So who'd you tell you were going to have WLS?

I pretty let everyone know including friends, family and people at work since it was obvious to everyone that with me weighing nearly 500 pounds,something had to be done. No one tried to talk me out of it if that gives you any idea of how bad of shape I was in. Effectively, it was WLS or die for me.

I imagine it's a tougher decision to decide who to tell (taking the easy way out stigma and all) 
if you're not on "death's doorstop" so to speak.

Boner
 

 

 

Well, I was a lightweight as WLS standards go, just barely qualified for the surgery. While I didn't think I was exactly on deaths door, I was certainly on the walkway. My comorbids were not well controlled, so lots of folks knew I had health issues. I had started insulin, and that was not an OK lifestyle for me.

 I told most of my co-workers (although I told a few I was having gender reassignment surgery!), and a few weeks before the surgery, I told my family. Funny, I got the most resistance from my family. I suppose it's because they could not see the benefits outweighing the risks.
 
I remember my brother asking me to postpone the surgery another year, and see if I could lose 40 or 50 pounds, and maybe that would take care of my diabetes and HBP. I responded with, why wait? Which part would you be willing to give up - your sight, liver functions, a toe, ED, or perhaps a heart attack? I told him and the rest of my family, if you agree with it - say a prayer for me and my surgeon, and wish me well. If you disagree with my decision, say a prayer for me and my surgeon and wish me well. That was the end of that. Nobody disagrees with my decision now, it was the best thing I could have done for myself.

 I would NOT want ED!!! I'm permanently diabetic unfortunately but w/e

 At first I didn't want to tell anyone. I researched it quietly and found out that our insurance did cover WLS and then I started talking to my mom about it. So then we both decided that we wanted it. Well she decided a little while after I did, I was very gung-ho about having it. We both didn't want to tell anyone in the family for fear of "you could die, you're taking the easy way out, etc etc you're lazy blah blah" so we gradually told people as time got closer to having the surgery. I told my girlfriend about wanting to have it done and she blatantly told me that I didn't need it and it was just something I shouldn't do and I was like well you can either be with me or you can be against me but I'm having the surgery. After some tears and some talking she finally came around and saw that I really did need to have the surgery come hell or high water. The family is still on the iffy side about it but most of them agree that it was a great thing to have done. My cousin still feels that it was the "easy" way out and in a way it was the cowardly thing to do from certain perspectives but I was on a badly slippery slope and everything was caving in on me at 21 years old so I couldn't have all that happen to me being so young. I knew there was SOMETHING I had to do and I prayed about it and I didn't get any negative feedback from that so I pushed forward and got the surgery and have been extremely happy ever since. So yeah, I guess if you want to tell people you're having the surgery just ease them into the idea and then they may accept it more than if you just slam dunk it on them.

My cir****tances were a little different than most.  I had just finished a regimend of treatments for cancer.  During that, I informed everyone.  I needed their prayers and support, and had to stop the wild rumors that had started going around about the extent of my cancer.  You know how that goes, by the end of the month, most people would have me on the critical list with brain cancer.  Didn't need that.
When I had the WLS, we told only family and closest of friends.  As it turned out, because of  my previous bout with cancer, most people thought that I was now dying from the cancer because of all of the weight loss that was going on. 
My biggest supporter, family!  My biggest foes, family! 
Had I not been such a big boy, the likelyhood of my cancer may have been avoided,  Mayby.  I am also classified as a "Down Winder", and that may have contributed to the cancer.  (A "Down Winder" is someone that lived down wind from the nucular testing that went on in Neveda during the 40's, 50's and 60's, we loved to watch those fantastic sunsets that it generated.  Had we only known.............)
I also lost a kidney because of complications during an operation to resolve some problems with a kidney stone.  Had I not have been so big, the surgery would have gone fine, but it didn't.
Conclusion:  I wouldn't hesitate to tell anyone that askes, but I don't share it with those that don't.
Case by case.
Paul

I pretty much told everyone. When people ask, I don't hide it and tell them that I had the surgery. I look at it this way, it was my decision and if they don't like it, then they have to live with it. I don't regret any of it and never will.

My situation was a little different also.  I was feeling so bad with the high blood sugar, hbp, and falling, plus just getting dressed was a major effort for me.  I told my pastor that I felt I was literally about to become bed-ridden and die.  He had WLS back in late 90's and told me he felt I needed to seriously consider it.  I didn't know he had the surgery.  I told him my insurance didn't cover it, but my mom offered to pay for it a couple of years earlier.  I turned her down because if I would have a complication, it could wipe us out.  He encouraged me to call my mom again.  I finally agreed to swallow my pride and call.  Was the hardest call I made.  She, being the great woman she is, immediately said yes, she would love to do that.  The money is coming out of my future inheritance, so I had her clear it with my two sisters just for consideration sake.  She said she would, but she would do it no matter what.  My two sisters were also thrilled.  Once they found out it ran through the family like wild fire.  Everyone of them were excited for me and proud that I had made the decision to change my life.  My mom and wife told a few more people than I personally wanted, like the frickin bank teller! but no negative tales to report.  I had a lot of prayers and supporters before, during and after surgery.  Michael.

Told my parents, wife, kids. My bros and sis found out through my parents. My little bro tried to act like he was all pissed that I didn't call him to tell him personally, but we only talk about twice a year and he's comfortable with that, so I didn't see any reason to make that extra call. He likes to kid himself that we're still close.

Told my boss. I thought he deserved to know, since he'd be approving quite a bit of sick leave. By the time I got back to work after the surgery, everybody  in town knew. I live in a small town in west Texas named Crane. And it stands for Creating Rumors Abuout Nearly Everyone. Couldn't have kept it under wraps if I'd had to.

Everyone.

I wasn't ashamed or worried about it.  Hell I was ashamed I was fat, I figured doing something about it was a positive thing.

Scott