Did you keep surgery a secret? What did you tell people?

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

On 5/16/2020 at 8:42 PM, BigSue said:

I don't have any friends I would be comfortable asking to drive me, even if I were really having hernia or gallbladder surgery. There is a local home health care agency I know, and I'm fairly sure I can hire them to drive me, so that was my plan.

how far are you from the Hospital? If you can, schedule a driver. Have them drop you off and then have them pick you up. My VSG was the easiest SX i ever had. Was only off work for 2 day. I only told work i was having hernia SX in case something went wrong..... I could have said nothing and just told them i was taking a long weekend to go out of town.

Only other people that know are long time friends i made here back when it was Lapbandtalk..... and they are all out of state...... and the new friends since coming back to this site

[ChubRub 1,702]

Great idea on the fake FB accounts! I will have to do that too! I'm already secretive about WLS, and am looking forward to having plastic surgery after I hit goal, which of course will be another secret surgery!

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

2 minutes ago, Hop_Scotch said:

I do too. While my real profile is locked down tight, I do like being anonymous in the groups.

yes..... my dummy one is Band Sleeve

[FinallyLosingIt20 16]

22 minutes ago, BayougirlMrsS said:

i have a dummy FB to post on WLS pages.....

I'm going to have to do this. I love the support, input, and ideas that I find when I go to those groups, but knowing that a coworker could find me there causes anxiety.

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

2

2 minutes ago, ChubRub said:

Great idea on the fake FB accounts! I will have to do that too! I'm already secretive about WLS, and am looking forward to having plastic surgery after I hit goal, which of course will be another secret surgery!

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

I post no pictures of my face on any of the groups i belong too. I have gone to WLS site and new people or people of people.... it's just easier to have a separate one.

[Violetsareblue 18]

I have told nobody except my husband that I had VSG. I don't intend to either. I told everyone I was having hiatal hernia surgery because they have a similar recovery. I had already started on a good regimen of biking and Peloton and everyone knows I eat pretty healthy, so I actually started losing weight slowly a couple months before my surgery date (5/15/20). And I intend on keeping up those habits post-op. I'm just a very private person, I do not ever put my deeply personal business out there to anyone, people talk, people judge, and I don't need any of that negativity. I know I can't control what people say or think, but I can control what they know about me. Just my personal comfort level and my decision.

[Nerdette 11]

My close family and a few coworkers know. Mostly the coworkers because they've went through it already and are mostly why I even considered really going thru with surgery.

Idk why I haven't told anyone else. I don't feel ashamed of it, but it's still something I feel should be private.

[assya1685 0]

I just started the bariatric journey (got a couple of appointments with different surgeons). While in the past I’ve kept weight loss struggles and attempts private, this time I’m telling a lot of people ahead of time. There’s no shame in saying I’m having surgery. If somehow it doesn’t work out I don’t owe anyone explanations. But I don’t think abstaining from social events because I don’t want to explain my lack of eating or forgoing support that is readily available will get me anywhere. I wasn’t able to do it alone before, so I’m trying to change my rules hoping for a different result

[CrisT 3]

I talked about it with a couple of people when deciding if I would get the surgery. I didn't like the way most responded. So, once I had it, I never spoke of it and avoided the topic since I already knew how they felt about it.

[FinallyLosingIt20 16]

3 hours ago, Violetsareblue said:

I have told nobody except my husband that I had VSG. I don't intend to either. I told everyone I was having hiatal hernia surgery because they have a similar recovery. I had already started on a good regimen of biking and Peloton and everyone knows I eat pretty healthy, so I actually started losing weight slowly a couple months before my surgery date (5/15/20). And I intend on keeping up those habits post-op. I'm just a very private person, I do not ever put my deeply personal business out there to anyone, people talk, people judge, and I don't need any of that negativity. I know I can't control what people say or think, but I can control what they know about me. Just my personal comfort level and my decision.

I'm having hiatal hernia surgery too! 😀 No one I know needs to know any more than that!

[CrisT 3]

Good timing! Yes, I'm really private too so when I confide in or ask for opinions it's pretty serious to me. I won't make that mistake again!

[BayougirlMrsS 3,934]

I've never been "ashamed" of having WLS.... just didn't want to deal with all the crap that comes with it. I had the experience of telling and NOT telling is wayyyyy better. Like @FinallyLosingIt20 said: I know I can't control what people say or think, but I can control what they know about me.

I like that saying.... i'm going to use that more.

[BigSue 1,373]

23 hours ago, BayougirlMrsS said:

how far are you from the Hospital? If you can, schedule a driver. Have them drop you off and then have them pick you up.

I live about an hour away from the hospital, in a rural area (no Uber or Lyft out here). What kind of driver do you suggest? I normally drive myself everywhere, so I'm not even sure what the options are around here.

[CrisT 3]

Luclily, I was driving after I was released from the hospital. My mom drove from the hospital to her house , then I drove myself home which is about 25 minutes away. Then picked up my kids after school from aftercare.