After joining this site I looked and looked for photos of myself before the surgery - you know what I discovered? For a big girl, I was really adept at being invisible to the camera. It has been very difficult for me to find photos of myself at almost 300 pounds - I apparently was like a photo-lens ninja - if one came out - I disappeared.

It dawns on me that there are probably hundreds of thousands of people like me. We're were pretty invisible to the photo world - and I can't tell you how many times I just deleted images of myself out of other people's cameras.

I think about that now and I shake my head - I was so worried about how I looked that I deleted myself. That's terrible.

Just thinking aloud - hope everyone is having a great weekend.

- Simone

One of the saddest things to me is that I cannot look at my SIL's wedding pictures because of the way I look in that bridesmaid's dress. I am close to her and there is a picture of the two of us that I would throw in the garbage if I didn't realize how hurt she would be by that. I looked horrible in all of the professional pics, forever captured at my highest weight. Because they are wedding photos, they will never fade into the background, they will never be thrown in a box or thrown in the trash, or otherwise discarded. They will forever grace the walls of my family.

Ah well-- I will always have an easy reminder of why I NEVER want to go back to where I came from.

I agree though that pictures aren't always easier today