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

I heard of this surgery when my mother's friend had it done in 1995. She nearly died, and had a terrible time recovering. Her weight never remained stable and she gained it all back. I thought it was a terrible idea, then. But over time techniques improved, success rates improved, and I began to hear good things about the results.

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

My 1st insurance company would not even cover a blood test for lipids, let alone bariatric surgery. But I found an insurance agent who went to bat for me and found me a company that would cover the surgery. They charged me a higher premium, but now that I had finished both that and the excess skin removal surgery, they actually reduced my rates!

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

The first visit was pleasant, and comfortable. There was a lot of education time scheduled and I appreciated the way he was prepared to answer detailed questions. Plan to discuss the REAL reasons you are having the surgery. If you want to be healthy, great. But don't go in there telling the doc you want to lose weight for someone else. Tell him you'd like to be able to run with your kids... or you'd like a better personal relationship... or you just want to live long enough to know your grandchildren. You need to know yourself, so you can express your desires to the surgeon.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I went on vacation with a friend, and could not walk from the hotel to the beach, without numerous stops to rest. It was humiliating. I had always thought I could do whatever I tried. I realized I was no longer trying to do things because they were too hard. My life had slowly gotten very limited in scope.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I discussed it with my surgeon, and we talked about the options. I felt that the gastric bypass was the best option for me because it could be done laproscopically in my case, and I feared I would cheat on the lapband by drinking sweet things, or eating chocolate. I wanted to have the sensitivity to sugar to help me stay honest with my new lifestyle.

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?

Wow! Honestly... I was not ever afraid of dying, or of having complications. My life sucked so much the way it was, that death would have seemed a relief.

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 children were worried that I would die. My significant other was excited for me. They were all extremely supportive of me after the surgery. But I found myself being very sensitive to little comments. Sometimes I felt people were telling me I was eating too much, when they genuinely thought it was a good thing that I had gotten to the point of being able to eat half a sandwich and a cup of soup.

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

I work for a board of directors. They were supportive and I had plenty of time off saved to cover my absence. I was off work for 3 weeks after the surgery, and for 5 weeks after the excess skin removal.

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

I could not have had a better experience. The hospital stay was just a couple of days, and then a week in an extended stay hotel, because I lived a 4 hour drive from my surgeon. The staff treated me like a real person. No one ever made me feel inferior, or fat, or disgusting, as was my experience with the general public. I truly felt valued and cared about.

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

Hmmm... I had a car accident about 4 mo after the surgery. So I do not know if the complication I had was surgery or accident related. I sometimes get stomache spasms (hard cramps that feel like I am being punched in the belly). I find this happens most often if I wear pantihose or tight jeans. I found that if I laid on my right side, they would ease up, given time. I also did have a few episodes of dumping syndrome. I learned not to overdo sweets, and to watch my intake of any sort of fruit or fruit juice.

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 did not feel any anxiety. In fact, I was surprised at how little I missed eating bigger portions. I was full, I couldn't have eaten more if I wanted to. I tried just once and almost got sick. I never did that again. I felt excited about the rapid weight loss, but I was pretty tired.

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

It is a really serious, steep learning curve, to learn what your new stomach can tolerate. I found that when other things bothered me, or I was queasy at times, I could go back to cottage cheese, yogurt, or seafood tofu soup as fallbacks. I still eat cottage cheese and banana for breakfast regularly. It was weird when my tummy would feel queasy when I just thought about eating some foods.

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

I had to drive for 4 hrs on the highway to find a surgeon. Now there is a local one, but I am so satisfied with the care I received, I would recommend the trip to my friends and relatives. I could not go home three days after my surgery. I had to stay a week in a hotel instead of at home. But it did make me feel safe, cared for, looked after, and made access to my doctor easier. It was a good plan.

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.

