Well according to my "homework" list all I have left to do is get my PCP's medical release. She's been gently suggesting this surgery to me for the past year, so I'm guessing that it won't be a problem to get. Let me just say I go from "hell no I'm not doing this to my body" to "this is going to be such a wonderful thing for myself and family". The rollercoaster of emotions is wearing me down. I've become totally obsessed with visiting online forums and watching YouTube videos. I want to know everything I can about it....Good Bad & Ugly.

I think I made a mistake yesterday by telling my 7 year old daughter a bit about the surgery. Let me go back and say she is so worried about my weight and I think it really bothers her. A kid at her school told her "You have a fat mama" last week......broke my heart..tore it up. I'm not the person I want to be...I have zero energy....and I know its for the best to go ahead with the surgery. Anyway, she saw my Protein drinks in the fridge and wanted to drink them. I had to tell her those were my special drinks I need before my surgery, but I'd be glad to get her something else. She said "Just what are they going to do to your stomach anyway?". I was lost for words...I didn't want to totally freak her our...so I just said "well, they are going to reduce the size of mommy's tummy so I can eat less and be healthy." Of course she wanted more details....so I told her they would remove a portion of it. Her eyes got big as saucers.....then she promptly said "Well, if its going to make you healthy then go for it"! Since then she has been asking lots of questions...the first one being "Maybe you can just go on a diet and loose the weight then you won't have to have the surgery??" Oh how I wish it were that easy. Maybe I shouldn't of said anything to her, but I feel that its important for my kids to know whats going to be happening. All of my kids are very healthy. I've been uber paranoid that my kids would/will have a weight problem so I make sure they have healthy meals and Snacks. I just pray they don't end up like me...on insulin @ 37..oral diabetes meds for 4 years..and 100lbs overweight.

Fellow parents, how did your kids react to your surgery? Has your lifestyle change been hard on them?

Thanks

I showed my 4 yr old (5 in Aug) people's before and after pics and said Mommy looks like that (before pic) but soon I will look like this (after pic) and he said um no. I don't like it. lol

I think to him, I'm mom and me the way I am now is his security. I haven't told him about my surgery. I don't think he is old enough to understand that part.

I'm thinking, in his little brain, he must think I am going to go away and be replaced by a some what lookalike. I try not to talk about it in front of him. He is a worry wort anyway in his young age. My 7 yr old step daughter didn't quite get it either.

I don't want my kids to grow up with "the fat mom" either. I don't want them to get teased because of me.

I too worry that when I get back from surgery she is going to think "OK..so how come you haven't lost weight"?? LOL

I showed my 4 yr old (5 in Aug) people's before and after pics and said Mommy looks like that (before pic) but soon I will look like this (after pic) and he said um no. I don't like it. lol

I think to him, I'm mom and me the way I am now is his security. I haven't told him about my surgery. I don't think he is old enough to understand that part.

I'm thinking, in his little brain, he must think I am going to go away and be replaced by a some what lookalike. I try not to talk about it in front of him. He is a worry wort anyway in his young age. My 7 yr old step daughter didn't quite get it either.

I don't want my kids to grow up with "the fat mom" either. I don't want them to get teased because of me.

My daughter is 6 just about 7 and I explained to her about my surgery and how they were removing about 90% of my stomach so I would have to eat really small meals and that it would mean that they whole family would change the way we eat! She LOVES it! She asked a lot of questions and I answered the best I could so she could understand. When I first got hom she wanted to see my scars like EVERYDAY! LOL She 70+ lbs later she makes comments when she sees me (we are in different states right now because of my job and house buying) she talks about how HEALTHY I look (we don't use the word skinny)! She is VERY into eating better and she is always our little reminder of "snack" foods and how maybe an apple would be better she says! LOL

I told my daughter who is 20 that I was having surgery. She is nervous and totally freaked out when I told her I was going to Mexico. She is scared for me because I am going out of the country. The next things she said was, "You can't be skinnier than me.". I was surprised by that remark. I doubt I will ever be skinnier than her but she is built different than I am so maybe I will be. I think she likes having a fat mom!

I have not told my boys yet. They are ages 8 and 11. I am not going to tell them until I get back from Mexico and even then I'm not sure how much I will share with them. I know that if I tell them now they will be so nervous while I am gone, especially my youngest. It's already going to be hard enough to leave them for 5 days and I don't want to have to be concerned that they are worried about me while I am gone.

I don't see my lifestyle change being hard on them. The funny thing is that even though I am fat now, I workout like crazy. I see a trainer and workout at the Y and at home so that part won't be different for them at all. As far as eating goes, I make the meals so I don't think my eating habits will even be a noticeable thing to them.

I had a bit of help in this way because they knew all about it from Lynn (I call her MamaLynn and my kids call her Grandma, we're close as family) and so my kids got to see her results not only with her weightloss but also this was a woman that has had cancer, a stroke a heart attack etc. and they saw her numbers improve drastically and her almost immediately become full of energy and healthier. My kids are all for it but my youngest is adamant that I won't be going to Mexico without him. He's 18 and very very over protective of mom.

Maybe explain to them and reiterate it to yourself just how healthy you will be if and when you decide to go forward with it.

Renee`