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Great story! The description of the feelings of drunk one minute and sober the next is right on. I have had that feeling. It is great to get a little tipsy on just a drink or 2 but totally not cool to not know whether you've had too much or not. I don't feel comfortable going out drinking because I can't trust the way I feel from one moment to the next.

Hi Linsey, get ready for a wonderful health trip. One that is sure to change your life in more positive ways than you can imagine.

I have the same fears. I have been at my job longer, but I just know telling my boss that it will eventually get around the office. The fact that your boss only thinks of the negative (i.e. you missing work for surgery and not you potentially dying by being obese) just confirms that there is still a lot of stigma around this type of surgery. I'm so sorry that you have to go through it. My suggestion is to let it go. Going to HR or talking to her about it will just make it worse, and right now you need to stay positive. If word gets out, it gets out - all you can do is be true to yourself, be honest and do what you need to do to secure your physical and mental health. The only opinion about your medical history that matters is yours and your Doctors. If your boss does anything to specifically call you out, that would be the time to involve HR. Otherwise, save yourself the stress, stay off the boss' radar and keep doing your job so you can get PAID. That's all that matters, bottom line, is that you do your job and that they pay you to do it. Don't rock the boat. You have way more important things to deal with than someone elses prejudice. Be the example of how WLS is a positive thing.

Hi Geechee Girl I was just sleeved on july 9 and it is surprisingly going well,I suspect it will for you as well. I was re-couping from a failed lap band and was truly over having any sort of weight loss surgery, however my patient co-ordinator had a sleeve a few weeks before I had the lap band removal and thru discussions with her and others thought okay this is gonna be the last time. Well I am so happy I did it and cant begin to tell you. The simple fact is I just cant eat much period. So if you need support or have any question I could answer I am here. Rox503

The connection between strong negative emotions and the compulsion to action is usually our downfall. (So it is with food, drugs, alcohol... any addiction) Some suggestions for alternative actions? (Some worked for me, some didn't. I tried them all until I found what gave me the ability to think through the emotion to a constructive rather than destructive action) Get a glass of ice cubes. Crunch them in your mouth. Compel yourself to a physical action (walk around the block, go up and down the stairs four or five times, play Wii, Xbox, etc. Something you can do right now to wear off the adrenalin of the emotional hijack) Speak up - even just a little. Give yourself a voice. Stuffing what you think about the circumstances results in an emotional void needing to be filled. Call someone you trust and set the timer to vent for five minutes, then talk through what action you need to take to be positive. Journal - stream of consciousness - no self-censoring. Fill three pages with the thoughts in your mind. It won't be pretty, it won't be nice English, but it will get those destructive, habitual thoughts out of your head and into tangible form. After three pages, put the journal away and make a date with yourself to read it later. Later, when you do read it, make some concrete decisions about how you want to think about (______________) behaviour. (i.e., your brother's) Even if you can't talk to him, you can write him a short note taking personal responsibility for your response to his words/actions. Something like, "I was very (emotion) when you (action) and I need/choose/ask you to stop/change. If you don't, I will need to limit our contact for my sake. I choose not to be a part of that kind of encounter again." Or something similar. You may not be able to say it to your brother, but you can use the opportunity to practice self-advocacy. Lastly, use positive self-talk. When you're not in an emotional crisis, learn some things you can tell yourself when you are. "I am not compelled to action because I am feeling (emotion)." And other phrases that you learn when not under stress. Using them does make a difference. I promise. Keep at it. All this stuff is so much easier to say than to do. But you already know that. Sometimes, just having extra tools/ideas can make all the difference in the world, one stressful situation at a time. CE