emotional support??

Knew I'd face a number of nay sayers but was really surprised to see how dead set against WLS some people can be. On the other hand the people that really matter to me are 100% beside me.  So I guess I'm curious who has surprised you the most in your emotional support ?

Surprisingly I have not had many folks who were against the surgery.  At the beginning, my 24 year old daughter who is in the health care field was dead set against me having the surgery.  She kept telling me that I had not really tried to lose the weight which was not true. I have fought this battle all my life.  She everntually came around and now talking to others about the benefits of it. Don't let the nay sayers get you down.  AS you said, the people *****ally matter to you are behind you, so carry on!   Best Wishes!  Alice

My dad, and two friends that have been in my life forever were all shocked when I brought it up.  My dad was concerned that WLS was too drastic.  My friends both thought I was fine just the way I was.  But, after I discussed my reasons, the program I was looking into and all the details, they were all completely supportive.  Overall, I've been incredibly lucky - the people that matter in my life have been more supportive than I could have imagined. As for who's surprised me the most, I'd say, Ryan (my DH.)  I knew he'd be supportive, but he surprised me.  He has ended up being the perfect mix of caring nurse, forceful trainer, and emotional cheerleader.

This may sound funny but..... my close friends all were very supportive of my choice, my best friend in the world since childhood is a doctor and she said " GO FOR IT " , my dear hubby was wonderful ...... I really had no problem telling them all even my dear Mother who I knew would flip was great, it was when I told the X husband I was ready for a " OMG ARE YOU CRAZY " speech.. you see although he and I had no children together we did have dear dogs that we share custody of , I know some folks think that is crazy BUT just hear me out, when you have no kids and you bring the fur kids into your life you get really close, our dogs were like babies to us.. when we split we both wanted THE DOGS of course , but came  to a truce and now share them, I have them most of the time and he gets weeknd visits or takes care of them when I am on vacation--- well I felt I need to tell him about the surgery in case I need doggie day care ,,,, I waited till the day before surgery to tell him.... He was great, told me he would pray for me and he wished me luck. I WAS SHOCKED , you see my weight was really the reason for our divorce , after 16 years married, and 320 pound he just did not want me anymore ,,,  Now I am slim ( well slim for me at 160 pounds ) and he is one of my greatest fans. I am so glad of it because he can be so negitive. And yes the new husband and he are good friends .. The Lord works in all types of ways. To forgive is a heart clear feeling to be able to say " hey I do not blame you , I forgive you " .

I chose to only tell those people I cared about and who I knew cared about me. I knew by doing so even if they didnt support my decision they would support me. Nobody has really suprised me the most because my family and friends have all been very supportive!

My family has been wonderfully supportive. My mother and sister were really concerned to begin with, but I sent them the information I was finding in my research, shared my books and allowed mom to come with me to my Dr's appointments. This really helped a great deal, she was able to ask questions about issues that concerned her and get answers directly from the horse's mouth. My mom is probably one of my biggest cheerleaders now and sooooo proud of me. She's actually thinking about pursuing the LapBand for herself. Who'd of thought that a year ago?!

Most of my friends have been supportive. I talked to everyone about the fears and concerns that they had. Some were valid, but most were not and by the time we were done talking they were comfortable with my decision as well.

I didn't and don't worry about those who think it's the "easy way out." They have no idea what it's like to be morbidly obese. To try to lose massive amounts of weight ... or to lose it, gain it back and then some. They have no idea what it's like to decide that it's better to deal with malnourishment issues for the rest of your life because it's more manageable that dealing with sleep apnea, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. They don't really understand how physically and sometimes emotionally limiting obesity can be. I do and I know I made the best decision of my life.

I hope that you have positive support from the people that count the most.

Barb

Ok, here's a funny one for you lol... I surprised MYSELF!! BIG TIME!! Now, a long story short as to why... My best friend of 25+ years had this done almost 2 years before I even considered it, and I remember telling her AND I QUOTE: "Are you insane? Have you completely lost your mind?  You mean to tell me you're going to have major surgery just so you can "get skinny"?"  Mind you, I knew nothing really about the surgery and was only thinking about losing my best friend!  But low and behold guess who saw her results, learned A LOT about the surgery and 4 months ago had it also!! LOL Connie