So you want to know a little more about us? Great!

We’re just fine-tuning our company history at the moment, but as soon as we have a little more to tell you, this is where you’ll find it. Right now, what we can say is that we’re excited about getting set up to serve you through our website and we’re looking forward to working with you in the near future.

Please keep checking back to find out more!

I thought about creating such a company as this over a year ago from a comment I recalled my husband stating many years ago, and I finally got it. He said, "Darling the thing that has plagued you and held you down for most of your life will lift you up, and enable you to help many others. It's your calling."

Eureka, that was it! My weight and ceaseless battle to lose and maintain any reduction in weight for 30+ plus of my almost 39 years of existence. I came into this world as an average, small framed child in a military based, athletic and active family. However at the age of 5 1/2 my pituitary glands and family's genetics conspired and my 'train jumped the track'. Despite exercise and altering my nutritional intake year after year, and resorting to bulimia-pills and starvation out of desperation, the methods all failed repeatedly. Though morbid and super obesity along with their comorbids runs [pun intended] in my family, I could not comprehend one noticeable fact. Although I'm the youngest of my much older siblings, and they've yo-yo'd with weight, why was I always the largest/ heaviest one?

It took a random conversation on an ordinary crosstown bus bus with a physician, I struck up a conversation with and asked me just a handful of direct questions, to clarify my oversight. He pointed out that yes, I ruined my metabolism with my 'desperate measure' tactics. But also I never considered the fact that my brothers, sisters and I have different parents! Essentially I'm the only child my mother and father had together. So I inherited the over exaggerations and negative physical make up from both sides of their respective families. As the doctor put it, "My dear when you're going up against genetics, you're in a losing fight. Glands and genes will trump you every time. I'm just sorry you had to endure this for so long. You'd be a prime candidate for bariatrics." He parted by telling me to study up on it and to seriously consider it as a viable option since all else has failed. That's what I've done and have decided to have, after researching the procedure since 1997.

I know that I'm not alone with my morbid obesity and how it can, and does, affect one's psyche and social life; or lack thereof. The illnesses that stem directly from it and premature death are the bitter end. I know first hand because so many blood relations have succumb to such a fate. Basically not being able to live a healthy life in an average, normal body is what has gripped not only myself but millions in the United States and in other countries as well.

Those of us that are either considering weight loss surgery [WLS] or are pre-op the WLS of their choice [ie. the Lap-Band and Gastric bypass to name the two familiar], run into yet another obstacle. Lack of support from those we'd expect to be in our corner at possibly the most crucial decision in our lives. Regrettably those in our demographic have had family, friends, partners etc. either chastise, become jealous, turn their back on or just outright ignore us. They often tell us, "What if something major happens and you die on the table or soon after?". Or, "You don't need it. You're supposed to be big. Just like 'so-and-so' in the family'." And this one, "You just like food too much. You're taking the easy way out.". Enough already! The bottom lines are this: ALL surgeries/ operations are a risk. Not just WLS, so quit picking on the fat kid all of the time. Also, the only time a medical procedure is "less invasive" is when it's someone else's body that is being invaded, not your own. Yes, a person could possibly have a major complication and have died. But consider the fact that your loved one can die prematurely by NOT having it. Choosing to save your own life via surgery is NOT an easy way out. Not everyone out there is blessed to have that option. if it's available, and affordable, I say grab it because tomorrow is promised to NO ONE. True, many families have members that are larger than the majority and that can be okay for that person if 1. it's not affecting their health poorly, 2. they lead an active life and are happy in their own skin; and 3. their size is not bothering them psychologically. However, when you're pushing maximum density and you've exhausted all avenues of losing the weight on your own, whether you're insured or cannot afford health insurance, you have to play your last card- no one should be morbidly/ super obese.

This flippant behavior occurs again PCPs that won't approve you for WLS because of their personal opinion of the procedures [in my opinion that's malpractice no matter how you slice it] and within some of the clauses of health insurance providers. This is horrible and inexcusable. Minds and policies need to be changed and MUST be changed for the greater good. Not only that but the cost of insurance is obscene! This is absolutely the case in major metropolitan areas, where for a single person without children, the rates can range from $500.-$900.00(+) per month depending on the plan you purchase. And that still may not cover all of your needs. Who can afford that? Not I. Thus folks like myself are forced to weigh the other scales. Hmmm, insurance or rent/mortgage/car payment? Insurance or utilities/ groceries/household needs/etc.? It's a deplorable situation. So now the pre-op patient has one of three options: 1. concede to not have surgery and have a miserable existence. 2. try to get approved for a loan [if your credit is not great, for get it]. Or 3. save up or sell whatever you can to get the funds and have gastric bypass surgery outside of your country. Many U.S. citizens are doing just that. After doing extensive background checks on the hospitals, surgeons, their staff emergency care if necessary and pre/post-op accommodations in that particular region of choice, the all inclusive, realistically priced packages are tough to beat and the care & professionalism is top notch. I'm all for that and believe that if you've done your homework on a facility and physician, either in the U.S. or abroad, you do what you have to to obtain the 'tool' that will help prolong your life.

