You could always say that your digestive tract needed a tweak.

I have asked myself the same question. I do not want to lie, but I also don't want to tell all my business.

I never can keep my stories straight, so I tell anything to anyone...

Just tell them you've been in the wrong body all this time and you're going in for sex reassignment surgery. That way, no matter what people hear about you, they'll assume it's a lie - after all you came back to work looking the same as you left! :-P

I told my students that I had brain surgery initially - they bought it, but I eventually talked more openly about my surgery (LapBand back then). In the end, it didn't matter to me what my high school students thought or tweeted about me - goodness knows they had enough "ammo" pre-op!

I sooo don't envy you! Such a difficult one!

I have a teen who can detect a lie from the blink of an eye, though is a master of telling them lol.

Don't get me wrong I love teens, though they get stuck in my teeth ha ha.

Joking apart, I'm sure that they, will be glad to see that, you are ok after your op.

I would say, it was for something that at the moment, I don't want to talk about and then leave it at that. They will properly be concerned, so just reassure them your fine.

That way, if later on when the weight is vanishing and you decided you want to tell them, no lies need to be untold.

I have found with teens trust is incredibly important.

Good luck :-)

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice. Except you, Arts137. Smartass. I'm only with these kiddos for another week (I don't teach with the regular school district anymore), so chances are they won't see any big changes. Also, it's entirely possible they're too wrapped in their ultra-meaningful little lives to even remember to ask me about it.

OK so here's what I went with (FA = Future of America, M = Me):

FA: Ms. Diamond, how was your surgery?

M: I'm feeling fine, thank you!

FA: What did you have surgery on?

M: Oh, I had some things removed. It's kinda gross and you don't want to know about it.

FA: OK. (pause) What did you have removed? Your eyeballs? Can you see us? Are those fake eyeballs? Yeah, I think one's falling out!

M: No.

FA: But really, what did you have removed?

M: My testicles

That shut 'em up.

Tell them you had a hernia repair or your gallbladder out. Or whatever you are comfy with..

This would have worked as well considering the typical teenager. Actually it works on most adults too.

(FA = Future of America, M = Ms Diamond):

FA: Ms. Diamond, How was your surgery?

M: (pointing randomly) Look something shiny!

FA: Huh? Where?

"guts" is a good generic term. What you had done to your guts is up to you.

I like "rearranged"

This would have worked as well considering the typical teenager. Actually it works on most adults too.

(FA = Future of America, M = Ms Diamond):

FA: Ms. Diamond, How was your surgery?

M: (pointing randomly) Look something shiny!

FA: Huh? Where?

True dat!