To tell or not to tell...

I too told everyone at work. 

Post WLS, there is only one lady I avoid who loves to talk about very personal sometimes gross things loudly and inappropriately in the hallway and she's very kindly made it her duty to watch all the WLS documentaries she could find... bless her heart...she offers me cake at the bday celebrations right under my nose then pulls it away saying oh you can't have that loudly in front of my colleagues..

I really prefer to think she's just socially challenged and doesn't mean anything by it... but it makes me uncomfortable and I avoid her now as much as possible. 

Interestingly enough, I have also found that I now avoid anyone really that wants to talk about it all the time, constantly, ad nauseum, whenever im in the vicinity or even those fellow WLS'ers who are so consumed with everything WLS or who are excessive exercisers who can't walk but must stomp everywhere they go. 

I never intended WLS to define or differentiate me in any way, and the approach has worked for me pretty well.  I feel more comfortable with my lifestyle changes being sustainable for life if I adopt a centered and balanced approach that puts it in perspective for me.  

I say that whatever feels the most comfortable for you, is always the best course of action.

In one of my support groups someone said that they didn't tell their co-workers and so the co-workers thought the WLS person was dying of cancer when the weight started melting off so quickly... the irony of that kinda made me chuckle! especially since the WLS person was also happier and healthier than ever before...

All the best to you!!!

Thank you all for your comments!  It is nice to know that I am not going through this alone.  I decided that I am going to tell my coworkers.  I think that most will be supportive, although I have heard negativity about WLS in my office from an extremely overweight person who know everything about everything on dieting (how ironic)....

On the other hand, I have family and friends who are so against the surgery.   I will not tell them now... instead I will let them see how healthy I am after the surgery... and then tell them :)   I know what I need to do in order to get my life back and I have the full support of my husband, mother, and best friend... that's all I need... 

I told everyone -- including over 300 undergrads I teach -- before I went in. Everyone to a person has been supportive -- and I think I've been very lucky in that. Some are curious, and I answer everything truthfully...so maybe that's part of it.

YMMV.

--g.