How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

I have heard about it for years and wondered what would drive a person to do something so drastic to loose weight. Now I know.

Describe your experience with getting insurance approval for surgery. What advice, if any, do you have for other people in this stage?

It is not a fast process. Even if you have done much work before hand you will still have a lot to do. I thought that I would be approved in no time. Within a month I had done 90% of the requirements. Things were going quickly. Then I hit a wall and things have been slow.

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

I actually met the surgeon at the seminar. At the actual meeting everything was rushed. I got the feeling that he just wanted to get out of there. He was almost an hour late too.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The knowledge that I could not go on as I have. I now know that I cannot do this alone. I need help.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I discussed it with my surgeon and RESEARCHED all the different options. I looked up information and reviewed it for almost a year before I even attended the seminar.

What fears did you have about having complications or even dying from from the surgery, and what would you tell other people having the same fears now?

I had a hysterectomy which I had trouble healing from because of my diabetes. I worry that the same thing could happen with this surgery. My weight loss surgery healed quickly and with no problems.

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

My Mom has not really said anything but I can tell that she is not real supportive. Most of my friends have looked at me like I am crazy and asked me why I would want to do that to myself. After the surgery, my family was there for me even with the complications I had. Noone said "I told you so" but I had those looks. Now though when the hard part is over, people are commenting on how great I look and stating that maybe it was worth it after all.

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

I am disabled.

What was your stay in the hospital like? How long where you there? What things are most important to bring?

I checked in Monday and left Wednesday afternoon. It was very nice the staff was amazing. I discovered that I was allergic to the antibiotic they gave me. That was fun. The most important thing I brought was my Mom. I couldn't have done this without her. Other that that they provided everything I needed and I didn't really feel like doing any reading or anything else.

Did you have any complications from the surgery? If so, how did you deal with them?

I ran a fever and so they ran the upper GI twice, yuck. I also had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic which was caught quickly. I ended up with a stricture and had to have an outpatient procedure done to open up my esophagus. I also had critically low potassium and ended up in the hospital for 2 nights while the filled me full of potassium IVs.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

I had doubts about weather I did the right thing, I still do. I just remind myself of what I have accomplished so far and the short amount of time I have done it in. After 6 months, I no longer have any doubts. I KNOW it was the right thing and believe that it was worth the problems I had temporarily.

Describe your first few weeks home from the hospital. What should people expect from this period?

The first week I had trouble with the tube. Mostly an irrational fear of pulling the tube out. It also got really sore and sensitive. I was really glad to get it removed. After that things went quickly healing wise. I couldn't believe how quickly I healed. I have trouble getting everything in and have had days when I couldn't seem to keep even water down. I just take it one day at a time.

How far did you travel to have your surgery? (If far, how did this affect your aftercare?)

I was lucky to have a fairly local surgeon. I only have a 45 minute drive to and from the doctor.

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

The first 3-4 months I had trouble eating anything. It turned out my allergies were causing sinus drainage and keeping my pouch full. YUCK. After I got that taken care of and my potassium levels normal everything changed. I can now eat pretty much anything that I did before the surgery. Just not as much. The things I can't eat are burgers and steaks. I can eat ground beef/chuck when it is in spaghetti or tacos, just not when it is too dense. I also cannot handle chocolate. It goes right through me. lol

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

I had days when I had more energy than before the surgery and days when I had to force myself to get out of bed.

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

So far, I am still taking my chewable daily vitamins and Tums with calcium.

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

It has been about 3 1/2 weeks since I had my surgery and I have had nausea and vomiting. I had to learn to drink without gulping and to slow down eating too. I still deal with dumping once in a while. My trigger isn't necessarily a particular food, it is just when I eat too much of an item. I can eat ONE cookie and be fine but if I try to eat more then I end up getting ill.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

So far, the worse thing is dealing with life without the ability to turn to my former crutch, food. It is almost like learning to function in a different way.

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

I visit OH every day and talk to my family. I don't know what I would do without OH. Every question I have had has been already asked and answered in the forums. Finding it has been the hardest part.

What is your scar like? Is this what you expected?

They are smaller than I expected. The one that had the tube in it is raised and I wonder about how it will look later on. I have been using cocoa butter on them and it has helped a lot.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The last 10 pounds came off really slowly. But other than that everything has been great. I try not to focus on the scales too much and just pay attention to the new cothes I have had to buy.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No one recognizes me when the first see me and once they do they have been really enthusiastic about talking to me. Used to I was lucky to get a wave hello.