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Keeping WLS a secret.



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I'm 3 weeks post op and only 3 people know/knew I was having surgery. I'm a very private person so what I do with my body is no one else's business but my own.

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I loved hearing everyone's response to this because this is something I am currently trying to figure out. I haven't told anyone, other than my husband and a friend who as also had WLS, and I'm trying to imagine what I would tell people when my eating habits and body change so drastically.

For those that told a portion of truth, have you ever had anyone come right out and ask, "did you have WLS?"

I feel comfortable flat out lying to nosey strangers and telling part of the truth to everyone else. But if a family member asked me straight up if I had WLS, I'm not sure if I could/would want to lie.

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I have not had it yet. I have told my hubby,my kids 21,14 and 12. a dear dear friend who all will be helping mee in the process in one way or another.

I worry about telling my mom....so I told my sister in law..She was supportive....and I know it will get to my brother,who will tell my mom. She will blow up on him and be calmer when she finaly comes to me to talk about it. Weird I know but at 42 years old my siblings ( I am the oldest of 3) have found ways to help each other manage my mom..and the telephone game is one. Shrug. As for work... I will be telling the HR person "abdominal surgery" and when the weigth loss is evident I will tell any one who ask directly if it was surgery the truth..yes it is..along with diet modificationa and exersize...

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When I first saw the Dr I only told a handful of people. My mom. My best friend my now ex boyfriend and his family. Because I was living with them at the time and my sister. Now that I've been approved I finally told my grandma a couple of my cousins and my aunt. I'm not planning on telling the world know and if anyone out side of the norm asks what I've done I will simply tell them I changed my eating habits and started workin out. Which is not a lie.

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I have told everyone I needed to. I have spent the last 10 years hiding in the back for pictures, policing my family's social activity for fear they would post a picture that would reveal how big I am, avoided family pics and reunions. I can't wait to stop hiding me again and if they are going to talk crap about me getting my health and life back imagine what they were saying about you/me before.

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I keep it all to my self. Well my husband is the only one that knows. I don't like peoples opinion over my decisions. I don't like negative comments and when u do something big like wls everyone has an opinion(;

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I told everyone, more or less. I made a point to tell important people in my life, like my parents, but didn’t go around wearing a sign on my forehead that said “I’m getting the lap-band!” I was honest about it. If it came up in conversation and it made sense to tell, I’d tell.

Now, I do make it a point to tell a lot of people, but that’s because I’m an advocate for it, such as through BariatricPal. I believe my telling can help out other possible and current WLS patients.

McButterpants has it exactly right when he says it’s such a personal choice. It’s all about what YOU feel comfortable with, and how YOUR own relationships are. You get to decide whom to tell, when to tell them, and what to tell them.

By the way, at the same time, if you’re telling them, you might as well let them know how they can support you, too! It’s a great opportunity to get the conversation going about how you need to change your eating habits and how that might affect them and how they can help, and you can let them know it’s going to be a challenging journey and you may need a little extra empathy from them.

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I told my parents, my boss, one co-worker that I am close with, my brother, bestfriend and GodMother. I have and will not tell my extended family and the rest of my co-workers until after surgery. I figure the people I have told are my biggest support system and are not negative. I have my surgery on September 23rd, I am already on edge about the whole thing so I do not need negative in my mind right now. I am trying to flush that out already :)

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I'm pre op just starting the process. I told my husband, my mom, a good guy friend, my supervisor at work and a co worker. Other than that I don't plan on telling anyone else. If they read my blog then they will know. It will be interesting to see who reads it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I have my first appointment with the doctor on Thursday. I have only told my daughter. After surgery I will tell people but until then the only opinion and thoughts I want to hear is mine. People can be judgemental.

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I have only told a few people. My husband, parents, sister, and a few friends. I am normally an open book and will talk about anything but this is my own private issue. I have fought the weight loss battle for so long and don't feel i need to tell anyone else that is not in my circle.

I also have family that is very judgemental, and has critized others for having the surgery. I'm nervous enough about going through revision surgery, lap band to sleeve, that I really don't want other peoples opinions on what I have choosen to do to ensure I live a healthier life.

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I only told my husband. I just kept imaging a scenario where someone would say "Wow, MrsRoboto has lost so much weight!" And then someone would respond with "Well yeah, she had surgery." And it just seemed like it would negate my success.

But that's me. I think it's wonderful when people feel empowered by the their choice and share openly about it. If one of my FB friends hadn't been so open then I never even would have heard of the sleeve. So hooray for her openness!

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I am scheduled for the sleeve on september 1, 2015 and haven't told anyone about my upcoming surgery either. I was looking for a chat room online for people about to get sleeved or already sleeved to chat with and I found this forum. I did have one friend who was also getting sleeved but she has since gotten scared and may not go thru with it. I am going thru with mine, tired of feeling like a yoyo with this weight issue. Right now, I just feel more comfortable talking with people on the same journey as me. I am just not ready yet to discuss with "outsiders".

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I had surgery in Mexico right before Christmas last year. I told my sister - only because I was going out of the country and wanted somewhere to know where I was. She is the only one that I have told.

As far as work and folks asking about the weight loss, it hasn't been a problem. I think mainly because I had made some significant changes in my diet beginning last September. I lost 30lbs in the 3 1/2 months prior to surgery.

I am like several of the people on this post, WLS is my personal story and I don't necessary feel that I should be required to tell anyone.

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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

      Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I totally forgot I wrote an update here... I'm one week post op today. I gained 15 lbs in water weight overnight because they had to give me tons of fluids to bring my BP up after surgery! I stayed one night in the hospital. Everything has been fine except I seem to have picked up a bug while I was there and I've been running a low grade fever, coughing, and a sore throat. So I've been hydrating well and sleeping a ton. So far the Covid tests are negative.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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