hi debs im a bander, when i told my family i was just up front and honest with them explaining why i needed to have this done, my mum didnt quite understand it all but was very supportive towards me still, my son was very little at the time but i wanted to be honest with him so i explained exactly what was going to happen to me and what life after would be like for mummy in terms he could understand for his age then, hes now 8 and fully understands the ins and outs of wls and has also met other banders. another way to prepare people that dont understand what wls is about is to provide some reading material for them to read, for example pick a few positive threads off this site from experienced bypassers and print them out as reading others experiences can help people around us be ready and prepared for how it will be for you after surgery.
good luck
liz x