Happy Friday All! :thumbup:

I?ve been on VST for a few days now, and must say that the wealth of information, candor, and just over all good vibe I?ve received has been a blessing.

I have noticed though, that a lot of folks didn?t opt to tell anyone about their surgery ( except maybe close family, friends). I almost feel like I?m the crazy one for blogging my journey (but I?ve always been a serial blogger ? so why not this experience) and even discussing it with my supervisor at work. Thing is ? for me ? my verbal diarrhea of sorts ? when it?s come to my decision to have this surgery, has proved to be a tremendous blessing. In my candor ? I have come across at least 20 or more people (real life friends, online friends, and fellow bloggers) who are in the same boat. Some have had WLS surgery in the past, some are going thru the process now (with 5 people who will have all had/will be having WLS surgery w/in 3 or 4 months of me), and some are just starting the pre-approval process. This has proved to be an AMAZING support system, that I didn?t even realize I needed. In addition ? I only told my bosslady because I didn?t know how disrupted my schedule would become w/all of the doc?s visits & such, not to mention the emotional roller coaster I?ve been on and probably will be on for some time. Come to find out ? SHE had WLS (GB) almost 2 years ago! :w00t: Not only odes she look so amazing that I didn't have a glue - she has been extreamly supportive and understanding ? and has offered up some of the most candid and helpful information I could have ever asked for.

Granted, I know not everyone?s life is an open book. And we are all entitled to our privacy. Just in my case ? my opening up has proved to be a way to get others to open up?and thus far ? the past 5 months I have met some amazing people (online-turned-real life), heard some amazing stories, and look forward to some amazing results.

I want to also thank those on this forum for being so forthright with information. It is greatly helping those of us who have not yet been over the threshold to understand what is coming, and all that we have to look forward to. In addition ? the Success Stories threads and pictures, get me emotional & teary-eyes EVERY time I read one. Like, I can hardly believe that at some point - *I* will be the one with a success story to share. Shoot ? I?m getting misty just typing this!!

You guy?s are the cat?s meow. Really. And looking forward to many more dialogs in the future.

BEST OF LUCK TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

Welcome to a wonderful forum and congratulations on having a surgery date! I had surgery in July, so I'm a relative newbie myself. I don't think you're crazy for blogging your experience; I find lots of helpful advice in some of the other blogs that people have about weight loss surgery, in addition to feeling like someone really does understand what I'm going through. I don't blog myself, because I'm super boring in day-to-day life. I'd love to read your blog, too, if it's one that you're willing to share!

It is unfortunate that many aren't able to share their experience - before and/or after, with those closest to them. I think support from them would be a huge difference.

For me, I knew the people who would likely be supportive and those who would not. However, because I chose to go to Mexico, that made the situation even a little more iffy. In the end, I only told a few people ahead of time and then waited until I had lost the first 20 pounds or so. I wanted to be able to say that I was having success.

I also did not want to have to hear negative information from those who had not researched the surgery itself or the Mexico options.

Most people have been supportive now - my oldest daughter (24) still thinks it was a dumb, crazy idea ( the surgery itself and the mexico part). The last time she saw me, she did not make even the hint of a comment about how different I looked after losing 50 pounds.

Soon after surgery, I decided to share more openly, primarily to benefit those who didn't know about the surgery. I had never heard about it before getting desperate for a solution, so figured many others had not either.

I am blogging about my WLS, and the funny thing is that I tell just about everyone, except my family....haaaaaa I live in a different state, and at first the only people who knew were my husband and mom..... I haven't told any of my siblings, they are all so opinionated that I didn't need the opinions of all of them before surgery.... After surgery I sometimes feel like calling them and telling them, but I figure they'll see me in a month or so, and when they ask, I'll tell them what I did....until then.... I tell random people who ask me what I'm doing, I live in a small town, so even the grocery store clerk has noticed, and asked me what my "secret was".... I share with everyone.....

I thought initially that I wanted this to be very private. How many times have you tried to lose weight and failed? But this really is different, I am proud of the choice I have made. I am proud of my success and I have earned it, so now I'm willing to talk their ears off! Welcome to the forum, we're so glad to have you here.

Anna

Hi Vixen, welcome to the clan. I told everyone whether they wanted to hear it or not :biggrin0:

Seriously if being open about this encourages one other person to turn their lives and health round it is worth it in my book. But I have never much cared what people thought of me, in fact I quite like being viewed as a oddball, life is too full of conformistas IMHO. Will look forward to reading your blogs.

Jane x

That's great that you felt like it was the right choice to tell everyone; I didn't. I told my family and that's it. I just don't feel like it's anyone's business. I didn't discuss it when I was gaining weight, and I won't be discussing losing weight. Maybe due to being overweight so long, I'm super sensitive to criticism, and I just don't want to have to discuss my decision with other people who may or may not understand the choices I have made.

It's good some people don't care who knows, but it's not necessarily a better way to be.

I was working out at a gym and would occasionally talk to another woman there. One day she just came up to me and said that she was having wls! She was really excited & happy about her decsion. She told me all about the lapband. And when I got home I started researching. It was because of her that I started thinking about having wls & learning about my options. I am scheduled for my sleeve on the 8th and I think this will be one of the best decsions I have ever made!

Even though it was because someone was so open that I decided to have the sleeve, I find myself nervous to tell other people. Slowly I am and have been getting mixed reactions. Some people have been encouraging and others have said things like your young, you can do it on your own. Then I have to defend my decsion. Those negative comments do make me question my decsion. I've always been the type of person that needs input from others to decide on things. But now I am learning that everybody will have an opinion and the decsion is MINE.

Anyways, I'm just glad that there was someone that was open and shared wls with me because it brought to where I am today!