JCP

I posted this under another topic but am placing it here since I am a newbie and want to share my story. I am 56. I was with my former employer for 22 years and hoped to someday retire from the company as I was very happy with them. I was then laid off (along with hundreds of others) when they decided to relocate the corporate office. I was out of work and looked very hard for a job for a year. I would get calls for interviews and the phone screens would go very well. But when I went in, I would literally see their expressions change as I am 100 pounds overweight (although I dress professionally, am well-groomed, have great teeth, good people skills, etc... So I'm not a scary freak show or anything!) The excuse then was always that I was "overqualified"... as if they learned something in the face-to-face interview that wasn't in the phone screen! Do they think I am stupid? LOL! I was humiliated and began to feel hopeless and depressed, which only made things worse. I finally got back on with my former employer but had to relocate hundreds of miles to do it, so I commute on weekends to my home and husband. It's been two years and still no luck finding a job in my home city, still the same result over and over. Time to get serious! So I had my first appointment on May 22 with Dr. Richard Peterson at Univ of Texas Center for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery in San Antonio. All of my fears were immediately put to rest. I feel so comfortable with him as a physician and am now really excited about the process. (And I have a huge amount of respect that he did two combat tours in the USAF.) I am making my way through the checklist and all of my appointments are scheduled. So far, nothing has presented an obstacle and my insurance covers 80/20. I am hoping for a Sept surgery (sleeve)! I will have it done at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Westover Hills, which is a new and very nice hospital. I am excited and hopeful for the first time in a long time. I am going to get healthy, buy a great suit, and knock the socks off all those companies that blew me off. I can't wait! For those who might be interested, here are some links to Dr. Peterson’s program: http://utweightloss.com/index.asp http://www.christussantarosa.org/meet-the-team

I was with my former employer for 22 years and hoped to retire from the company as I was very happy with them. I was then laid off (along with hundreds of others) when they decided to relocate the corporate office. I was out of work and looked very hard for a job for a year. I would get calls for interviews and the phone screens would go very well. But when I went in, I would literally see their expressions change as I am 100 pounds overeight (although I dress professionally, am well-groomed, have great teeth, good people skills, etc... So I'm not a scary freak or anything!) The excuse then was always that I was "overqualified"... as if they learned something in the face-to-face interview that wasn't in the phone screen. I was humiliated and began to feel hopeless, which only made things worse. I finally got back on with my former employer but had to relocate hundreds of miles to do it, so I commute on weekends to my home and husband. It's been two years and still no luck finding a job in my home city, still the same result over and over. Time to get serious. I am excited and hopeful for the first time in a long time. I am going to get healthy, buy a great suit, and knock their socks off. I can't wait!

I am anemic and my Nut said I will be prescribed an iron supplement. She said that my iron need to be normal before I am scheduled for surgery but she didn't anticipate any problems. She said it is common.

I am in west SA at Westover Hills. Just began this process. Had my first appt with my surgeon on 5/22 and got my pre-surgery instructions. I have most of my clearance appts/procedures scheduled already so am hoping for a Sept surgery date (sleeve), assuming no complications arise. I am really getting excited and think about it all the time. My only concern is I will have no one with me after surgery. I have read that it should not be an issue but it still makes me feel a little vulnerable... But not enough to back out!