How grateful would you feel if you were disabled by your weight and allowed to have a free second seat when you flew on an airplane? But say you are of normal weight or at least not disabled by your morbid obesity; would you be resentful having to pay a little bit every time you flew to support that extra seat? Or what if you were flying standby and that extra empty seat given to the person who is disabled by weight would be your seat home? That is what the debate was on Fox and Friends this past Tuesday.

The Canadian Government has ruled that the Canadian airlines must give those who are so large they are disabled by their weight an extra seat. It is an issue that will be hotly debated. I was asked by the news program Fox and Friends to appear on network TV and debate the side in favor of the extra seat. Debating me was Kate Hanni of the Coalition for a Passenger Bill of Rights. 

A disability caused by weight is as valid as any other disability.  And we as a society have chosen to help the disabled and hopefully not look at them with judgment or disgust. Read the article cited below about the ruling and let me know your thoughts.  

For a link to the article, go to http://www.canada.com/theprovince/story.html?id=977633

Here is something to think about.

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and New Year. But they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas!”

Author Unknown
From Reader’s Digest, Dec. 2008

Women often write to me wondering, 'If I have weight loss surgery, will I be able to have children?' The answer is a resounding, “Yes.”

A review of 75 studies has concluded that women who have had weight loss surgery have very low rates of complications and deliver very healthier babies.

Dr. Laura Riley of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported that she often sees women who are morbidly obese and want to start a family.  They say they will lose weight so their pregnancy will be healthier, but never do and just come back pregnant and still morbidly obese. Obese women have a higher rate of complications than women of normal weight.  With this data, she recommends to them that they have weight loss surgery first, lose 100 pounds and then get pregnant.

The report says that 2 areas of concern remain. The first is how effective oral contraceptives are after weight loss surgery because of unknown absorption.  The second is how long patients should wait after surgery before getting pregnant.  The consensus still seems to be to wait approximately a year.

For the Nov. 20^th, 2008 New York Times article, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/health/research/20bariatric.html?_r=1&8br=&pagewanted=print

I am currently writing an article for WLS Lifestyles Magazine that will include diet disasters. If you would like to share one of your diet disasters that I could use in the article, I would love to hear from you. It has to be short – no more than 50 words. Send it to me at Barbara@WLScenter.com.

Also if you have had surgery and are now exercising and eating in a healthy way and maintaining your weight, or have gotten counseling after surgery and have been successful, send me a short description of what you are doing.  I would really appreciate it.

I want to offer a special thanks to Rita Phillips for sharing her story with us. Here is her story:

Hi Everyone,
I am Rita Phillips, a registered respiratory therapist with Foundation Bariatric Hospital of Oklahoma (FBHOK) and am an eight-month post-op bariatric patient.

I have worked at FBHOK since the facility opened its doors in January of 2006.  At that time I weighed 287 pounds.  Although dedicated to my work in healthcare, I did not agree with weight loss surgery because I had been exposed to patients with bad outcomes at my previous job.  I vowed that I would never choose weight loss surgery because I thought it was the lazy way out and just too risky.  By mid 2007, I changed my mind.

I am a trained caregiver and a loving daughter and mother.  In April 2007, while visiting my aging mother who had overcome many health obstacles related to diabetes and cardiac disease, I came to a realization that I didn’t want my own children and grandchildren to witness the same with me.

I knew at 287 pounds if I didn’t do something soon, this would be my scenario. From that day on I did everything I needed to do to get the weight loss surgery process going.

I knew it would not be easy. With hopes of ridding myself of the constant joint and muscle aches from carrying the extra weight to lowering my high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, I found motivation from the happy patients who surrounded me everyday at FBHOK. After working at the Foundation for almost a year and a half, and seeing the wonderful results and few complications, I decided that weight loss surgery was something that I owed to myself.

In order to meet insurance requirements, I had to follow a six-month plan of diet and exercise before I could be considered for surgery. There were days that I thought my turn would never come. But it was so worth the wait.

By December 2007, the wait was over. I underwent Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery. I would finally know what it was like to be one of my patients and following my own surgery. I have gained a new perspective and knowledge of the service needed for my weight loss surgery patients.  The supportive team at WeightWise who consults with me on nutrition, exercise, and behavior modification has become like new family members in my weight loss journey.

Now, eight months following my surgery, I have lost 116 pounds and am enjoying life again.

My life has changed in so many ways. I have not taken blood pressure or cholesterol medications since the day before surgery.  I have more stamina and energy. I go out in public more often. I can enjoy my grandchildren more now. We can play and go to the park, and go shopping all in one day. I attend more social events, and the list goes on and on.

It’s those WOW moments that now make me catch my breath.  Weight loss surgery patients refer to WOW moments as events that are common to most of us, but new or rediscovered by successful patients of weight loss. Here is one I had.  This summer I will take my first airplane ride without having to require a seat belt extender.  It’s those little victories that add up and help patients of WeightWise get back to life.

My journey toward my goal weight continues, but I am not doing it alone.  The support from my family and friends has been tremendous, not to mention the built-in support of co-workers and the WeightWise team.  I would like to thank God for working in his marvelous ways and bringing Dr. Gregory Walton into my life. For without either one of them I wouldn’t have had this second chance at life that I have today.

Rita Phillips
jagmom56@yahoo.com

Congratulations Rita You can see additional pictures from Rita at www.obesityhelp.com/member/crickett_1

“Reprinted from Barbara Thompson’s free e-newsletter featuring helpful information and research material to help patients succeed following weight loss surgery.
Subscribe at http://www.barbarathompsonnewsletter.com  ”