To Tell or Not to Tell

Hey Peeps!  Question:  I'm a newbie.  So green that I haven't sent my paperwork in yet for approval.  Only my husband, mother, girlfriend in a different state and you all know about my intentions to get the Lap-Band. 

I work in a 400 person office.  There are 3 women at work that everyone knows had WLS. One is a stuck up supervisor that tried to keep her RNY & full body lift a secret.  Uh, no one believed it was not WLS & nip tuck.  The others are an RNY that is going very well and tells everyone about it that will listen to her gop and goo stories and a Lap-Band that lost 30 lbs and regained all of it in 6 mos.  The Bander will share info openly also. 

My issue is that I'm not fond of people being all in my business and asking me personal questions that I may not want to talk about.  I go through spurts where I diet and exercise and get great results.  So much that I've been accused of having WLS in the past.  However, we know how that yo-yo goes.  Because I'm getting banded, my weightloss will be slower.  I don't necessarily want to keep it a secret, I just don't want folks stalking me around my cubicle and the ladies room.    Same question goes for church.  Agghhhh!  Them church folks!!

So what did you do, tell or not tell? 

Ummm - sounds like you already have enough info about your situation to make your own decision........

Seems to me it just depends on whether or not you want to deal with folks BS if the DO know. 

So you're right, I don't want to volunteer my personal business.  You know how catty women are.  But, I don't want to come off like Star Jones.. 

I have mixed feelings about the supervisor that played it like she didn't.  I respect her right to privacy but I'm laughing at her too because she's covering up her head and her butt is showing..

I work in a small office environment with mostly women, black women.  We all get along well for the most part.  For me, I decided to upfront and share my experience with the office.  One because I knew it would be revealed anyway at some point, and also I thought it would benefit others.  My boss was banded a little over a year ahead of me, had about a 40 lb wieght loss and quasi-shared it with the office.  (We all knew anyway...)!  I'm glad that I opened up about it from the start because I received tremendous support from everyone.  Almost the entire office joined me in my pre-op diet, and we all ate and drank our way through it.  Several ladies lost some weight right along with me and are keeping up some of the healthier eating habits.  People are going to talk and there is nothing you can do to stop it.  So I decided to make sure they were well informed with the facts about my weight loss so when they did gossip at least it would be truer than not!

J

Thanks, I'll take that into consideration.  If I decide to "come out" about my situation, I'll be strategic about the people I share it with knowing these folk don't hold water. 

 I work in a office full of women.  When I decided to have WLS I only informed my cloest friends on the job, however when the weight really started coming off and if someone asked I told then.  

I feel that WLS is just as hard as loosing the weight naturally.  We have so much more obsticals to cross and I got tired of people saying that people who had the surgery took the easy way out and beleive me there is nothing and I mean NOTHING at all that is easy about having WLS.

I say OWN IT and REPRESENT IT for all that have had and all that may want it.

Dreadz I love your way of thinking

But you have to know folks round these parts don't take too kindly to this train of thinking...lol

I actually skipped this post because I totally don't understand this line of thinking and I have a tendency to speak.......

I kinda went through the same thing in the beginning.  I'm a private person, too, and didn't want everyone in my business or passing judgment.  I started off by just telling those friends and co-workers with whom I was the closest.  As my surgery date drew nearer, I told more and more people.  Now just about everyone in my office knows that I had.  The reason why I eventually decided to tell is because trying to hide it would be worse.  First people were going to notice that I was MIA at work for 2 weeks.  The whole "I'm having surgery" thing doesn't work because ppl are going to ask if you're okay, if anything is wrong, etc.  Then I figured when I returned to work and started rapidly dropping weight it would raise eyebrows.  Trying to think of new and creative ways to explain it while NOT saying I had WLS.... yeah, quite annoying lol.  Then how would I explain the teeny tiny portions, small bowls/dishes, the three-bites-and-I'm full lunches (we have a staff kitchen where everyone eats).  Do you see what I'm getting at?  IMO, it's much easier to tell and then assertively shoo away the noseys and naysayers vs. lying about it and trying to cover it up. 

P.S. - I return to work on Monday so I'll let you know how it goes.  :-)

Nope, mums da word over here. Not a single sole at work knows and neither most of my family or friends know. I like it this way!! Lost almost 100lbs and aint said nuffin!

I decided to tell my co-workers due to knowing that they would be supportive.  I work in a department where I seen people be very supportive in much more drastic situations and I have had wonderful and helpful support.  Plus I feel the more I have a chance to talk about what I'm experiencing I have a chance to educate them about the lapband due to not a lot of people knowing much about it or how it works.