Mrs. Reid

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

If I end up using my Plan B and going to Mexico, I'm not going to tell my doctor about it till I get home. My clinic is in a large medical center and they don't turn away patients. If I end up in Mexico, I won't be seeing the surgeon anyway. I can get expert nutritional advice online and my doctor does blood work every six months anyway. If she does not want to see me, I will simply change doctors. I figure if anything goes horribly wrong I can always go to the ER.

And I'm home, resting comfortably in my bed.
I arrived at the San Diego Airport at 11:05. I didn't even have a ticket. Southwest changed my ticket from tomorrow to today and got me on the 11:30 flight.
I was home by 6:11.
I am so happy to be home. It always amazes me how I can go from one side of the country to the other in no time.

I think I can guess what's going on with your friend. She probably started isolating herself when her weight regain got out of hand. She is more than likely heart broken and embarrassed that she gained so much weight after the previous success. I also think you deciding to get the surgery is hard for her to deal with because she is so regretful. She is probably also jealous that you now have an opportunity to get it right, while she feels she blew hers.
Perhaps an honest and sympathetic discussion will help her to see that you value her for herself, not her weight loss. Maybe when she sees that you aren't judging her, she'll stop shutting you out.

For me, I started out my journey totally certain that I wanted bypass, but about 1/2 way through the pre-op insurance requirements I realized that the re-routing of the intestines was not really something I wanted. The reason I chose the bypass initially was because I thought you could lose more weight with it. I decided at that point that if having bypass meant I lost 100 pounds, and having the sleeve meant I lost only 75 pounds, no big deal....if I had the tool I could work harder to get those extra few pounds off. Turns out my concerns were moot because I have lost 140 pounds with the sleeve and never regretted my decision for a minute!

Soup has alot of sodium in it. It's probably Water weight. I used to eat soup alot and now it's a very rare meal where I partake. We tend to think calorically, but we need to think about the sodium content as well. Good luck on your WL journey and yes...stay off the scale!

I have one more appointment then i meet with the nutritionist to go over the pre op information almost there

I chose the sleeve because I have relatives who have had both. The one's with the sleeve have lost just as much weight as the ones with the bypass, yet the ones with the sleeve have had fewer complications and generally seem happier with their decision.

I am saving up my paid time off. I am planning to take 2 weeks starting the day before I have surgery. I am not telling my employer what I am doing during my time off and will not tell then once I return.

Note to self...ask for a binder!

Wow! Running a marathon is on my bucket list and I was thinking I would use running as the exercise of choice once I am sleeved.

This weekend, after 12 weeks of training, I completed the Hershey Half Marathon and came in 30 seconds under my goal time!!! That means I ran -without stopping- 13.1 miles!! That is just crazy to me, seeing as before my sleeve I never ran even a city block.
Around mile 12 I really wanted to walk, but I just kept thinking "the girl I was before couldn't have done this, I'll finish for her." I pushed through & did it and outside of the birth of my kids and my wedding, it was the best day of my life.
As a side note, we went to Hershey park the day before the marathon with my teen daughters & I rode every single roller coaster. The last time I was at that park, I tried to ride one with my daughter, but couldn't fit. It was the most humiliating moment of my life, so it was pretty fitting that a year later I returned there to ride all the rides AND run a 1/2 marathon!!!
This is just an example of how working with my sleeve to reach goals has helped me transform my life. ....and now I'm registered for my first full marathon in a few months!!

I have the same co-morbidities. I was sleeved Sept. 26th at a Bariatric Center of Excellence. The doctor said my diabetes would go away in 3 - 4 days. It went away in 2! He said the sleep apnea and non-alcoholic fatty liver would go away in 3 - 4 months. I never wanted my insides re-routed or the dumping you get because of the removal of the pyloric valve with bypass. I also didn't want the higher level of aftercare necessary to make sure I didn't develop Vitamin or mineral deficiencies. I was sleeved on a Friday morning. By Sunday morning I felt as though no surgery had happened! VERY happy I chose the sleeve.

I chose the sleeve because I have relatives who have had both. The one's with the sleeve have lost just as much weight as the ones with the bypass, yet the ones with the sleeve have had fewer complications and generally seem happier with their decision.