It has been 4 years now, I do not remember all of the specifics any more. But some things do stand out. I found it hard to get enough protein in, for the volume of food I could eat. When I called a name on the support list, she taught me about protein bars. They are still a tool I use when I am traveling to conferences and meetings where high carb and low-protein meals are the norm. I cannot drink ANY fruit juices, they cause me to have dumping syndrome. I developed an allergy to nuts, after trying to eat nuts as snacks to increase my protein intake. I still do not tolerate beef very well. I can eat a small hamburger now and then, but a steak or prime rib are so hard to digest that I get an aching tummy almost every time I try. I don't try much anymore. I stick with chicken, shrimp, crab, turkey and pork now and then. I never eat the butter or sauces they put on those foods. I could not stand even the sight of an egg for a long time. The IDEA of eating one would make me gag. But this past year I have been able to eat a few.

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

The first few weeks I was very inactive. But then I started walking some and got a treadmill to use at home so I would not feel people were looking at me while I exercised. After the auto accident where I broke a rib, I could not use the treadmill anymore. I began to increase my daily activity, taking stairs instead of elevators, playing with my grandkids etc. Now I go up and down two flights at home many, many times a day and don't even get winded.

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

I still take two flintstones chewables every day. I had gotten out of the habit for a few months, when my kids began to complain that I could never remember anything. It was so bad, one of them thought I was getting dementia because I would repeat the same stories 5 or 6 times a day. Now that I take the vitamins every day again, those concerns have dropped away.

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?

I never vomited. I was always catious about what I ate, and how much. And even when I got dumping syndrome from fruit juice, I did not vomit. I lost a lot of hair. I have always had very thick hair and this bothered me terribly. I began to see a hairdresser regularly, and I used NIOXIN hair regrowth products for about 6 months. My hair has come back, but if I get the flu, or forget my vitamins, the hair begins to get to thin again. I have to be rigid in my maintenance routine to keep my hair.

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

Funny... it really wasn't the surgery, the recovery, or the changes in my body... although I was surprised by how much I hated my body once I had saggy skin. Somehow it was ok to be fat, but not ok to have loose skin everywhere. No... the worst part was the way that people began to treat me differently. I have worked in the same building for many years. I was always invisible to the men in the building. After I lost 30 pounds, they would nod hello. After 50, they smiled and said hello. After 90 they held the door for me. After 120 they raced to help me with boxes and take my keys to open my door for me. Hypocrites! I am the same person now I always was. But you could not PAY me to date one of these shallow men.

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

Because I have run support groups in the past, I did not feel the need to attend one. However, my surgeon had a list of names from patients willing to discuss their experiences. I did have one time when I really needed a bit of support and called someone, and it was a tremendous help.

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

I have no scar from the bariatric surgery, because it was laproscopic and when I had excess skin removed, the small marks were also removed. I have some very long scars from the skin removal. The one on my stomach runs from the back side of one hip, low to my pubic line and back up over the back side of the other hip. This scar is a fine, thin line with no color. In bikini panties it is not even visible, except a bit on the back. I had 12 inches of skin removed there and my belly button was moved... it's a tiny bit off-center, but it looks really good. I have very long scars on the backs of my arms. From the bottom of my armpits, along the length of my upper arms to my elbows. These scars are just a light pink now, but are thicker/wider than the tummy one. I do not like the way there is a wrinkle in my upper arm (on each side) where the skin appears too tight around the muscle. It does not look normal to me. But no one else ever comments on that. They noticed the scars on my arms and would be shocked at first because they were so red and big. But now no one mentions them and I even go sleeveless. Something I would have never done before the weight loss. I had no problem with healing, and no infection. No issues at all.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I suppose there were a couple... but I don't remember now. I reached a level that made my surgeon proud of me, about 30 pounds more than he thought I would lose. I am able to maintain this weight and have not gained any back.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes! I am not invisible anymore. In fact, now people tell me sometimes they think I'm beautiful. I still see myself at 306 lbs and do not agree with them. But there are many times now when I do like the way I look. Although I would not call myself beautiful, I am happy with my appearance.