To tell or not to tell

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

It has nothing to do with drama or asking for attention. And not for nothing I get the attention when I'm out in public and say or do nothing, like hey look at fat ass over there, or look at that fat f***.

Jeez! That's awful. Sorry that has happened.

[SalOdyssey 441]

It has nothing to do with drama or asking for attention. And not for nothing I get the attention when I'm out in public and say or do nothing, like hey look at fat ass over there, or look at that fat f***.

Jeez! That's awful. Sorry that has happened.

Sadly the world has a lot of ignorant and uneducated people. I promised myself though that in the face of the ignorance I would not become bitter, but rather pay it forward and help those like me and support them.

[FocusOnMeNow 599]

I am a big fan of telling. I have told friends, family and about 1/2 my co-workers. Not one single person has tried to talk me out of anything, and heaven help them if they did. Everyone has been super supportive. I know that everyone is not so lucky. Still I also believe that we are only as sick as the secrets we keep. Pre-op I was a bit more cautious especially with co-workers, but my boss was one of the first people I told (again lucky) but I wanted to ensure I had his support to be out of the office so much (even though I have tons of use or lose leave). Post-op, my philospophy is tell it, own it, love it, and if someone else doesn't love it, then good for them because they don't have to have the surgery;-)

[Alex Brecher 10,494]

cookie_girl,

It’s always a tough choice. Here are some of the pros and cons I see of not telling your co-workers.

Pros:

-(as you said, it’s none of their business and you don’t need them bugging you about how much weight you’ve lost)

-you don’t need to feel guilty if they say something that makes you feel like you’re doing something wrong, like if they start monitoring your lunch choices.

Cons:

-it might be nice if they understood why sometimes you feel sick all of a sudden, or have lots of doctor’s appointments.

-It gives you an easy and true excuse (“Have some chocolate.” “No, thanks, I can’t eat that because of my surgery.”)

-you might make some new friends as you find out who supports you at work.

Either way, do whatever you think is right. And remember it’s not an all-or-nothing thing. You can tell some colleagues but not others, and you can tell half-truths, like you had a medical procedure that changes your eating rules.

[tamirn 90]

You have to do whats BEST for YOU

[mskami77 295]

It's an independent decision. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to go. I'm an open book. I've shared my surgery with total strangers but I see it as a blessings so its a responsibility to share with others that could benefit from my story. Today I just told someone that I had gastric bypass only to find out her sister was in the hospital recovering from RNY. She felt so relieved and asked me if I would help her sister because she doesn't have anyone around her that understands this lifestyle. Of course, I agreed. :-)

[tbmichals 12]

I don't want to tell my direct supervisor (who does my schedule) as she will tell everyone. I thought about just saying I'm having the hernia repair only and just taking a few days off. But if I do FMLA (in case I need more days or for check ups etc.) will it say hernia repair or gastric sleeve?

[ski66 44]

Hey I might use that at work.

Thanks

[Mandala27 14]

It's never crossed my mind to not tell people, if they ask. The several close friends I have told have stated that they think it is a very brave decision to take, and they are so supportive.

[BestDayEver 418]

I've always been of the opinion that people will figure it out anyway. I went to a family party yesterday where many noticed my weight loss. I always say thank you and say I'm working on it. If they want more details I say I had wls, eat low carb and exercise. The only negative response I've ever received was from a close friend that I think feels insecure about her own weight issues. I'm so busy with working on myself that I can't get too worked up about what anyone else thinks.