dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
<img src=http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265bonoerika-sml.jpg><br />
<b>By Erika Sorensen<br />
2006.05</b><br />
<br />
<br />
I've struggled with my weight for years. It has affected my self-esteem and body image for a long time. When I had a routine physical done, my blood work results indicated that my insulin level was elevated. My doctor told me that if I didn't lose weight I'd eventually develop Type 2 adult-onset diabetes. This frightened me. That was when I knew I had to lose weight in order to live a long healthy life.<br />
<br /><!--more-->
I had tried a lot of different diets and even worked with a dietician and an exercise routine. I tried these things over the last eight years and had been unable to shed the weight. I then, after a lot of thought, decided to look into gastric bypass surgery. I attended a seminar at the hospital where I work about the laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. I knew a few people I work with in the operating room that had it done. I then spoke with them and went over everything I had learned at the seminar and the research I had done on my own. I decided to go ahead and have the surgery.<br />
<br />
I had the surgery performed, spent one night in the hospital and went home the following day. It took two weeks to recover and go back to work. I then was on a very strict diet and exercised regularly. I lost 76 pounds in a period of ten months. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I went from wearing a pant size 20 to a size 10. I'm still trying to lose another 10 pounds. Some people thing getting a gastric bypass is the easy way out and that isn't true. You can gain all the weight back and stretch out your new stomach if you don't follow the post operative plan. It's still very important to exercise after having the surgery.<br />
<br />
When I was getting ready for the first Chicago Vertigo show in May, I was trying to think of a sign to make for the concert. I assist in neurosurgery at a hospital in Minneapolis. I told one of the neuro surgeons I work with about what I thought was a corny idea for a sign that said "Bono, I lost 75 lbs to dance with you." He's also a big U2 fan and said, "What do you have to lose? Go for it." I finally made the sign, but two days before the show I found out that the United Center has a strict no-sign policy, so I left it at home. I resolved to bring the sign with me to the September 23rd show back home in Minneapolis.<br />
<br />
Making that sign with the idea that Bono might see it was a little scary to me. I was making myself vulnerable to his response and reaction. I wanted to dance with him because it was a dream of mine and I thought it would be a lot of fun. I think Bono is just one of those guys that would make it a memorable and fun moment. Heck, I would have settled for a hug, a hand shake, a wave "hello" or even a smile.<br />
<br />
On September 23rd my best friend Mandy got to my house at 1 am we started driving the 45 miles to the Target Center in Minneapolis. We arrived and got in line at 2 am. We were the sixth and seventh people in line and met some great people. The people around me in the GA line saw my sign and asked if it was true. I told them yes, that I wouldn't lie about something like that. Everyone thought the sign was a great idea and very creative. <br />
<br />
Around 3 pm we decided to go out by the loading docks and wait to see if the band would show up for sound check. We patiently waited and our waiting paid off. About 4 pm the bands motorcade pulled in. Bono, Adam and The Edge walked out and started signing autographs on the opposite side of the driveway from us. I noticed Bono had sandals on and I couldn't resist, so I yelled, "Bono, those sandals are hot." He turned around looked my way and I pointed to myself and said, "It was me." He looked at me, pointed his toe out and did a little hip shake. When the guys made their way over to our side of the driveway they signed my Vertigo T-shirt. I thought I had fulfilled my life's dream to meet them and get their autographs. <br />
<br />
When they finished signing autographs and went inside, I had the most unbelievable energy going through my body. I started hugging Mandy and we were both so excited we couldn't believe what happened to us. We were on cloud nine and we both started making a ton of calls on our cell phones telling our family and friends what had just happened. We both felt it was the best day of our lives. We went back to the line and waited patiently until it was time to go into the arena.<br />
<br />
When we started going in the doors they scanned our tickets and Mandy's got us into the ellipse. We started walking really fast and when I walked into the ellipse the guy checking my wrist band said, "Congratulations you're the first person into the ellipse." I ran and took my spot in front of Bono's microphone. We waited patiently for the concert to start and kept thinking about how lucky we turned out to be on that day.<br />
