Telling other people about my surgery

In the last nine months since I started my journey towards surgery, besides my family, I pretty much only told people in the office at the high school where I work and very close friends.  I wasn't trying to keep it a secret, but I also did not want naysayers to come out of the woodwork.  People have this uncanny ability to tell you their opinions of how wrong you're doing something, unsolicited or not.  Trust me, when it comes to weight loss methods, a lot of people believe you're just not trying hard enough or that you're lazy or some other such thing I have heard a million times before.  They don't think things through very much before it comes out of their mouths.  Clearly weight loss surgery is not the first thing a person does to try to get healthier.  For me, it has been a million diets and desperate attempts to drop the weight.  Most people are well-meaning, but I wanted to focus on my process and not worry about possible negativity coming my way.  Since I'm less than a week away from my surgery date, I decided to share the news on my Facebook page to let everyone know what's going on.  Here's what I wrote:

Friends and family,

I have some important news to share with you so Facebook will help me do it all at once if I haven't had the chance to tell you in person.  If you have known me for a long period of time, you have known that I have struggled with my weight since childhood.  I have tried so many different ways to lose it, some successful for a period of time, but it would inevitably come back on.  Along with it have come diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments.  My body is constantly in pain, even if you can't tell from the outside.  Finally, with much contemplation over a period of years and prayer, I began the process of pursing weight loss surgery this past November.  After many tests and six months of classes, I'm thrilled to share that I will be having gastric bypass surgery this Friday.  While many in society believe it is the "easy way out", I can assure you all it is not.  It takes a lot of commitment and sacrifice on my part to undergo such an invasive procedure that will affect the rest of my life but one that leads to a great quality of life and wonderful health.  My last day of work will be Wednesday, but I have a great sub coming in to handle things while I'm away.  This is major surgery so I will be out for awhile.  I have pre-op stuff on Thursday and then the surgery at 7:15 a.m. Friday morning.  The procedure is being performed by an excellent surgeon who is part of a center of excellence, Pacific Bariatric.  I will be at Scripps Mercy for three nights, so visitors are welcome!  Thanks for your love, support and prayer.

What happened after that was something beautiful.  I received so many lovely comments and personal messages.  As I read each one, my eyes filled with tears and I felt pure joy inside.  I received message after message of support, love and encouragement.  I even had three people tell me privately that they also have had bariatric surgery recently.  I didn't know they had done that.  I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life who clearly love me more than I knew.  I mean I knew, but I didn't really know.  I sit here feeling such peace around all of this, which is sooo unlike me.  Not too long ago, I was feeling very anxious and nervous.  Now I'm the polar opposite.  People have told me that is because I'm ready.  Who knows, maybe I am.  Right this minute, I feel truly touched by God for placing such amazing people in my life.  He is so good!