So this is going to piss off a lot of people. But I call BS on everyone that says they are a "private person" or "its nobody else's business" when trying to justify why they don't admit to having WLS. Saying you had your gall bladder removed or a hernia repaired or any other number of fake surgeries instead of WLS is "sharing" a personal health issue, just not the one you actually had. If you needed a knee or hip replacement, would you fib and say you sprained something to explain your brace and/or crutches? Do you hide your need for insulin if you have diabetes? Do you all wear contacts instead of glasses so people don't know you have bad vision? How about if you needed your appendix removed? A kidney transplant? Can you seriously say you would come up with a "story" to cover up the fact you needed these surgeries?

What are you all afraid of? Why are you ashamed? This was a huge commitment for all of us. Why aren't you willing to stand up and defend your convictions by being honest about your decision to have surgery? Some people claim they don't want to hear negative feedback. Well how is the social stigma of obesity and WLS ever going to be overcome unless those negative people hear and see all of our success stories for themselves. Every time I am asked about my weight loss I see it as an opportunity to educate. Maybe next time the subject is brought up, that person can say "I know someone that had VSG and she looks and feels great! Why don't you give her a call".

I don't mean to offend, I just don't think "privacy" is the whole reason why WLS isn't admitted to and talked about openly.

I agree Michigan Chic. Well said.

Great points made by everyone. When I made the decision to have WLS, I told the people closest to me. Some of them were receptive of it and others weren’t. As long as my husband was on board, I was good. My mother was not happy and thought since she told me she didn’t want me to have it that I wouldn’t. She was shocked that I was moving forward anyway despite her disapproving. I remember saying to her, my kids, etc. that I was not telling them for them to try and talk me out of it. Instead, I was telling them because I thought they should know what I was going to do. That my mind was made it and it was something I had to do for me.

I am not at all ashamed of having WLS. I just don’t think it’s everyone’s business. It’s no different from me sharing or not sharing any other intimate details of my life. However, since my surgery, I have told a few people. Some I told voluntarily; others I told if they asked. I am sure I will tell me people eventually. At some point, I do want to share my story and be an inspiration to others.

Even throughout the 6 month process before the surgery, I had so many people (even at the WLS office) say to me “You don’t need surgery. You are not that big”. I found myself defending myself to them which really annoyed me. If other WLS patients were questioning me, I could only imagine the questions and negativity I would receive from others. I was a sick woman with numerous illnesses. I was taking 6 pills a day for those illnesses. Today, at almost 5 months later, I am off all medications. All!! I only take my required Vitamins every day. WLS saved my life and I am not ashamed of it.

I don’t know if I will ever post it on my Facebook page or anything like that but I will share my story. Right now, I just can’t and don’t want to deal with all of the questions and negativity that comes along with it. Just yesterday a friend said to me “You had WLS so why do you still work out every day when you don’t need to? The weight is going to come off anyway so why bother”. I was thoroughly annoyed by that. In the meantime until I share my story, I will focus on me. I still have some internal “fat girl” issues I need to work on.

Edited November 5, 201411 yr by Essence46