I'm in the process of going through all my preop. testing and I'm trying to think of a way to hide the fact that I'm getting a Lap Band from my work. I work with all women and they can be very nosey. Plus this is something I want to keep between me and my family.

Has anyone felt the same way? How did you handle your coworkers? How did you explain a week off of work?

Thanks...

I won't tell anyone at my work about my LB...

I plan to schedule the time off as vacation so it's none of their business lol. I work in an office with mostly girls too and if they ask I will just say I needed time away from work.

I leave my personal business at home when I walk in the door to work.

:drool:

Your getting banded on my birthday! Cool beans!

I will take that to be a lucky day for me then.... and I did tell all the girls at wrokd today because they are going to find out and talk trash about me anyway.... or maybe they won't - hopefully they will be happy for me - I am so excited! Happy early birthday!

I am not telling anyone at work. It is my business (and they are a bunch of gossips). I am scheduling the time off as vacation - to visit family.

Thankfully I typically dont eat lunch with them so my pre-op diet hasn't been that obvious. They have noticed the shakes, but I just told them my pants were getting tight and that I was trying to loose a few pounds. **Which was true**

If anyone notices my scars (although since I keep my clothes on at work?) I will say I had a hernia repaired.

Hello all, it is very interesting reading about how some people tell all and some keep it to themselves. I believe everyone has there choice on telling or not telling.

I just had my surgery on tuesday, And I was really nervous on telling anyone except my imediate family. I did however tell my office a week before, and telling you what, I was SO NERVOUS, but after telling them all, which is half female and half males, I was very happy to see that they were all 100% supportive. I was also suprised to hear from a couple of them that their spouses were thinking about doing something, so I answered may questions for them. After getting off my chest and telling most peopel that are really close to me, I am so glad I did, I dont like lieing and everyone has been very supportive. I have found that telling people has also calmed me down alot, not having to worry about not letting it slip or not.

Just my 2cents worth.

I was the complete opposite - I told everyone and anyone who would listen...and now that i've had the surgery I'm showing everyone my incision marks...yup a bit of a weirdo - and now i've started my own blog about it! (Lise The Loser’s Weblog). Dear lord...who knows what will happen when I can feel the port - I'll start asking everyone to start touching it!

To Kat817 & amsderb:

Thanks for your input! I feel a lot better about what and how to tell my students - based on your suggestions.

To all of you - what a great forum topic for pre-op!!! It confirms my confidence in this decision!

My co-workers have become another level of support for me. The are excited for me beginning a new stage of my life. There have been a lot of questions and a few semi-negative comments....but nothing too bad.

I just don't think you can have too much support.......if it means ignoring a few naysayers.....that's fine with me.

Triser72 thanks to you too! We are all so lucky to find a place that we can share what is going on...My one friend who is also a DR. said I am obsessed with thinking about the band etc...What does she expect??

This is a huge decision...I've wanted to do something since 2000...AND...we have to obsess so that we can wrap our brains around the change etc... Anyway, this is a great place to talk and read instead of pushing it all on our friends and family. It really is no different than when you are pregnant...You obsess for like 10 plus months (until about age what 3?)

you know i guess alot of people feel like it is no ones business, however me on the other hand i am the kind of person that wants to know because what u did could help me... the only thing i dont like about some people that u work with is u have some that are like "I CAN SAVE U" start on my eating and workout plan and everything will be fine.. and im like... R u serious... babe im not a rookie at loosing weight.. it just wont stay off.. give me a break.. i wasent looking for approval i was just letting u all know so u wont ask me if i want popeyes chicken for lunch lol... There are a lot of unhealthy people in the world and if by me telling them that i had it done will help change their minds about the procedure sure i will tell them... Who cares at what negitative things people might say...because no matter how big or how small you may be someone will always find a problem with it so I would tell them and feel good about it....

Hey all,

there is a great thread about this in the General Lap-Band Discussions section as well. It's super long with heaps of great contributions.

Hope that helps, you can find my story in there as well!

Annie.

Hi dp00024. I did not tell any of my co-workers and I work with mostly women also. I took four days off work and told my supervisor that I had to have abdominal surgery. They cannot ask you what kind of surgery and you are not under any obligation to tell them. When I came back and a few people asked if I was sick, I told them I had surgery but I was doing well, thanks. Nobody pried any further. If they had, I would've told them that it was personal. (I know when you say that, people probably usually assume it was a "female" thing but who cares.) I didn't want to lie.

I usually brought my lunch anyway and often ate at my desk, so if anybody noticed that what I ate changed, they didn't say anything. At the few work functions with food that we have had since I was banded, I just got something to drink or took a little bit of something I could chew a lot and get down easily, like fruit depending on where I was in the post-op diet. Nobody commented on that, either.

I had bad gas pains a few times right after surgery, so I just got up and walked around. I found things I could do that required me to move around the office anyway. If I had a PB incident at work, the bathroom isn't far away.

I know some people tell everybody but I think that's a very personal choice and you should do what is best for you. I hope it works out for you!

I really don't want anyone at work knowing. I took vacation time to get it done, and I really wasnt ready when I came back to work. One co-worker caught me crying in my office when I was in so much pain and I let it slip that I had had some surgery and later I asked her not to mention it to anyone. I never said what kind it was. As far as the liquid diet, everyone thinks I am weird anyway- so a wacky diet is no surprise!

I told one friend- she is fairly supportive but didnt think I needed it b/c I had gotten down to a size 4 and stayed there for 7 years before. It was just such a struggle before that I am hoping this band will make it more tolerable. Good luck to you whatever you decide!

I will say this- I am paranoid that I might get a complication and have to miss work- I don't know how I will explain that. The initial surgery was planned on my vacation time.

Actually it's no one's business that you've had a medical procedure (unless you feel the need to share). It shouldn't matter whether you're drinking a shake every 3 hours or simply not going along w/ others to lunch etc. I've read previous posts where it may not be wise to share too much too soon because you surely don't want to have folks staring at you if you decide to eat or not eat and judging your eating. Let your success tell you story :angry_smile:

LiseSeattle, we are so much alike! I've always said if I have a boob job, I'm not only going to show them to everyone, I'm going to make them feel them. haha

I look at it this way. I'm fat. I have about 180 pounds to lose. It is not a secret because no matter how much black I wear, it's hard to hide 180 extra pounds. Everyone knows I'm fat. Unfortunately, fat people wear their fears, problems, doubts and troubles like a giant badge for all the world to see and judge.

So, I'll tell anyone who asks and a few who don't in case the subject comes up. I figure they will ask what I'm doing to lose weight once it starts to come off so why not go ahead and tell them? It's nothing to be ashamed of (for me) and I'm hoping a couple of the guys here in the office will take me as an example and look into having it done.

i haven't decided yet whether i'm going to tell people. i have told 2 family members and 2 friends. my family doesn't understand but my friends are supportive. i get the same question "why don't you just eat less?" if it were that easy i wouldn't be in this boat! i do plan on telling my boss that i'm having surgery and need some time off but that's as far as i'm going.