<br />
Dashboard Confessionals opened the show and lead singer Chris Carrabba kept staring at me and smiling at me. When the band finished their set, he walked to the edge of the stage and gave me his guitar pick, which was really cool. When U2 started, we had so much energy we couldn't stand it. I held my sign out and Adam saw it first. He got the biggest smile on his face and nodded his head and said, "Good job." Then Bono was standing on the edge of the stage and I could see him reading my sign while singing "City of Blinding Lights." When that song ended he walked by me and said, "Hey skinny girl." I was so excited that he acknowledged my sign. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265Erika_sFriend_sU2pics035.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
After "Vertigo" he walked over to the edge of the stage and put his hand out. Everyone around me put their hands out and he grabbed mine and started pulling me towards him. His security guy Brian came over pulled me over the security fence and lifted me up to the stage. While Brian was doing that Bono asked, "Where's your sign?" Someone handed him my sign and he held it up for the whole audience to see. I was embarrassed, I'd only meant for him to see it, not 20,000 people. He handed my sign back down to Brian.<br />
<br />
Bono then put his arm around me and said, "You know, we Irish rock stars can't dance but we can do lots of other things." He then took a step back from me looked at me and said, "I am a jealous rock star" and I responded by saying, "No, I am jealous." That's when The Edge's guitar started "Elevation" and Bono started dancing with me. We were pelvis to pelvis and he was bumping and grinding on me while we were singing "Elevation" together face to face. He then walked me over to the edge of the stage. He kissed my hand and said, "You're beautiful" and he held my hand until Brian had securely put me back in my spot. Bono then told the audience, "It pays to advertise."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/112652005_0923Image0041.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
Bono came back to me two more times during the show. One time he kissed his two fingers and pointed them at me and then another time later in the concert he came back to the edge of the stage reached out grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye and kissed my hand again. People around me just kept grabbing me on the arm and shoulders and telling me how lucky I was. People were asking a lot of different questions: What was it like up there? What are you feeling right now? What did he smell like? Some said, "You looked awesome up there." This list is too long to tell about all of the things that were said to me after it happened and especially after the concert. I couldn't get to my car after the show without being mobbed. People saw me carrying my sign and people were yelling things to me, running up to me and grabbing me, saying, "Oh my God, you're the girl on stage." It was insane.<br />
<br />
The whole day and night were an absolute dream come true. I never ever thought anything like that would ever actually happen to me. I just never thought that sign would work. I was and still am on cloud nine. The next morning a picture of Bono and me on stage together made the front page of the <i>Minneapolis Star Tribune</i> newspaper with the caption, "U2 front man Bono plucked a woman out of the audience to join him on stage after he spotted her holding up a sign that read 'Bono, I lost 75 lbs' to dance with you. He taught her some rock star poses and they shared the stage for part of a song before he kissed her on the hand and went back to work."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/112652005_0923Image0042.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
Once my friends and family saw the pictures in the papers and saw me on the 10 o'clock news, my phone didn't stop ringing. My brother who lives in Singapore saw it online when he was looking to read the review and called instantly. All of my friends were calling me a rock star and famous and I kept telling them I wasn't. When I went back to work the following Monday, I found out that the surgeon who'd told me to make the sign nearly spit out his morning coffee when he saw the picture and read the caption. Another surgeon put that picture into a PowerPoint presentation with the caption, "Dreams really do come true." Some of the other surgeons woke up their spouses to tell them, "I work with that girl" I also gave a copy of it to the surgeon who did my gastric bypass surgery. He had seen me on the news the night of the concert. The anesthesiologist who did my surgery keeps asking me for my autograph. I've had a lot of people joke around about wanting my autograph. All in all everyone said, "There isn't a more deserving fan than you to have that happen to."<br />
<br />
This truly was the best day of my life.
