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

My Primary Care physician recommended the surgery and I was hesitate at first due to the many complications that can arise from RNY.

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

I was originally told I would have to complete 3 months of dietician visits. After the 3rd, I was denied because during that 3 months they changed the requirement to 6 and never informed me, my PCM, or surgeon. I then went on to do the 6 months. It took over a month to get the final approval, which came 3 days before my surgery. Advice: Be patient and keep informed of your insurances policies regarding the surgery.

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

My surgeon was great. He recommended me for surgery from the get-go. We reviewed the different available surgeries and he allowed me to choose which I wanted (i.e. Lap-band or RNY). Make sure you come with any questions or concerns you may have and find out what will be required to get approved. Ask to speak with the nurse who handles the referrals and approvals with the insurance company. She/He will become your link between the surgeon and insurance company.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was no longer able to buy groceries due to extreme pain from the arthritis in my back.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I chose RNY due to the rate of weight loss. I was having problems just standing up and needed to loose the weight fast.

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 was terrified! But as my surgery day approached, I convinced myself that I was not living the life I wanted or deserved. These fears are normal. Just remember, as long as you follow the pre-op diet and do as your dietician and surgeon recommend, such as quitting smoking 30 days prior to surgery, the likelihood of complications greatly decreases.

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 friends were very supportive and most of my family. My mom was very worried and skeptical of the procedure. My husband was also worried and kept saying that he loved my no matter how much I weighed. After surgery, my mom helped out around the house and my husband was very attentive.

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

I let my employer know about my surgery approx. 2 months beforehand. They were very supportive. I was out of work for 2 weeks.

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

My stay in the hospital was fine. I ran a fever on the second night that was unexplained. Other than that, I had no problems during my stay from 8/12 to the morning of 8/14 when I was released. Make sure to bring comfortable clothes for the ride home and sandals if possible.

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

No complications

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 was excited and terrified at the same time. I kept myself busy with work and hanging out with my friends and family.

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

When I returned home from the hospital, I had s lot of problems with the stairs in our house. I spent the majority of the first 2 days in my bedroom. I had to sleep sitting up because laying down hurt my stomach. Going from a sitting to standing position was also painful. After day 2, I was so bored I decided to begin walking up and down the steps as much as possible. I was determined to have a fast recovery. Within a week, I was off pain meds and took a trip 8 hours away by car. I returned to work after 2 weeks with no pain issues.

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

20 miles

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 2 weeks I followed a liquid diet. After that, I was allowed to consume pureed foods for approx. 3 weeks. I then went onto the soft diet stage and at 10 weeks out, I can eat all textures of food. I have problems digesting broccoli and I also can not tolerate too much milk. I can not eat anything with a fat content higher then 3 grams without getting sick and sometimes vomiting. I also can not tolerate sugar or sugar alcohols.

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

The first 2 days after surgery I stayed in bed and walked periodically around my room. After that I began walking up and down stairs and was able to walk around my house without pain by day 6. I was back to normal activities within 2 weeks.

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

I take a daily Multi-Vitamin, B12, Biotin and Calcium. I also have to take fiber and stool softeners. Occationally I take a laxative if needed.

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?

The nausea is the worse because it lasted for so long. At 10 weeks post-op, I have finally stopped feeling sick all day everyday. My vomiting has been self inflicted (i.e. eating too much or drinking with/after meals). I have yet to experience hair loss.

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

The fear I felt leading up to the surgery. I was terrified that something would go wrong and I would never see my daughter again.

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

I go to a once a month support group for pre-op and post-op patients that is run by the dieticians that handle my surgeons patients. It helps me stay on track and pose questions to those who have gone through it.

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

My surgery was laproscopic, so I have 6 small scars on my mid section. They have all healed nicely.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have only had one plateau since surgery. This occured when I began adding carbohydrates such as rice, crackers and pasta to my diet. I have found I can not tolerate these foods well, so I limit them. This broke the plateau that lasted about 5 days.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Besides compliments, I am treated no differently then before.