@@Kindle I wonder who you are that you believe you have the right to call someone else's decision BS?
I'm only telling a select few people about the surgery...so what? Who are you to pass judgement on that fact? I'm honest with myself. I know what I'm doing. I don't lie to people. If I say I'm following a medically supervised weight loss program, how is that a lie? I feel no shame in what I'm doing. I am proud of myself for making this decision and following through with it. Each person's situation is different. You don't know the repercussions each person on this forum will face if they tell everyone about their WLS. To make a blanket generalization that everyone who does not reveal their private health information is out of line. Who are you to judge?

@@Kindle I wonder who you are that you believe you have the right to call someone else's decision BS?
I'm only telling a select few people about the surgery...so what? Who are you to pass judgement on that fact? I'm honest with myself. I know what I'm doing. I don't lie to people. If I say I'm following a medically supervised weight loss program, how is that a lie? I feel no shame in what I'm doing. I am proud of myself for making this decision and following through with it. Each person's situation is different. You don't know the repercussions each person on this forum will face if they tell everyone about their WLS. To make a blanket generalization that everyone who does not reveal their private health information is out of line. Who are you to judge?

@@Kindle I wonder who you are that you believe you have the right to call someone else's decision BS?
I'm only telling a select few people about the surgery...so what? Who are you to pass judgement on that fact? I'm honest with myself. I know what I'm doing. I don't lie to people. If I say I'm following a medically supervised weight loss program, how is that a lie? I feel no shame in what I'm doing. I am proud of myself for making this decision and following through with it. Each person's situation is different. You don't know the repercussions each person on this forum will face if they tell everyone about their WLS. To make a blanket generalization that everyone who does not reveal their private health information is out of line. Who are you to judge?

Since the topic was so eloquently brought up, I thought I would share MY reason for not telling the public at large about my decision to have WLS. No, I am not ashamed, embarrassed nor am I being dishonest with myself. I am not protecting myself from ridicule or dissension and I do not care if my decision is a popular one or unpopular. I know I've shared this before, so pardon me if I bore you with a repeat.

I am a mom, a wife and a successful business owner. I am the VP of my HOA, I have held dozens of positions on the PTA both locally and nationally. I work with my sorority undergrad group, I volunteer at a women's shelter, I work with special needs children. I do mud runs, zumba and am a training instructor at my martial arts school. I organize charity 5ks, lock ins and I used to be a girl scout leader. I was a theater major before I wizened up about my talents and now I am a theater mom. I can't sing, but I can dance when I've had a few cocktails. I can cross one eye while leaving the other one straight. I've been skiing double black diamonds all my life and I am a diamond certified gemologist. I am currently writing a book on my field of business. I have broken my nose 4 times doing stupid things and still don't have a bump. I had a brain tumor. Both of my kids attend special high schools for extremely gifted children and they obviously get it from me, not my husband whom I've been married to for 20 years. I drive a minivan but I prefer to go offroading in a jeep. I am white Water certified in a kayak and a canoe. I have a wicked sense of humor and I hug strangers randomly. I am pro-choice, a libertarian, and a gay right's advocate. I could bore you with more, but I am sure that is more than enough to digest for ow.

I am *so much more* than someone who has had WLS. I would much prefer to learn about the person I am with than explain what a sleeve is. I don't care for my weight loss to be the center of conversation every time I see someone nor do I feel the need to be the advocate for such a personal decision.
When people ask, I tell them the truth. I sought the advice of a doctor and nutritionist. I follow a low carb, high Protein diet. I shake my ass a *lot*. I am eating healthier and have made the right choices for *me* to be successful at weight loss. I owe no one any more than that.

It is up to me to choose how I want to be defined. My choice is NOT as a WLS patient. If you choose differently, so be it. I will not judge you or shame you nor will I try to decide for you. Your body, your choice. Run with it.