Nonetheless, this all gave me pause. Granted there are walk-in and online support groups and networks for the weight loss surgery community. Yet where was our flag to rally around? Why didn't WE have an awareness color/ pattern? Where are OUR silicone awareness/ advocacy wristbands and lapel ribbon? Where are our spokespersons? Goodness knows there are many TV personalities, celebrities and others in the performing arts and other professions, that have had WLS. They need to step up to the plate for those of us still in the trenches and continue to need inspiration. It's a common trend I've seen not only with the famous but with the every day 'Joe' or 'Joanne'. They drop the weight, maaaaybe talk about it for a year, then they bring down the gate and shut up tighter than Fort Knox. Whether they realize it or not, like it or not, they are role models. I say that they should lead by example. I wear my YELLOW wristband in memory of my husband. If I had three hands I could count all of the PINK items I've purchased. And I wore a RED ribbon in honor of the few friends I lost to AIDS. I don't see why these celebs cannot pay it forward within the family they instantly became a member of the moment they opted to have WLS.

Others may laugh and say "What for, who cares?" I say, "Why not? I do." And you should too. This demographic is both looked over as well as overlooked. We're prejudged, heckled, humiliated, whispered about, taken advantage of, ignored, pigeon holed and misunderstood. If any group needs support and to no longer be undermined is this one. That is why after roughly eight months of my own market research and investigating, to make sure no one else had the same idea as I, I created my company: CIRCLE OF SUPPORT [4 WLS].

Aside from choosing the name my first order of business was to be the first person to select the symbolic and metaphoric color pattern that would best represent the bariatric community in the United States and internationally. The color pattern is purple-white and gray camouflage or 'Purple Camo'. It's ideal because: 1. It'll be instantly recognizable and different from ALL other awareness colors. 2. It's marketable. 3. It's unisex. Males won't fret about the hue being "too girly". After that I had to incorporate my colors into a high quality, yet inexpensive [not only for the customer but for me too] merchandise and have it manufactured. I debated- lapel pin ribbon or wristbands. The latter won. Why? Because it was less expensive and I could could my company's name on one side, because I have to get my name out there- it's advertising, and a catch phrase on the other side.

The two Purple Camo silicone wristbands read: "IT'S MY SURGIVERSARY!" and "4 MY FRIEND 100%". They are self explanatory. If you're still befuddled, read up on them on the Showcase page on this site. No one else has these WLS advocacy wristbands. I was the first person anywhere to develop them and I'm the only person you can purchase them from. They are authentic, adult sized, stretchable and look really great and I'm so proud to have done this. I have two (2) other style of bracelets too. One band is yellow-blue and red for the pre-op patients jetting to Bogota, Colombia in South America for gastric bypass surgery. The colors represent the flag of Colombia. And the other band for sale, that is lilac and white swirl, is for bariatric and post-wls plastic/ reconstructive surgeons. ALL of the bands are $4.75 USD each but are only minimally sold in packs of two per style. So one (1) pack will cost you $9.50 USD before tax and postage/ shipping. And ALL sales are final, NO exceptions. They're wristbands for goodness sake, not soup with a hair in it. 8^D

I've set many goals and purposes for myself and CIRCLE OF SUPPORT. I plan on seeing this company long into the future. The sales from my initial inventory will not only go towards the standard operations of running and maintaining a business [ie. rent/utilities/website upkeep & update/etc.], but will also enable my ability to diversify, expand, pay for manufacturing and offer more top quality merchandise for ladies and gents- already sketched out & just waiting to be made for the WLS community and our allies. Yet above all, some of the funds from the profits, when Circle of Support finally turns one and we're out of the red, will help fund my much needed gastric bypass procedure. I intend on having the operation sometime between late September and VERY early November before I turn 39. It's significant and my health's not getting any better but I'm tenacious. I'm one of those that reside in a metro area and cannot afford the outrageous health ins. My company is a 12-17 hour / 7 days a week job and I love it and believe in it. I couldn't do it if I didn't. If I'm not around, nothing will come to fruition for my business or for anyone else. And I don't want anyone else to go through what I have and to make the pre-op process, which feels a lot like limbo, a bit smoother and more expeditious.

It all comes down to EDUCATING ourselves, the masses and media about WLS and to stop treating it like the 'boogie man'. Also, this is something that the obese person has to want for themselves AFTER they've researched it and spoken with professionals in the field and with post-op patients. Also if it's within their means or is made available to them, speak with a psychiatrist. Obesity runs deeper than what you are or are not eating. It's what's been eating at us for years. And yes genetics is a tremendous factor, but if I've said it once I'll say it again: Food is the cheapest, most accessible drug of choice-period. All of the surgeries in the world are not going to cut away that internalized pain. Shedding the weight helps to mobilize and motivate us to go to another doctor to remove that other heavy burden. I know I will.

So for those of you that are post-op or know someone that is, celebrate the accomplishment by purchasing the "IT'S MY SURGIVERSARY!" 2 pack of wristbands to wear proudly. If you have a friend or coworker that is in the pre-operative stage of their weight loss journey, show your support for their decision by getting the "4 MY FRIEND 100%" and wear it everyday. They'll appreciate it more than you know and you might start a trend amongst other friends or fellow employees as a sign of solidarity.

Thank you very much for reading, checking out 'the goods' and and making a purchase. After you've placed an order and received it, always come to the site every couple of weeks to see if I've posted a bulletin about a new item or stock replenishment if a style has been sold out including site updates or added features and amusements. And don't forget to sign the guestbook and bookmark this site. Cheers to you!

Ciao 4 now,



.Jennifer

Founder/ CEO/ Creative Director; CIRCLE OF SUPPORT

View my page on Circle Of Support's Monarchs And Viceroys WLS Meeting Ground