of itself would be awesome!!!!

I think we all have something we'd like to change, about our size,

weight, appearance whatever. Me, I just don't want the tummy issues

that go with the fibro. If those would go away forever and ever, I'd be

plump because I do love food and I do love to eat.

But then again I think most of us would trade anyone for a NON-fibro

body, wouldn't we?.

Dave and Jeanne wrote:

> Melody - I might be willing to trade you bodies. I grew up with the stigma

> of being overweight all my life. Compared to today's reality of obesity

> widespread, I was just fine back then, except that mostly everyone else was

> still skinnier. My mother harped on me all the time about my weight, to the

> point that I felt she would never really love me, unless I lost weight.

> When I was diagnosed for FM, of course, she believed it was because I was

> overweight and out of shape. Yet she wasn't supportive at first when I said

> I wanted weight loss surgery. Anyhow, I've said before that losing over 100

> pounds did nothing to help my FM. I was able to move about more easily, but

> the chronic fatigue still kept me from doing much.

> I understand that you're coming from the total opposite end of the

> spectrum. I just find it hard to believe that at your now healthy weight,

> people still ridicule you for being too skinny. I thought the image of the

> stick-thin models was still the ideal body image in this country. There's

> been a bit of change in that over the past decade, but not a lot. What is

> wrong with people that they have to be the judge on how someone should look

> anyway?

> My opinion is fibromites come in all shapes and sizes.

> That's one thing I love about these groups. We don't know what each

> other look like, fat, thin, black, white, blue or purple. We learn to love

> and care about each other without having to deal with body image. OK,

> that's enough for now. Thanks for listening.

> Jeanne in WI

>

>

>

>> I was always a pencil, but the year my fibro symptoms began, my weight

>> plummeted. I didn't know what ibs was, yet I was having these attacks and

>> didn't know why. I couldn't eat and my weight went down to 95. Of

>>

> course everyone was all 'she needs to eat a sandwich' or 'she must be

> anorexic.' That just made my depression plummet to an all time low. I

> hated the ridicule, criticism, insults, being accused of anorexia, you name

> it. I saw doctors and doctors and doctors, told them I hurt all

> over, had headaches, stomach problems, and just couldn't eat. They said it

> was all in my head or stress.

>

>> Anyhow jumping ahead a decade, I'm at a healthy weight but it is a daily

>> struggle sometimes. I don't have a normal appetite like the rest of the

>> world, and being thin in the world today is VERY abnormal. So I've always

>> felt like such a misfit and never really fit in.

>>

>> It's nice to know I'm not alone. Some days I do feel completely alone.

>> People still do that 'GOSH she's SO SKINNY!' with a sneer. Some days

>> it's no big deal, I'm 36 and been dealing with these comments for more

>>

> than 20 year now, so I'm way used to it. But other days I want to say

> " then let's trade, you take my fibro ibs body and let me have your 'I can

> eat anything anytime' body, I'd gladly trade!!! "

>

>

>

> 1. While it is wonderful to share our experiences with everyone on the list as

to what treatments do and don't work for us, pls always check with your dr.

Some treatments are dangerous when given along with other meds as well as to

certain health conditions or just dangerous in general.

>

> 2. If you are in a difficult situation (doesn't matter what it is) pls don't

be afraid to ask for help. It is the first step to trying to make that

situation better.

>

> 3. To unsubscribe the e-mail is:

Fibromyalgia_Support_Group-unsubscribe

>

> 4. Also, it is not uncommon for more than one member to be feeling bad at the

same time when it comes to flares and b/c of that potentially take something

another member says the wrong way. And that includes the things that one member

may find funny (even if it's laughing at fibro itself) even though we who deal

with illness whether one such as fibro or multiple illnesses try to keep a sense

of humor.

>

> 5. Pls let's be gentle with each other, and if you are having a bad day pls

let us know so that we can do our best to offer our support.

>

> Have a nice day everyone.

>

>