Did U Tell Or Not? If Not..what Was Your Story?

[hedder14 59]

I told no one about any part of it, but my hubby... After my surgery and about 2 wks ago I told my mother.. My mother is very opinioniated and I just didn't want to get upset or in a fight with her over it.. I still haven't told my daughter yet.. She is expecting her second baby in Aug and I didn't want to add any stress to her. I don't plan on telling her, I want to surprise her when I go visit when the baby is born.. We skype all the time, so she might say something about my wt on one of skype days, but if not she will find out when I see her then I will tell her everything... I don't plan on telling anyone else...

[Debra A G 3]

I've told a few close friends, hubby and my children. Most have been supportive but a couple have been very negative. They are worried that it is unsafe or they know someone who had lapband and did not lose anyway. I think it is better to keep it quiet until after the surgery. I won't lie if someone asks but i don't intend to publicize it either.

[waterchick 35]

I told everyone except my ex-husband. Lol. None of his business. Everyone has been really supportive. I've had to answer more questions than I thought I would. Everyone is curious. Most say I am stronger than they are and they couldn't do it. Makes me feel better.

[skkcs 9]

Great post because I often wonder that myself! I only told my husband, immediate family, and a few very close friends. All my feedback has been positive but I'm just afraid of judgment from people (silly, I know!) ... I told people I had gallstones ... I was afraid to say I had my bladder removed because I may really need that excuse one day and then what would I do!?!?

[1shauna1 129]

All my friends and family know and have been very supportive. I recently told some coworkers, but only because I was too tight and having trouble eating. I don't like to tell people I don't know very well; I really don't want to deal with negativity or how this was an "easy out"!

[egrazz 5]

1. I haven't had it done yet, but when I told my mother I was looking into it, she immediately went into negative mode. When I asked her to go online & just read about it (she doesn't know anyone personally that has had it done) she just ignored me. My bestfriend said I don't want to be negative, but.........and then proceeded to say nothing but negative things in a passive/aggressive manner. My husband is suoer supportive, he's my rock!!! My dad was great also. Funny but I knew these 4 important people in my life would react just exactly the way they did. So to tell or not to tell.......it's a personal decision and don't feel bad if you don't tell. What a shame that we feel something so positive is seen by others as negative and the lazy way out. They have not been in our shoes!
   

[my3sons75 11]

I haven't had the surgery yet, but since I am covered partially by insurance I have to do the 3 months of supervised dieting. I haven't told anyone but my husband and my other care providers (doctors), who I asked to write letters to the insurance for me to help me with approval. I have been struggling with what to say and who to tell, and then I came to an epiphany - for me at least.

When I first started learning about the lapband and reading how it works I noticed the one word that everyone uses - TOOL. This will be a tool for us in the steps we are taking to make our lives healthier. This is not a magic fix-it band, not a you'll-never-crave-chocolate-doughnuts-again band, not a cure for the I-want-some-icecream-now band. It is merely to reduce the AMOUNT that we are allowed to eat at one time.. Everything else is up to us. It will be hard work, especially at first, and I will be consciously making healthier choices and chosing what I eat (already started in January to get ready). Now, if I tell anyone or everyone that I have this band, any steps I've done or long hard road I've gone down or sacrifices I have made will all be lumped into one phrase: "oh, she has the Lapband, no wonder she lost weight so easliy".

It may be petty or feel like I need attention, but if anyone wants to pay attention to my weight and how much I've lost or how much better I look, then I want it to be about ME and about my choices and the hard work I've done to get there. Maybe if someone is curious about the band, or if I feel like they may understand how much work I still had/have to put in, then I may feel the connection and want to tell them about it. For now, I haven't even told my sister (who is one of my best friends) or my mother (who lives with me and my family) or any of my friends.

I am a talker and constantly give TMI to my friends and family, and this has been hard for me not to say anything and gab on and on about it. But I know once I open that dialog up I can't take it back. So I found this website, and I found a place where I can talk about it and feel like everyone understands.

This is a very personal decision and it's hard to decide what to do. Good luck with your decision.

~Kelly <3

[B-52 7,113]

There are only a handful of people who know I have had surgery.

After loosing all this weight and people complimenting me everyday, they all want to know how I did it.

I simply say it was "Dr.'s Orders" "I had no choice" "It was life or death" "I have already had one heart Attack"

All those statements are true, and when I tell people that they always nod their heads in agreement and say something like "I don't blame you..I'd loose the weight also"

Very rarely do people ask "How" after I emphasize the "Why"

When I am forced to say "How". I respond "Simple! I don't eat as near as what I used to, I no longer eat foods like pizza, Pasta, rice, etc, I get plenty of Protein from daily shakes and supplements, I drink Water like a fish, and I go to the gym every chance I get"

Which is also all true.

[wineguyd 13]

I didn't tell anyone about my desire to have the procedure and only told my friends a week after the surgery. I did not tell my parents or brother(they live out of state) and waited till I saw them five months and 50 pounds later after the procedure...priceless!