<b>By Erika Sorensen<br />
2006.05</b><br />
<br />
<br />
I've struggled with my weight for years. It has affected my self-esteem and body image for a long time. When I had a routine physical done, my blood work results indicated that my insulin level was elevated. My doctor told me that if I didn't lose weight I'd eventually develop Type 2 adult-onset diabetes. This frightened me. That was when I knew I had to lose weight in order to live a long healthy life.<br />
<br /><!--more-->
I had tried a lot of different diets and even worked with a dietician and an exercise routine. I tried these things over the last eight years and had been unable to shed the weight. I then, after a lot of thought, decided to look into gastric bypass surgery. I attended a seminar at the hospital where I work about the laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery. I knew a few people I work with in the operating room that had it done. I then spoke with them and went over everything I had learned at the seminar and the research I had done on my own. I decided to go ahead and have the surgery.<br />
<br />
I had the surgery performed, spent one night in the hospital and went home the following day. It took two weeks to recover and go back to work. I then was on a very strict diet and exercised regularly. I lost 76 pounds in a period of ten months. This was a huge accomplishment for me. I went from wearing a pant size 20 to a size 10. I'm still trying to lose another 10 pounds. Some people thing getting a gastric bypass is the easy way out and that isn't true. You can gain all the weight back and stretch out your new stomach if you don't follow the post operative plan. It's still very important to exercise after having the surgery.<br />
<br />
When I was getting ready for the first Chicago Vertigo show in May, I was trying to think of a sign to make for the concert. I assist in neurosurgery at a hospital in Minneapolis. I told one of the neuro surgeons I work with about what I thought was a corny idea for a sign that said "Bono, I lost 75 lbs to dance with you." He's also a big U2 fan and said, "What do you have to lose? Go for it." I finally made the sign, but two days before the show I found out that the United Center has a strict no-sign policy, so I left it at home. I resolved to bring the sign with me to the September 23rd show back home in Minneapolis.<br />
<br />
Making that sign with the idea that Bono might see it was a little scary to me. I was making myself vulnerable to his response and reaction. I wanted to dance with him because it was a dream of mine and I thought it would be a lot of fun. I think Bono is just one of those guys that would make it a memorable and fun moment. Heck, I would have settled for a hug, a hand shake, a wave "hello" or even a smile.<br />
<br />
On September 23rd my best friend Mandy got to my house at 1 am we started driving the 45 miles to the Target Center in Minneapolis. We arrived and got in line at 2 am. We were the sixth and seventh people in line and met some great people. The people around me in the GA line saw my sign and asked if it was true. I told them yes, that I wouldn't lie about something like that. Everyone thought the sign was a great idea and very creative. <br />
<br />
Around 3 pm we decided to go out by the loading docks and wait to see if the band would show up for sound check. We patiently waited and our waiting paid off. About 4 pm the bands motorcade pulled in. Bono, Adam and The Edge walked out and started signing autographs on the opposite side of the driveway from us. I noticed Bono had sandals on and I couldn't resist, so I yelled, "Bono, those sandals are hot." He turned around looked my way and I pointed to myself and said, "It was me." He looked at me, pointed his toe out and did a little hip shake. When the guys made their way over to our side of the driveway they signed my Vertigo T-shirt. I thought I had fulfilled my life's dream to meet them and get their autographs. <br />
<br />
When they finished signing autographs and went inside, I had the most unbelievable energy going through my body. I started hugging Mandy and we were both so excited we couldn't believe what happened to us. We were on cloud nine and we both started making a ton of calls on our cell phones telling our family and friends what had just happened. We both felt it was the best day of our lives. We went back to the line and waited patiently until it was time to go into the arena.<br />
<br />
When we started going in the doors they scanned our tickets and Mandy's got us into the ellipse. We started walking really fast and when I walked into the ellipse the guy checking my wrist band said, "Congratulations you're the first person into the ellipse." I ran and took my spot in front of Bono's microphone. We waited patiently for the concert to start and kept thinking about how lucky we turned out to be on that day.<br />
<br />