I think the ones that are calling this BS are being rude. Aren't we suppose to support one another, if you agree or don't. You can skip a subject if you don't agree.
I am so thankful to everyone here for sharing their experiences and troubles with stalls and stuff. I am waiting for wls surgery in nov and Im not sharing. Its my business. Im not gonna make up a surgery. my family is not supportive, full of drama and love to talk bad about one another. Plus they don't tell me everything.
My immediate family will know but thats it. I really don't care what everyone thinks. This is the main reason Im not telling others because I don't want to hear their opinion on something Im sure of. And I don't want to defend myself like people are having to do on this thread.

So making the statement that those of us who don't tell all/share all are dishonest, full of BS, ashamed, etc. is respectful? Seriously? :thud:

I've not read any of the responses, but I find your post completely offensive and honestly, quite ridiculous and purposefully inflamatory. You don't know me, you don't know how private I am and just because I don't feel the need to spread my personal business to the general public does not mean I am "ashamed", "afraid" or "dishonest".
I don't need to justify my decision to keep my medical history to myself, and it's quite baffling to me that one would start such an inflammatory or derogatory post on a board that is meant to support others in a like situation.
It's 100% your business if you want to shout about your WLS decision from the rooftops just as it is MY business to share it with only a select few. I have no idea why you care about MY decisions and why such a personal decision has to be made into an us vs. them debate.
I would never feel the need to bash the decision of a woman who chooses to go to work over staying at home as I did. I would never devalue someone who chose to wait until they were 500+ pounds before having surgery or decides not to exercise or until was deep into diabetes before they sought help. It's none of my business if someone believes in God or Buddha or gay marriage or plural marriage. I don't care if you choose the sleeve, the band or bypass. I don't care if you cover your grey hair or go natural. Thongs vs. granny panties? None of my business. You're a cat person? I hate cats but that doesn't take away from your decision. I could go on forever, but I won't because I have MUCH MORE valuable things to waste my time worrying about, thinking about or discussing.
Would you also like to know how much money I make? How much my house cost? Perhaps I should show you the contents of my underwear drawer or tell you the details of my sex life. Do you want to know many sexual partners have I had? I'm not ashamed. Yeesh! By the same logic, I should be loud and proud about all of the above, too.
It's not my job to be a symbol, a learning tool or an advocate for WLS unless I choose to be. Thank goodness I am extremely secure in my decision to keep my WLS private. Shame on you if you think your post was helpful or respectful in any way.
Amazing.

Initially I was going to keep this to myself except for my bff, but in the end I decided to tell people. Now I wish I hadn't.
Suffering through a family get-together because they are literally keeping count of how many bites I eat....watching them silently judge me and criticize my choice to do this...feeling like I have to constantly explain and defend my decision to have the surgery....knowing I am the topic of gossipy 'concern' amongst the family.
In part I told them because I felt belittled and guilted by the idea that the OP expressed....that I HAD to be honest with everyone about myself. That I would be not be living a authentic life if I kept this secret.
What BS. Everyone is entitled to handle this in the way that works best for them in their lives. We all have very different life circumstances. Because one way is right for you doesn't mean it is right for everyone. My family sucks. They are jealous, backstabbing, toxic people and I had NO OBLIGATION to tell them anything about my life. I was honest with them because I felt like it was the ethical thing to do....and now I regret it.
I realize the 'right' thing to do was to be loyal to MYSELF. To make the best and most healthy decision for ME. Do I own the world the truth? Am I obligated to be someone's "example" of WLS?? NO.

I think my biggest issue is the subject title:
When you can't even be honest with yourself Just because I'm telling a bunch of people I don't about something deeply person doesn't make me delusional or dishonest with myself.

Wow, I thought VSGAnn and myself would never be on the same page,. but I have to agree with everything that she wrote. Ann, you hit the nail on the head. Thank you.

@@Kindle I wonder who you are that you believe you have the right to call someone else's decision BS?
I'm only telling a select few people about the surgery...so what? Who are you to pass judgement on that fact? I'm honest with myself. I know what I'm doing. I don't lie to people. If I say I'm following a medically supervised weight loss program, how is that a lie? I feel no shame in what I'm doing. I am proud of myself for making this decision and following through with it. Each person's situation is different. You don't know the repercussions each person on this forum will face if they tell everyone about their WLS. To make a blanket generalization that everyone who does not reveal their private health information is out of line. Who are you to judge?