A new stage in my life

Dear Bariatric Patients

We are friends, drawn together as we fight the affliction of obesity. And as friends I write to you to share with you a new stage in my life.

As they say I have some good news and some bad news. First the bad news…It is with much disappointment that I have left OSS.

If you have been to one of my seminars you know how I love to tell stories. Some of you may have already heard this one.

For thirty seven years I lived in the shackles of my obesity. I felt I was living a nightmare, cursed or being punished. At night I would reflect on the hardships of my day and I knew my poor body could not take another day of pain or another ounce of weight. I would ask the man above every night, while crying into my pillow "Why Me?"

One night I woke up. I sat straight up in bed. Finally I had the answer to that question. The question I gave up so many tears over and prayed about for so many years. The answer was….YOU!

What I thought was my nightmare, my curse, my punishment, turned out to be my gift.

I had to experience the life of obesity to be able to understand and feel true compassion for you and all those who suffer from the disease of obesity. To really help the obese I had to experience being obese.

I have shared my gift with you and thousands of others that suffer from obesity. I wanted to share this story about taking the biggest hardship in my life and changing it into a great positive because I am now facing another challenge in my life.

For the past 4 years, I practiced my passion of helping the obese at OSS. OSS was part of my gift.
But things change and I am no longer there.

While I can leave OSS I can’t leave you or my lifelong mission to help fight obesity.

Now the good news!

I am now going to practice my gift through my own organization, Weight Loss Surgery Specialists.

My Promise to You
· continue to be an advocate for the obese
· produce a newsletter specifically for bariatric patients to help bariatric patients return to
health and to maintain their new life
· do regular support groups, to keep bariatric patients compliant
· work with patients who want to fight obesity through a bariatric program

I will always be here for you and other bariatric patients. I will only be an email or a phone call away from you.

My Dreams for the Future
I have dreams and big plans for you and for those who suffer from obesity. Let me share them with you. Starting in Houston and Texas…

One day…I will have a camp for our children that suffer from obesity. A camp where our kids can
go and never feel ashamed of themselves. A camp where they can get out of life what they deserve.
A camp where children can have fun and participate in activities from baseball to ballet.
At the same time they are having fun they can learn healthy habits to better position themselves for the rest of their life.

One day…I will have a gym where bariatric patients and the obese can go and feel comfortable as they work out and improve their lives and health.

One day…I will have a place for the super obese. A place they can go to get the help they desperately need, so they will never be helplessly trapped in their home.

Thank you for letting me share my dreams with you.

I am here for you, and together we will Triumph over The Disease of Obesity.

PS: Send me a quick note and I will add you on to my online newsletter and calendar of events list for bariatric patients.

Angie Flores
Founder of Weight Loss Surgery Specialists
& Your Sister in Weight Loss Surgery
http://www.wlsshelp.com/
AngieFlores@WLSShelp.com

My Goal

My experience of 37 years fighting the disease of obesity has placed me where I am at today. I have learned how to love myself, now I am able to share that love and experience with others.
After being featured on Discovery Health Channel's program Obese at 16 "A Life in The Balance", I received 100's of emails, letters and phone calls. There were many I could help just by providing advice or a kind word. Some I have been able to help get surgery, while others I haven't been able to help. I promise I haven't forgotten you. I know the need is there for someone to take a stand to help.
My goal is to one day have a charity that provides loving support, education, understanding, and financial assistance for the treatment of morbid obesity. My future desire is to open a Summer Camp for children and adolescents who suffer from the disease of obesity. I want our children to enjoy their childhood, and never suffer the way so many of us have.
To move forward with my dreams, I have many ideas on how to make the money; I need to make these dreams a reality. I am writing a book of short stories about people who have lived with and suffered from obesity, as well as patients who have had obesity surgery and want to share their stories of transformation. You and I both know the challenges I will have to overcome to make my dreams a reality, do too the prejudices and discrimination we face every day.
People who haven't lived with obesity will not understand my fight. I will work for my dreams until the end and even then, I know my children or one of the many patients I have worked with will continue my mission...

Angie Flores

The Reflection In The Mirror

It was November 2006 I got off of work, I was so tired.
The second I walked in the door of my home, my youngest my daughter started begging for me to take her to the carnival that was set up at the mall.

I made the best of it and had my two boys go with us so they could help me with their sister. We were all having a great time, laughing, cutting up and just having lots of fun being together. I even forgot how tired I was.

My baby girl wanted to go into the fun house. So we went in. You will never understand how entering that door changed me. As we were walking through the house, she suddenly came to a dead stop.

She said "WOW LOOK MOM YOUR FAT AGAIN". Just hearing the words “YOUR FAT
AGAIN” sent chills down my spine, it made my knees weak, I felt like I had been punch in the chest. It was hard for me to breathe.

We were standing in front of one of those mirrors that distort your look. In a slow motion, I could actually feel the expression of my face change as I looked into the mirror. Wow she was back; she still looked the same, so sad. I felt scared, my eyes watered, and I could feel my heart racing. My daughter could see and feel, how seeing myself, like that again affected me. She grabbed my hand said come on mom, that’s not you any more, let’s get out of here; she had to pull me away from the mirror and out of the fun house.

My boys were already out of the house waiting on us. I asked to boys to take their sister onto the next ride. I needed a few minutes to myself. All three of them walked away, they were off to the next ride.
I wanted to see her again, I needed to see her, and she had to know!
I went back in the fun house, headed straight for the mirrors. There she was.
The fat, ugly, sad woman I once was. I just needed a moment alone with her. I just had to tell her that she was feeling healthier, that she was feeling better about herself; I needed her to know that she loved herself and that she could finally feel love. She had to know people don't call her fat and ugly anymore and if some was ugly to her she would not stand for it. She needed to know she found her voice, and was strong and was happy. I needed her to know life got better and easier for us. But her refection still looked so sad I could see the tears roll down her face. My heart hurts for her; no one should ever have to feel the pain that she had to endure.

I so wanted to see her smile, I had to smile at her so she would smile back at me. I felt so much better for seeing her. She made me the woman I am today. I love her but I don't miss her.