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

A friend of my sisters husband had it and she told me about it. At first I thought that it was rediculous that someone would have SURGERY to lose weight. I guess I wasn't ready to accept that I COULDN'T do something about my life long struggle with my weight any other way.

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

Getting approval from the insurance wasn't a problem. Once everything was finally submitted to them, they approved right away. My only advice was to have copies of all the doctors reports sent to the patient as well as the place of surgery in case they are lost. That was my only hold up. The paperwork didn't get to where it was supossed to and I kept having to resubmit them.

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

The first visit with my surgeon was very informative. I came there with all the questions that I needed to ask and he answered all of them. My advice to everyone would be to do your homework and have all the questions ready for the surgeon at the first appointment.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

When I realized that this surgery really did work and that people were losing the weight and KEEPING IT OFF for years. Unlike every diet that I had ever tried, this tool will work if you do your part. I gave me what I needed in the for of reinforcement. If I don't do what I am suppossed to, I am going to pay for it right now: dumping.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After looking at all the proceedures that were available, I decided that the RNY was the one for me. It didn't allow me to eat the foods that were problems for me and gave me an immediate negative reaction if I did. I liked the fact that the stomach was transected and that it wasn't going to stretch back out very much.

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 think the only fear that I had about it was that they weren't going to be able to do it. I feared that the insurance would quit approving it before I got a chance to have it done. Then once that was over with, I feared that something was going to make it phsically impossible to do. I really didn't let myself believe that I was really going to have it until I woke up in recovery and they told me that I really did have it done. I really didn't have a fear of dying because I am a Christian and have the belief that if I died, I would be in Heaven, so there really wasn't any lose there. I would suggest to others that they thoroughly research the surgery that they want to have and be sure that this is what they really want. Then do everything that you can do to make yourself as physically fit for the surgery and go for it.

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 family and friends reacted to the my decision wonderfully. One of my sisters tried to talk me out of it because she was concerned about a problem that I have with my blood pressure bottoming out after surgery. Once she understood that this IS what i was going to do, she was right behind me in her support. There were (and still are) a few who thought that it was too drastic and that maybe I hadn't given every ohter option a good try. But these are people who really don't know me. They haven't been around to see my struggle my whole life.

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

I was lucky in that I am self-employed. I didn't HAVE to tell people, but I chose to tell everyone. I was only off work for a couple of 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 wonderful. It was a small hospital and that is all they did there. They were aware of my low blood pressure problems post-op and were able to handle them. All of the staff were very helpful and that really made a big difference. I didn't really need to bring anything because everything was provided by the facility.

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

I din't have any 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?

After I got my date, I was feeling so happy that it was finally going to happen. The only anxiety I had was making sure that I got everything done ahead of time that I knew that I wouldn't be able to do once I had the surgery.

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

The first few weeks home were a little slow going. I htink I remember feeling kind of light headed and tired for a while. When I would do my walking, I would get feeling kind of light and queasy. Don't expect to do a whole lot during this time of healing. Take this time to relax, heal and focus on your program.

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

I had to travel about 5 hours from my home for the surgery. This made the post op appointments a little difficult, but not unmanageble. I was hard to ride for the 2 week check up, but much better after that.

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.

In the beginning, it was hard to eat dairy products because they would make be bloat. Once I began using Lactaid tablets, it got better. Meat was a hard one for a while. It just seemed like it was sitting on my stomach like a rock. I couldn't eat fish for a while and it still (almost 2 years out) will give me problems once in a while. I found that if I had a bad experience with a particular food that I would leave it alone for a while and then come back to it at a later date. Rice is another one that I pretty much avoid and I used to love it. I don't do well with simple carbs like bread, pasta, and rice. They make my stomach bloat and I feel miserable.

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

I was instructed to put as many miles on the road as I possibly could in the first 6 weeks. Walking was the only exercise that I could do at that point so I took full advantage of it. We were told to walk 5 minutes one way and then turn around and come back. Do that twice a day for the first couple weeks. Then we were to increase it and be up to walking a couple miles a day by the 6 week visit. After the first couple of weeks, I loved to do my walking. It made me feel so alive. I would get tired easily though and have to take naps during this time.

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

I take a multi vitamin, calcium citrate, and a protein supplement every day since surgery. I can really tell the difference if a couple days go by and I have forgotten to take them. I will get run down feeling and know immediately what I am missing.

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 only time that I dumped was when I had some sugar by mistake. It was horrible and I dertimined that I would NEVER intentionally do that to myself. I think that the hair loss was the worse for me. It started at about 3 months and lasted for about 2-3 months. I have very fine hair so I was really getting worried when I would wash my hair and see so much of it in the drain. Or when I would be putting styling gel in it and get a handful. I made sure that I took my vitamins, got my protein in and took some extra Biotin.

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

I think that the worse part of it was being patient with the healing process. I wanted to have it done and over with and get on with my new life. It is a process and you can't expect to feel like a million buck right away. Be patient........it is so worth it.

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

I din't start attending support groups until 6 months after my surgery and really wish that I had gone earlier. It is so important to see others who have been through the same things that you are going through and to see how they have overcome any problems you might be having. I have only missed one meeting since then and it was because I had my tummy tuck. I had jsut taken over as the group leader and I really missed everyone. I think it is just as important to continue to go to the meetings once you think you don't really need the support anymore, because then is when you can be a support to someone else. It is vital for people who are just beginning this journey to be able to see and talk to someone who is 2, 3, 4 years out and doing well.

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

My scar had faded very well. It is from my breastbone to my navel. It is what I expected. Doesn't bother me a bit.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Except for the first 6 weeks, I hit plateaus on a regular basis. At first I was very frusterated because I thought that I wouldn't get the weight off before my "window of opportunity" closed. Once I realized that this is how my body handles all the the changes and that it was still working, I relaxed and just trusted my body and the program to work together. It didn't fail me.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. Sadly, there are people who are so shallow that they can only see the outside package. There are those who are threatened by my new appearance that I think is just their own insecurity about their own bodies. Some have told me that they are jealous and others have just avoided being around me altogether. I think the hardest ones to take are the few who didn't want anything to do with me when I wasn't so attractive who now want to be my "friend". Too bad they don't have any idea what that really means.