....any advice regarding objecting family members??

Hi All!! I have not yet informed my family of my decision to pursue WLS. My parents are very old fashioned and I fear they will not take the news very well... I'm afraid they will object or be overly emotional and fearful of my having the surgery...has anyone else had this issue and/or have any suggestions on how I should approach it with them??

Hi Snow Angel, I ran into a similar concern with my parents. I went to talk to them equipped with magazine articles and (at the time), a copy of the Oprah Winfrey show on WLS. There has been a ton of stuff printed in the past year. They must recognize your long term struggle with weight (else why would be here?). Explain that this is a long term, effective solution. For me, the key was having lots of information for my parents - not just my word, but medical authorities and success stories. Good luck with talking to them; my parents, as it turned out, were and continue to be very supportive of my decision. Judith

I only had my dad and he was extremely upset and did not take the news well. Actually, none of my family were very supportive. I just told them it was something I had to do for me and that with or without their support I was going to have the surgery but that I would prefer, obviously, to have their support. I gave dad plenty of time to get used to the idea - I first introduced it in May and my surgery wasn't until the following February by the time everything got in order. He did drive me to the hospital on the day of surgery and visited me that night. I actually spent a couple of days recouperating with him and his wife after I came out of the hospital. Just give them time to get used to it and expect some concern and worry - dad was extremely fearful but I just reacted to it calmly every time he brought up the subject. He knew I had made up my mind and nothing would change it. Best of luck. E-mail if you need any encouragement or have any questions. Kathy