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

Of course I had seen the commercials, but I never took any advertising very seriously. After all, they were just trying to sell their products. Once I decided to research it, I immediately found OH, and that is where my research began. My initial impressions were that WLS was a real, viable treatment for obesity.

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

I'm from Ontario, Canada, so we have universal health care coverage. Unfortunately, we also have very long wait lists for WLS, and we do not have any duodenal switch surgeons in Ontario, so I had to seek approval for out-of-country coverage from my provincial insurance provider. I was fortunate in getting approval fairly quickly due to the support of my endocrinologist. I received approval to have my DS performed in Michigan. If you are from Ontario, and having problems getting approval for OOC surgery from OHIP, I would suggest that you get your primary care provider to refer you to an endocrinologist. They seem to be taken more seriously by OHIP, and I imagine this would be true with any insurance provider.

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

My first visit with my surgeon was fantastic. I had heard wonderful things about him and his reputation, and I found it was all true. He took his time with me, put me at complete ease, and answered every question I had, and some I hadn't thought of.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The realization that my weight was beyond my control, and it was causing me some very serious health issues lead to my final decision to seek out WLS. It was one of the best, if not the best, decision I have ever made.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Loads of research lead me to believe that the DS was the best surgery for me. To be honest, I think it would be the best surgery for anyone. It simply allows for the most 'normal' lifestyle post-op, and studies I've read show that it leads to the highest percentage of excess weight loss, and has the best results for weight loss maintenance.

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?

Of course I had fears of complications, and even death. However, I knew that if I didn't do anything, my health would continue to deteriorate, and I would most likely die at a young age due to comorbidities of my weight. The choice was difficult, but it was clear that I needed this surgery to be able to live a long, healthy life. I'd tell people with these fears that they wouldn't be normal if they didn't have these concerns! The best thing you can do for yourself is become completely educated about all of the WLS choices out there, and then pick the best surgeon you can find to take care of you. If you do that, you have done your homework, and will more than likely have great success with your WLS. Things can go wrong, but in reality chances of that are very low.

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?

I would not have changed a single thing with regard to the way I handled communicating about my WLS with my family and friends. I didn't tell anyone, other than my husband and children, about my surgery until I was about 6 weeks post-op. I simply didn't want to deal with any possible negativity from anyone because they simply didn't know about WLS, and I had done my research and knew my stuff. I know myself well enough to know that I would have ended up angry with anyone who was negative about my decision, and I didn't want or need that. As it turned out, everyone was very supportive of me once I let the 'cat out of the bag', and everyone was very understanding about why I handled things the way I did.

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

This doesn't apply to me. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time of my surgery. That has changed too! I am now working and going to school! I have a very fun consultant job where I meet with people in their homes, and I would never have had the confidence to do this prior to my weight loss.

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

I found my hospital stay to be as good as it could be, considering I was miserable and had just had major surgery! Really, I was thrilled with the care I received, and I doubt that it could have been improved upon. Everyone was so wonderful, from the health care professionals, to those in food services, and even the cleaning staff.

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

I didn't have any major problems at all, and I had an open procedure. I did have a small seroma along my incision line that became mildly infected, but that was quickly treated with oral antibiotics, and I've had no other problems since.

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

Honestly, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck! It's a tough thing to go through, but very short-lived, and completely worth it. As far as any worries I had about things going on in my recovery, I knew I had plenty of friends on OH who had gone through this already, so I could always reach out to them for their help and reassurance.

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

People should be realistic in their expectations for several weeks post-op, and know that it's more than likely not going to be much fun. This is major surgery, and you should take every step to take good care of yourself, and to seek out the support of those around you. Don't try to be a hero and rush through this, just take it easy and allow your body to heal. It takes some time.

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

I went out-of-country for my surgery, but I'm fortunate to live in a border town and have a fantastic surgeon available a short distance from my home. Even though I had to leave my country to have my surgery, I still only had to drive less than an hour to get there.

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 early weeks, eating was truly a chore. I had not appetite for many months, so I always had to force myself to eat. However, once I was about 6 weeks out, I could pretty much tolerate any type of food. As a DSer, it was even more important for me to get in very high levels of protein. I have been fortunate in that dairy products have caused me no problems right from the beginning, so they have been a great sorce of protein for me. My tastes changed after surgery. I find that sweet things taste too sweet, and are generally unappealing, but I still indulge in a treat now and then. Leaner meats, like chicken breast, took some time to be able to tolerate. I seem to need to have a fair amount of fat in my meats for them to be easily tolerated. I'm now almost 16 months out, and I can eat absolutely anything. I do, however, make sure I get my protein in first. This is the first rule of WLS, always protein first.

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

I felt pretty run-down for several weeks after surgery, but I did get out and start a new job less than 2 months post-op! Mind you, it was just a small, part-time job, but I guess that shows that you can be up and about fairly quickly. You still must take time for lots of rest, you have had major surgery.

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

I have to take multivitamins, dry A and D, iron, calcium, and B12. The supplement requirements for the DS are higher than for the RNY, but that trade-off is not a big deal to me at all. I have no problem getting my supplements every day. This cannot be said for everyone, some have great difficulty with this.

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 DS has a different list of side effects than the RNY, so many of those you ask about simply don't apply to DSers. The only side effect I had from my surgery was hair loss, and that was so temporary, and so unimportant, that it really was nothing to me. I lost quite a bit of hair over a period of maybe 4 months, but then it stopped, and my hair grew back, no big deal. Other than that, I have had absolutely no side effects.

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

I would have to say the worst thing about the WLS process, for me, was the emotional turmoil I went through in waiting to hear if my surgery would be approved by my provincial health insurance. That is a very difficult time for everyone as, by that point, you know that this surgery is the best thing for you, and it seems your life is in an insurance provider's hands.

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

I continue to seek out the help and advice of my friends on OH, and I also hope that I am a help to them and any new pre-ops doing research. I also attend a new group each month. A small group of pre-op's, and people who have had the DS in my area now get together. It's wonderful to be able to interact with people who are experiencing the same things that you are, and to help in educating those who may be interested in seeking out WLS for themselves.

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

My scar is about the size of a pencil in width and length. It is pale, pretty much the same colour as my skin. It is as I expected it would be. I had seen pictures of other's scars on OH, and knew what to expect. It does not bother me at all, and now that I've reached goal, I would even wear a bikini, if I found one I liked enough!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had several plateaus since about 6 or 7 months out, but that just seems to be the way I lose. I will lose quite a bit over a week's time or so, and then nothing for 3 or 4 weeks. I'm now almost 16 months out, and I am at goal, so I have no complaints! I'm one of the few who the stalls really didn't bother. I know they drive some crazy, but I felt so confident about my WLS that I knew these plateaus were temporary.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People most definitely treat me differently now. It's sad really. I'm no longer invisible. Men will hold a door open for me, where before they didn't even notice me there. I'm always asked if I need any help by salespeople, where before they would ignore me. When I smile at a stranger walking by, they now smile back rather than turning their heads. These changes bother me to no end because I didn't realise I was being treated that way when I was obese.