Hi everyone,

I'm new here but have been browsing this site for weeks. I'm finally going to have my sleeve surgery February 13th. I'm in College and I work, yet no one (except my boyfriend & 1 trusted friend) knows that I'm doing this. I'm petite, only 5'0" but I struggle to get below 195 lbs. These past few years that I been obese, I'm always yo-yo-ing between 197 - 230 lbs. I carry my weight well and as a spur of the moment conversation with my hair stylist, I told her I'm thinking of weight loss surgery & she told me I don't need it because my fat is in "all the right places". People don't understand so I decided to keep my weight loss surgery a secret.

Has anyone else here kept their w.l.s a secret? What excuse did you give your work and/or college when you needed time off? I'm planning on only taking a week off from work and school but I don't know what to say as an excuse to give. I really don't want to say I'm getting w.l.s because it's personal to me and I don't want to hear people's opinions of what I should and shouldn't do with my body.

Thanks! (My post won't scroll anymore, forgive the errors below. I was spelling "thanks" & couldn't see it.

Th

Tha

Height 5'0"

Weight for consultation: 216 lbs.

Pre-op Weight:

Oh, and as far as recovery, unless you have a super physical job or the college has dozens of flights of stairs with a huge book bag to lug around, I was out 5 days and was fine -- with a 2 and 3 year-old! Some people have complications, of course, but once the anesthesia was out of my system, by day 2 I was doing great.

I only told my hubby and best friend. 1 week before surgery I told my grandma. Then after surgery I told the rest of my family. As far as work goes, since the surgeon discovered polyps (not cancer thank goodness), that's what I used as the excuss for surgery. The sleeve removed that portion of the stomach where the polyps were. Thankfully that was the end of discussion.

I only told my husband and best friend too. I'm in the slow loss club which is fine by me. So I didn't have the drastic changes. Also if I go out to eat or there's food at my job or church I just say I'm watching what I eat. It is very personal and you don't need the options of others to be a road block.

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Edited January 7, 20179 yr by beautifully2114

I kept my surgery a secret as well. I'm three months out and they're are less than a handful of people that know. Unfortunately three of those are people my husband told. So you might make it crystal clear that you don't want him sharing with his family. ..

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I've told no one but my hubby and his sis, She also had VSG. If anyone asks, I'm working very hard to become healthy. I'm changing three way i eat and I'm exercising more.

When i go for the surgery I'm telling people that I'm going to see my sister.

50 year old me!!

My only concern is that you may need more than a week off. I had rny, so my experience is similar but not the same. That being said, I went back to work on day 21 and had to take day 22 off. I was exhausted. And I'm a teacher. My job isn't physically demanding, but it took a toll on me just being up and going that long. Also, I couldn't have hid my drain which I had for 2 weeks. Just my $0.02.

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Many months before I had the surgery, I had a bad experience with telling someone I worked with. Her reaction colored my experience. People knew something was going on because I had a million appointments. I have other medical issues, though, so who knows! Anyhow, I told two work friends and my boss. I also had a hiatal hernia from an old lap band (2006) that I needed repaired. So, for people I didn't want to tell, I just said that. I've been telling people I'm eating high Protein and low carb if they ask. Monday will be three weeks for me and I'm going to start back with my exercise routine as soon as my left side soreness subsides, so I will be able to talk about that too. However, this is deeply personal and I don't think you have to tell anyone if you don't want to.

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I am going to advise giving a little more info to your college professors than taking care of a personal or family matter. You don't have to go into specifics, you can say "getting treatment for a medical issue" or "having surgery" without going into more detail. But as a professor myself, if someone just told me they needed to be out of class for "personal reasons" without more, I'm not sure I would allow it without deducting from their grade. Either that or I would allow it but carry on with the assumption that the student was 1) a flake; 2) an addict seeking treatment; or 3) a criminal who was going to spending time in the county lockup to clear their burglary/assault/drunk driving charge.

We wouldn't have gone on well if you were my prof. I purposely avoided any classes that tires more than 10% of my grade to attendance or had in class quizzes that assured attendance.

I had professors that I couldn't pick out of line up of 5 people because I literally picked up the syllabus on day 1 and left, bought the books, wrote the papers and midterms and showed up to finals. One prof called me out during my final exam because he had never seen me before.

It's your journey! No one needs to know. I'm with you. I only told my husband, good friend and one sister. People aren't educated enough and that's why I only told these three people. I did tell one person that I was having a hernia removed and that I have poor eating habits and it's a new year so I'm changing that. I started Protein shakes again last week twice a day and one sensible meal and I've actually lost weight. I only have a two day liquid diet my surgery is Wednesday January 11. I told work that I'm having a procedure and will be out a week.

Again it's your journey!

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Edited January 8, 20179 yr by bossportsgal

I am not telling anyone either, just husband and friend in the town I have to fly to in order to have it done. I am doing what you are with wearing baggy clothes and posting about my workouts, and I have started eating smaller portions 4 times a day.

This is when it becomes about US!!

I've told no one.

I feel like I should tell my parents, but I won't until (long) after the surgery, but for 2 different reasons - one, that my dad will worry like crazy about it, and I don't want him to, especially since he and my mom are going on their first real vacation in years at the same time I'll be having the surgery; and two, because my mom is incapable of keeping a secret. Seriously. I stopped confiding in her when I was 10 because of it. Unfortunately, there's way for me to tell one and not the other, so it may be awhile before I tell anyone.

As for work, I'm having my surgery during spring holidays, and I'll have 7 weeks to recover fully before classes start again. Unfortunately I work with one of the most horrible humans on the planet, the kind that will do anything (including extensive internet research) to prove something bad or malicious about virtually any person who is not them, so it will be necessary for me to continue with the "eat well, exercise more" mantra at work, at least in the next year. That said, that's how I feel now, but I may want to shout it from the rooftops once I'm post-op and losing. We'll see.

I couldn't keep it a secret. I need my family's support too much. But when I told them I made it clear that any negative comments needed to be kept to themselves. I wouldn't hesitate to stay away from them if they didn't.

I have told my family, my boyfriend, my few close friends and my co-workers. Luckily I work in a place where there is less than 10 employees. I felt like it would be to stressful to hide it. Everyone was accepting and curious. After talking about the "rules" for my new sleeve, one of my super thin co-workers said "I'd rather stay fat". Luckily, that's the worst I've gotten. I just decided to be unashamed! It's liberating. Now we all feel comfortable talking about it. I don't have to worry about what someone might say behind my back.

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I am very public with my decision--I thought I might motivate someone else to take charge of their health. And I'd say I've had 90% positive interactions. The remaining 10% is because people can't keep their mouths shut and assume since I'm going to restaurants I'm CHEATING on my diet. Nope, steakhouses offer Soup, people. Aside for the B*tches who are perpetually trippin, I don't regret being open about it.

Hello,

I can relate to you as well. When I tell people my weight, they are shocked because I 'carry it in the right places' or 'wear it well'. My waist is smaller than my chest or bottom. However, it doesn't make carrying around this extra weight okay and it doesn't make being 100 lbs overweight okay!!

I've told both parents, my aunt (who will be taking care of me) my team (who I manage and it will become obvious to them, and my sister. When I told my sister, I got a horrible, awful reaction. So I've told a good amount of people, but I'm not telling any more. I'm not telling a soul on my Facebook. When people mention my weight loss, I may (at that time) decide to say something, but who knows!!

The only bonus I can see in sharing is that by sharing our experiences, we may motivate others who would otherwise be too scared to try.

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