Hello - new scared and looking for info.

Not sure, how to navigate this site.

Is there a beginner area on how to post, make signatures, connect with other newbies at the same stage in the process?

My surgery has just been booked for April 12, I start opti next week and am terrified how to tell my boss.

Hi, and welcome! Wow, Opti next week; you're on your way!

Do you have to tell your boss why you're having surgery? If you get a note from your surgeon, isn't that enough? I think I'd just tell him I'm having surgery and leave it at that. Maybe others who've had experience with this can chime in.

As for the site navigation, just click on all of the headings to get a feel for it. If you put "how to add a signature" in the search box, a tutorial will come up.

Good luck,

Kathy

I don't know of a site guide, but I'm sure it's here somewhere!

I am scheduled for my RNY on 3/29. I told work about the upper GI scope, so when my surgery was scheduled I just said that the results were in on the EDG and I'd been scheduled for stomach surgery. I was vague. I said I'd rather not go into the details. I said things like they were looking for GERD, and checking for a hiatal hernia and Barretts Esophagus, etc... (all of which would have been noted in your EDG of course). I said that the surgery would only be a few hours, and that I was expecting to return to my (sedentary) job in a couple of weeks.

The nosy coworker was told I just had to have some things fixed up, it the worst part was that until the surgical site healed, I'd have to be on a liquid diet- that the only up side is I'd probably lose weight while I was letting my stomach heal.

My job requires a lot of pushing, pulling, lifting, bending and ability to lift weights up to 30 lbs (as per occupational health, but normally a lot more than that), not many modified duties I can do without somebody working with me. Worst part, I not only just switched jobs less than 3 months I work in a medical field and the vagueness will start antenna twitching and tongues wagging....

Just be honest and open about it to your boss. If you were surprised how quickly you were approved for the surgery, just say that and although you haven't been there long, this is life changing for you. I work in the medical field too, so I get it. If you want your boss to keep it confidential, I'd ask to do so. I am an open book around here and thankfully get really good support. If I get negativity, I just say "thanks, but don't need that today"... and move on! Good luck and welcome! Keep us updated!

I'm in the medical field, but I'm also on our Privacy Committee and we're in the US so HIPAA is a big deal. I'm an auditor and my coworkers are auditors or compliance folks so everyone knows better than to even THINK of asking ;-)

Different doctors have different guidelines and restrictions. But one pretty universal rule is no lifting anything over 8 or 10 pounds for the first 6 to 8 weeks.

It seems like you ought to look into that.

I guess I will be visiting Dr Summeroff then, no truly I would go nuts, hoping for modified work or PSW assist at work.

When I was awaiting surgery I joined a local (we meet in Etobicoke) group of ladies who are all various stages. There are some that are years out and some that were only months out. I found it really helped to talk to people who had been through it and would talk openly.

Perhaps find a local group who meets near you. Your siggy shows you are in Toronto, are you near Etobicoke?