kids

I am wondering if anyone has told their kids about having the sugery and their reaction. My 2 older girl ages 14 and 13 are the ones i am thinking of telling. I could use some advice. Thanks!! Brandi

i havent told mine..but they are only 5 and 3.5 years old i'm not sure what i will tell them probably just 'mommy has to have surgery to fix something inside her' or something along those lines.....but kids your age can probably handle a lot more detailed explanation lol my surgery will be about 3 hours from home so i doubt they will see me in the hospital - probably just my mom will be here and the kids home with dad good luck wendy

Mine's 14 and I waited until just this last few days before surgery to tell him. I let him know I would be in the hospital for a few days and that I would be pretty weak when I came home so I could use his help around the house. I also reminded him no "body slam hugs" for awhile! I didn't go into detail into why, but only that I had gallstones in my gallbladder and it had to be removed (which is in fact the case for me), and they would fix my innards so they work better. He was more focused on the "stones" and wondered if I got to keep them, and the scars I'll get to have! Boys!

Hi Brandi My son is 15 and I told him all about it. He is overweight too so at first I felt bad... like I was failing him in some way. We would diet together (and fail together). After much thought I decided that I wasn't failing him at all and I discussed this with him. I told him what I was doing was not the easy way out and it is a last resort after many years of diet battles. And how he has youth, growth and time on his side to slim down if he chooses. His first reaction was wanting to know what everything will cost (kids, go figure). He asked some questions then that was it. I think he just wanted to know how (or will) this be affecting him in anyway. He said he didn't really care to work on his weight as long as he can continue to skateboard and have lots of friends. Ahhh... to be young again and have things "all about me"! ha!

I have a 12 yo daughter and 6 yo son and they both know about the surgery. I didn't tell my daughter until I went for the actual consult - it was out of town so I pretty much had to do it then rather than wait. She knows just about everything there is to tell. After surgery my hubby and I wanted to go somewhere so I drove her to McDonalds to get some dinner for the 2 of them while hubby and I were gone. She said "I won't eat in front of you mom" and I told her she didn't need to deprive herself - I had my fair share and then some, I got all 60 years of goodies jammed into 20 years, and now my turn is over basically. I told her I hoped that she would spread her treats over the full 60 years and not overdo like I did, that the choices were hers to make, and that I would love her whatever choices she made. She has my genetics, my anxieties, and is getting a little belly on her, and I wanted her to get the big picture. I never do "woe is me, I wish I could eat x,y,z." I got myself into this mess and I am having to get myself out - it is my own darn fault that candy is no longer a part of my life - and we don't have the junk around the house nearly as much, so she is actually loosing some weigh too - it was just so handy before. My 6 yo son was told my tummy was too big, so the doctor did surgery to make my tummy smaller and that my new, smaller tummy doesn't like sugar or too much at a time, so I have to treat my new, smaller tummy carefully. He was upset when I threw up once, but I explained that I ate too fast for my little tummy - it was my own fault and I had hopefully learned my lesson - and he was fine with that. The fact that my body is getting smaller is not something he is even noticing.