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The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step... (Lao Tsu)

Brandy-Once you tell one person more than likely everyone else will find out eventually *LOL* Just share with the people you feel the most comfortable with because they will probably want to know more of the details. As for work, you don't have to be that specific. Your surgeon can be very general about why you need time off from work and is not required to divulge any details regarding the surgery. I know soemone whose doctor said she was having her appendix removed rather than a gastric bypass. Do what you feel most comfortable with, you owe it to yourself.
 
Qaterra said:
Hi, AmericanBrandy,

And Welcome. As the others have said, tis a very personal decision.

My son (mgb 08-10-12) told:
1. me (10 hours away)
2. his live-in-lady
3. his lady's immediately family - somebody had to watch the farm while they were gone for five days
4. his boss - necessary for time off and explanations as to why he would be unable to haul himself up into the cab of his 18 wheeler repeatedly for a couple of weeks.

He did not tell:
1. his children (the youngest is 16 - 5 hours away)
2. his stepmom (5 hours away)
3. his half-siblings (5 hours away)
4. his friends, either local or in other states
5. his co-workers.

Although it is early days yet, he is confident it was the right decision for him.

Whatever decision you make, I hope you are at peace with it. It will be the right one for you.
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Hi, Qaterra! You mention the children - I've been thinking about this, too. I've already told my 20 year old son because while I had already made the final decision to pursue WLS, I wanted to give him a chance to ask questions and discuss his concerns and fears with me well in advance. He was extremely supportive, even promising to work out with me when he's home from his college breaks. My thoughts have been about my 10 year old son. My 2 year old daughter will hopefully never remember me as overweight but my 10 year will be in the home and around constantly as I prepare for the surgery and as I change my diet to suit the post-surgery restrictions. He has autism and he is very VERY high-functioning, a brilliant mind. He's going to figure out something is going on pretty quickly and will have a TON of questions. Unfortunately, children with autism aren't the best secret keepers so I have to keep this in mind when I figure out when to tell him, what to tell him and how to tell him. Does anyone have experience/advice about how they dealt with the issue of young children being a part of the equation? I love to hear how you all decided to share with the youngsters in your life.

Qaterra, thank you so much for the comment, advice and support! =)
 
hollie.shelton said:
Hi Brandy,

I am also a noob!! I had my seminar last month and am starting the the requirements by my insurance to get the surgery covered. I have to do a 6 month physician supervised diet program. With my BMI being at 42 the doctor feels it would be still "safe" for me to lose around 25lbs in this 6 months. My BMI would still be high enough that they shouldn't deny me my surgery. Also it puts me at a healthier weight to have the surgery! I'm in my second month. Last month I lost 5 lbs. I love reading the stories and learning as much about the surgery as I can. My husband and Mother tell me I obsess over it, but I feel you could never be too educated. And with as long as this surgery has been around, I feel that each and every trial and tribulation has been gone through by SOMEONE. And I feel it would be better to know if I run into something, Hey I read about somebody else saying they had this. Call me a nerd but that is the way I am!! Good luck on everything and keep us posted!!
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hi, Hollie! Very nice to meet you! I've been reading on this forum and other resources that some people worry about being denied the surgery if they lose enough weight to drop their BMI? I asked my surgical team rep that question and I guess I'm lucky - they go by the weight of the initial consultation, encourage as much weight loss as possible and will still do the surgery even if the BMI drops prior to surgery. My BMI is 39, with comorbidities, so I was worried that if I lost too much (trying to lose the prerequisite 10 lbs) that I would no longer qualify. I am relieved that won't be the case for me because I understand that it is a problem for many others.
Congrats on your weight loss so far! That's fantastic! And I agree - no such thing as being TOO educated! lol! =)
Thanks again for the welcome, I look forward to getting to know you and reading about your journey more!
 
Pat99 said:
Brandy-Once you tell one person more than likely everyone else will find out eventually *LOL* Just share with the people you feel the most comfortable with because they will probably want to know more of the details. As for work, you don't have to be that specific. Your surgeon can be very general about why you need time off from work and is not required to divulge any details regarding the surgery. I know soemone whose doctor said she was having her appendix removed rather than a gastric bypass. Do what you feel most comfortable with, you owe it to yourself.
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Thank you, Pat! You are probably right, "gossip" travels fast, lol. Thankfully, I don't work outside the home so I don't have to explain to a boss. I did have a quandary last night...I almost clicked "like" on a gastric support page on Facebook but I realized as soon as I did that, it would show up in my feed. Facebook is SO nosy these days!! lol
 
Hi Brandy...I too am taking one step at a time in my journey to living a healthy lifestyle. I have not had my surgery yet, but taking those steps needed to support my surgery tool. In our orientation at my hospital, they presented a triangle. Each point of the triangle is represented like this, a surgical tool (our surgery), moderation in our eating and exercise. I thought that was a real simple way of remembering when making a plan for healthy living. I have not been scheduled as to yet, but working towards the day.

I am new to this support group and feel it is like home. Being that the support group they recommend pre-op and post-op is too far away for me to attend, I was concerned that I would not have a group that I could share experiences with. Plus online is so much more convenient. I look forward to sharing our journeys together.
 
1Stepatatime said:
Hi Brandy...I too am taking one step at a time in my journey to living a healthy lifestyle. I have not had my surgery yet, but taking those steps needed to support my surgery tool. In our orientation at my hospital, they presented a triangle. Each point of the triangle is represented like this, a surgical tool (our surgery), moderation in our eating and exercise. I thought that was a real simple way of remembering when making a plan for healthy living. I have not been scheduled as to yet, but working towards the day.

I am new to this support group and feel it is like home. Being that the support group they recommend pre-op and post-op is too far away for me to attend, I was concerned that I would not have a group that I could share experiences with. Plus online is so much more convenient. I look forward to sharing our journeys together.
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Hi, 1Step!! Very nice to meet you. Thank you for the welcome. I love the concept of the triangle, I will definitely have to remember that!
=)
 
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