Dashboard Confessionals opened the show and lead singer Chris Carrabba kept staring at me and smiling at me. When the band finished their set, he walked to the edge of the stage and gave me his guitar pick, which was really cool. When U2 started, we had so much energy we couldn't stand it. I held my sign out and Adam saw it first. He got the biggest smile on his face and nodded his head and said, "Good job." Then Bono was standing on the edge of the stage and I could see him reading my sign while singing "City of Blinding Lights." When that song ended he walked by me and said, "Hey skinny girl." I was so excited that he acknowledged my sign. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265Erika_sFriend_sU2pics035.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
After "Vertigo" he walked over to the edge of the stage and put his hand out. Everyone around me put their hands out and he grabbed mine and started pulling me towards him. His security guy Brian came over pulled me over the security fence and lifted me up to the stage. While Brian was doing that Bono asked, "Where's your sign?" Someone handed him my sign and he held it up for the whole audience to see. I was embarrassed, I'd only meant for him to see it, not 20,000 people. He handed my sign back down to Brian.<br />
<br />
Bono then put his arm around me and said, "You know, we Irish rock stars can't dance but we can do lots of other things." He then took a step back from me looked at me and said, "I am a jealous rock star" and I responded by saying, "No, I am jealous." That's when The Edge's guitar started "Elevation" and Bono started dancing with me. We were pelvis to pelvis and he was bumping and grinding on me while we were singing "Elevation" together face to face. He then walked me over to the edge of the stage. He kissed my hand and said, "You're beautiful" and he held my hand until Brian had securely put me back in my spot. Bono then told the audience, "It pays to advertise."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/112652005_0923Image0041.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
Bono came back to me two more times during the show. One time he kissed his two fingers and pointed them at me and then another time later in the concert he came back to the edge of the stage reached out grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye and kissed my hand again. People around me just kept grabbing me on the arm and shoulders and telling me how lucky I was. People were asking a lot of different questions: What was it like up there? What are you feeling right now? What did he smell like? Some said, "You looked awesome up there." This list is too long to tell about all of the things that were said to me after it happened and especially after the concert. I couldn't get to my car after the show without being mobbed. People saw me carrying my sign and people were yelling things to me, running up to me and grabbing me, saying, "Oh my God, you're the girl on stage." It was insane.<br />
<br />
The whole day and night were an absolute dream come true. I never ever thought anything like that would ever actually happen to me. I just never thought that sign would work. I was and still am on cloud nine. The next morning a picture of Bono and me on stage together made the front page of the <i>Minneapolis Star Tribune</i> newspaper with the caption, "U2 front man Bono plucked a woman out of the audience to join him on stage after he spotted her holding up a sign that read 'Bono, I lost 75 lbs' to dance with you. He taught her some rock star poses and they shared the stage for part of a song before he kissed her on the hand and went back to work."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/112652005_0923Image0042.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br />
<br />
Once my friends and family saw the pictures in the papers and saw me on the 10 o'clock news, my phone didn't stop ringing. My brother who lives in Singapore saw it online when he was looking to read the review and called instantly. All of my friends were calling me a rock star and famous and I kept telling them I wasn't. When I went back to work the following Monday, I found out that the surgeon who'd told me to make the sign nearly spit out his morning coffee when he saw the picture and read the caption. Another surgeon put that picture into a PowerPoint presentation with the caption, "Dreams really do come true." Some of the other surgeons woke up their spouses to tell them, "I work with that girl" I also gave a copy of it to the surgeon who did my gastric bypass surgery. He had seen me on the news the night of the concert. The anesthesiologist who did my surgery keeps asking me for my autograph. I've had a lot of people joke around about wanting my autograph. All in all everyone said, "There isn't a more deserving fan than you to have that happen to."<br />
<br />
This truly was the best day of my life.
) That was one of our favourite memories from the concert, so it's great to hear the whole story. Thanks for sharing! 
Btw you and Bono look really good together! 
