DayintheLife: Oh Expletive….!!

One of the casters on my specially-purchased, extra-wide, rated for persons up to 500lbs, office chair broke today.

Part of me wishes that I was angry and ranting at the company about shoddy merchandise breaking after only a year or so.

Instead, I’m embarassed that I broke the chair.

I’m upset that chairs are generally not built for someone my size. My height, yes; my weight and width, no.

I’m upset that my size can be still be such a hassle, even after years of working on creating a life where it isn’t.

I want to wail, “It’s not like I chose to weigh this much!” — even though if I hadn’t tried so hard to weigh less, if I hadn’t dieted and dieted and dieted, I probably would weigh less.

I’m embarassed that I’m embarassed, that I’m seeing this as my fault and not the chair’s fault.

And, of course, I need to decide what to do about it. We have extras of the “normal” office chairs, and initially I just grabbed one of those and set the arms to max width. A couple hours of sitting on that confirmed that isn’t comfortable. At the moment I’m sitting on a spare “fit ball” from the office lounge. There is a matching chair stand for it, but I have trouble rolling around on its casters while I’m sitting on it – and I don’t exactly trust the stand to be up to my weight. Not to mention that this ball is smaller than the one I have at home, so I’m too low at my desk on the ball – but too high if it’s on the stand. I may try bringing in our personal ball from home….dunno.

On the plus side, everyone who’s come looking for me so far either hasn’t noticed I’m on a different chair or they haven’t mentioned it. Interesting….

Update: Just as I was about to post this our finance and facilities person wished me a good weekend. I mentioned the chair, and she’s going to complain to the supplier. :)

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Posted

February 27, 2009

BeingSuperFat, DayInTheLife, FatnessInGeneral

Living 400lbs

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12 responses to “DayintheLife: Oh Expletive….!!”

vesta44

February 27, 2009

I have a rolling office chair that I bought at Sam’s Club 8 years ago (it was on sale) for $35, and I’m still using it. It doesn’t have arms on it, the height is adjustable, and the seat is wide enough for my butt. I tried to find one like it for DH when his computer chair gave out, but evidently this particular chair has been discontinued. Which does not make me happy, I’d like to have another one for my sewing room upstairs (I’m not about to try and carry this one up those steep, narrow stairs every time I want to sew). Trying to find a rolling office chair that fits my body and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is next to impossible, and if you want it to last more than a year or two, it’s even more expensive.

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rebecca

February 27, 2009

Chair’s fault. Not your soul’s fault; not your body’s fault; chair’s fault.

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T.R.

February 28, 2009

Agreeing here, chair’s fault. Especially if this is meant to be a chair for someone of our size. Casters are notoriously weak spots anyway, that’s what did in my (non-special) $99 Costco chair. It’s frustrating though, and I recognize the embarrassment and agitation that it causes. I’m sorry you have to deal with it. Deep breath. Chair’s fault. Not yours.

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1. living400lbs
  
  February 28, 2009
  
  It is supposed to be for someone up to 500 lbs. I specifically looked for that when I requested it (I was given the chance to choose the chair).
  
  Reply
Regina530

February 28, 2009

Ah chairs….their necessity is undeniable, yet I find myself scanning a room the first time I walk in to check for one that might support my ample yet still feminine bottom. Depending on my particular level of confidence at that moment will determine whether or not I start internally belittling myself or not. I feel you. Just last week I noticed the leg on our kitchen table chair (the one I sit in of course) had popped out and it sent me into a downward spiral of self condemnation.

The absolute worst for me is the dreaded toilet seat. I have broken more than 4 in the past 3 years, once at a friends house and twice at my sister’s. I find myself (TMI ALERT) standing up to wipe to insure I do not put too much of my weight on one side of the seat when I am at someone’s home using their bathroom. In my own home, I have clear rubber stoppers placed strategically on the underside of the seat so that there is less strain on the seat.

Like you, I tend to blame myself when this happens. But you spoke the truth when you said that all the dieting you have put your body through has caused your body to stay at a higher weight today. I find it easy to heap on the coals, so to speak. The truth is, I am who I am, the weight I am, right now. I have to love myself today and every day.

btw….I am married to, live with, and am absolutely in love with a techie. My hubby works for Classmates.com as an email director and has been a software developer since 1990. He’s worked as a contractor for 6 yrs or so with many Seattle companies. The man solves tech problems in his sleep and practically speaks in binary code. I love him nevertheless. Anyway…I tell you this because your posts remind me of how he talks sometimes….oh god now I’m rambling…sorry. Have a nice day! ha ha

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1. living400lbs
  
  February 28, 2009
  
  Anyway…I tell you this because your posts remind me of how he talks sometimes
  
  Hee! Yes, I am a techie too, and I definitely use jargon without always realizing it IS jargon… :)
  
  Reply
  1. Regina530
    
    February 28, 2009
    
    You techie’s crack me up. I sometimes have to tell my husband to “talk like a real person”! I have prided myself on being able to decipher the jargon from his profession and often have to interpret for others not so schooled in the language. :) I have learned more than I ever wanted to know about the world of software from him, so I can have a pretty knowledgable conversation with most people he works with at the Christmas parties and summer picnics.
    Hubby’s company had an “all hands” meeting Friday too. No raises this year and no stock awards to anyone under VP. How’s your company doing in these interesting economic times??
    
    Reply
    1. living400lbs
      
      March 1, 2009
      
      How’s your company doing in these interesting economic times??
      
      So far so good…so far :) We our standard round of raises at the end of the year, but who knows what this next year will be like.
      
      Reply
Julie

March 1, 2009

As a designer for an office furniture dealership, let me tell you that pretty much anything bought at an Office Max type of place is not going to last for more than a couple years, regardless of what a person weighs. Steelcase makes their highly ergonomic Criterion chair in a “plus” version, and if it wasn’t sitting next to the standard version, people might not even notice the difference in appearance. It supports up to 500 pounds & has a lifetime warranty. Yes it’s probably about $1200, but is built like a tank. It is recommended for very tall people as well.

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Sylvia Rollins

March 1, 2009

After my own similar struggle and exploring of nonacceptable replacement options for my wide and tall chair, we were actually able to pay someone to FIX the caster. What an old fashioned concept – to repair something that is broken instead of replace it.

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1. living400lbs
  
  March 2, 2009
  
  I thought of that, but I don’t know anyone with welding equipment (it’s the caster’s base that was welded to the frame).
  
  Reply
Donna

July 24, 2009

I just got brand new, well made kitchen chairs and I have heard them cracking already. I so hope they do not break we are awfully hard on chairs around here. My 350 lb frame just snapped a toilet seat in 2. I need to replace it, but in the mean time I ducted it!

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