[DebraG 3]

The ins. turned me down again yesterday. I cried all morning. Well enough crying. It accomplished nothing.

Whe reason they turned me down....I only have one co-morbility....guess I need to be ready for a coffin for bcbsil to pay.

I'm going to Mexico ... The Obesity Control Center in Tiajana. It is a US accredited facility.

Instead of lapband I'm having

Gastric Plication Is Groundbreaking Option

The newest weight loss procedure is known as Gastric Plication. It is being described as “the most exciting advancement in weight loss surgery since adjustable gastric banding.” The surgeons at OCC are proud to pioneer this procedure which has

Have any of you been there?

So I tell my husband show him the website, etc and he agrees it is the way to go. I made the mistake of tell our sons. One hit the roof. It was rather hurtful. "God made you the way you are and if he wanted you to change he would have made the ins. to pay for the surgery.

When I told him I don't want to live this way. "Then we need to get you therapy."

To get him to shut up I promised to see if I could find any where in the US that would be reasonably priced. I did look but to no avail.

I wish I hadn't told him.

I've told very few people. It was none of their business but felt I owed it to my children. I won't make that mistake again.

[NWgirl 574]

The ins. turned me down again yesterday. I cried all morning. Well enough crying. It accomplished nothing.

Whe reason they turned me down....I only have one co-morbility....guess I need to be ready for a coffin for bcbsil to pay.

I'm going to Mexico ... The Obesity Control Center in Tiajana. It is a US accredited facility.

Instead of lapband I'm having

Gastric Plication Is Groundbreaking Option

The newest weight loss procedure is known as Gastric Plication. It is being described as “the most exciting advancement in weight loss surgery since adjustable gastric banding.” The surgeons at OCC are proud to pioneer this procedure which has

Have any of you been there?

So I tell my husband show him the website, etc and he agrees it is the way to go. I made the mistake of tell our sons. One hit the roof. It was rather hurtful. "God made you the way you are and if he wanted you to change he would have made the ins. to pay for the surgery.

When I told him I don't want to live this way. "Then we need to get you therapy."

To get him to shut up I promised to see if I could find any where in the US that would be reasonably priced. I did look but to no avail.

I wish I hadn't told him.

I've told very few people. It was none of their business but felt I owed it to my children. I won't make that mistake again.

there is a recent posting by a gal who had gone to mexico for the band and found a fill Dr here that said he would have charged her $5500 for the band procedure.

is there a reason you are considering just the plication now, or are you doing it in conjunction with the band?

have you considered outside help, like obesitylaw.com? I would personally fight my insurance company for something like this, as they do not have to provide any followup or emergency care for a procedure they denied! They want you to give up.

[NWgirl 574]

The ins. turned me down again yesterday. I cried all morning. Well enough crying. It accomplished nothing.

Whe reason they turned me down....I only have one co-morbility....guess I need to be ready for a coffin for bcbsil to pay.

I'm going to Mexico ... The Obesity Control Center in Tiajana. It is a US accredited facility.

Instead of lapband I'm having

Gastric Plication Is Groundbreaking Option

The newest weight loss procedure is known as Gastric Plication. It is being described as “the most exciting advancement in weight loss surgery since adjustable gastric banding.” The surgeons at OCC are proud to pioneer this procedure which has

Have any of you been there?

So I tell my husband show him the website, etc and he agrees it is the way to go. I made the mistake of tell our sons. One hit the roof. It was rather hurtful. "God made you the way you are and if he wanted you to change he would have made the ins. to pay for the surgery.

When I told him I don't want to live this way. "Then we need to get you therapy."

To get him to shut up I promised to see if I could find any where in the US that would be reasonably priced. I did look but to no avail.

I wish I hadn't told him.

I've told very few people. It was none of their business but felt I owed it to my children. I won't make that mistake again.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/143801-us-doctor-5500-for-self-pay-patients/

[wineguyd 13]

While Gastric Plication might be reversible should there be complications, the main problem I have with it or any stomach reducing procedure is that it's too easy to stretch it out again. Many people with emotional eating problems force feed themselves. The band is a solid object restriction. It wins the argument every time, the only way you could defeat it is by downing ice cream and shakes all day. Please consider that.

[LittleGirlBlue 24]

To share or not to share... I shared with my husband who was semi-supportive, now three months post-op very supportive. My two children 15 & 12, who love watching mom lose weight- they've watched me work to a size 2 three times to always gain back plus more. They are excited that this time mom has something to help keep it off. My mom and my sister because they both struggle with weight (they were asked not to say anything to other family members). No one else needs to know. I'm a self pay low BMI patient- it's my journey, it's personal!

[yadira_dg88 2]

Oh my I wish my surgery coyld have stayed a secret. Of course my Mom knee and she made it her mission to tell everyone in the family that I got the lap band. For me personally the fact that everyone knows I had the surgery is making my journey harder. Everyone thinks that losing weight is easy because I had the lap band. They don't realize how hard losing the weight is.