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

2 friends had it 5-6 years ago (they did not know each other). I watched their success from the sidelines with growing interest but I was afraid of WLS itself (afrsid I would not survive the surgery -and looking back- I did not want to give up my "freedom to eat whatever and whenever I wanted to.

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

My insurance said no. There is a chance they would have approved Rouen-Y bypsss WLS for me, but by the time we got to insurance company approval, I had decided I wanted sleeve WLS which I was told they would definitely NOT approve. So I did not to appeal it and went the cash-pay route.

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

I met the 3 surgeons at my WL center at a free 'open house' meeting. I was impressed by them and one of them talked sbout this "new sleeve surgery" that he felt was very promising. They stressed how WLS was only a tool. I remember being dis-illusioned thinking as I looked around this room jasmmed with morbidly obese people: "no one here has done well with 'tools'" I left skeptical but the comment about the new 'sleve' WLS intrigued me.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After talking to all my doctors, doing extensive research and after much time and prayer and very frasnk discussions with family & close friends I decided I wanted to do WLS.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

sleeve

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 scared out of my mind! I asked a million questions. Next to dying during surgery, my biggest fear was that I'd have complications and need to spend several weeks in the hospital wiping out my entire life's savings. For candidates: There is a better chance of dying in a wreck on the way to the hospital thsn dying on the table. CAREFULLY check your doctor's' credentials. Ask questions. You are surrounded by s tesm of professionals who now what to anticipate. This is what they do for a living!

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?

Almost all of them were very supportive - before & after my WLS. A couple of cranky older relatives thought I should just go on a diet! EVERY ONE of them hsve been ULTRA SUPPORTIVE since the weight has come off.

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

I'm self-employed. My staff was very supportive and picked up my slack while I was out. I missed one entire week and mainly worked by phone weeks 2 &3. I was 100% by 30 days.

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

I had surgery at 7am on a Tuesday. I spent the 2st night in ICU and am glad I was there. I was miserable ... Besides the post-op pain & discomfort, I had insisted not waking up with a cath. WRONG! They had to re-insert it at midnight. The persistent walking was not pleasant, though necessary. I spent one more night in a regular room which was long, but uneventful and went home Thursday around 3pm. You really don't feel like reading so don't brink books. Follow the "stuff to bring" list given to you by your WLS group.

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

According to my doctor, I had a couple of issues DURING WLS (blood pressure, kidneys) but they dealt with them. There is the normal stuff you hear about: pain, gas, significsnt discomfort, but you feel much better by the dy and in a week or so, 90% of thst is behind you. My WLS was 8 months ago. Looking back, going through WLS & the immediate post-op was like a bad case of flu. You're miserable; you know you're not going to die; and you know it will be over and done with in a couple of days (which it will).

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

Research - called friends & family knowledgable about medicine. I called friends who had had WLS. I questioned the credentials of everyone involved: CNA, surgeon, hospital staff, etc. I had not had any significant surgery since I was a litte kid. Frankly I was very apprehenive. I am a devout Catholic and frankly prayer was my biggest comforter.

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

Biggest (pleasant) surprise was how much better you feel BY THE DAY. You get better exponentially. The walking (on your own) the 1st 3-4 days is a bit tough. Your capacity for food is so dimished that the post-op liquid diet is very easy. I had to go to a walk-in med clinic to remove a couple of stiches overlooked when they checked me out of the hospital and I had a problem with my pain pump (leakage) but nothing I couldn't overcome. In 3-4 weeks I felt terrific.

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

I was lucky - my home was only 25 miles from the hospital.

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.

1st 2 weeks post-op: liquid diet. Tolerable. Almost every day I had instant grits & OJ for breakfast, cream-based soups made with 2% milk and same for dinner. Snacked on diet popsicles & Crystal Lite tea all during the day. I added whey protein powder to the soups & drank Atkins protein drinks for snacks. When I went to the 2-4 week post-op soft food phase I added stuff like cottage cheese, chicken salad,etc. At 6 weeks I gradualy added ground meat, beans, salad and chopped chicken & fish. Up til three months, 4-5 ounces of food filled me up. At 8 months now, that has increased to about 1 cup intake at a sitting. Now I eat almost anything but if you eat even 2-3 bites too much, it is very uncomfortable.

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

Increased significantly week-by-week. Walking the 1st week was tedious because I was sore. By 1 month I was almost back to 100%. I was execrcising in the pool by 2 months. By 3 months and having lost 75 pounds, I started noticing I could do a LOT more than I did pre-op. By 6 months I felt 25 years younger! Now, at 8+ months, I LIKE walking (I used to use those electric carts at the box stores - now I enjoy walking efery aisle.)

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

I take one OTC multi-vitamin-mineral pill daily along with a Multi-B supplement. I developed a Vitasmin D deficiency at 3 months post-op, so my surgeon put me on a 50,000 units of D Rx once a week.

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?

Nausea 1st night in ICY only. Only times I get it now is if I eat too much. I had some gas pain 1st few days, but not bad. I'll let you figure out how I got rid of the gas (it has to come out one end or the other, eh?) I did start losing my hair (thinning up on the crown) at around 6 months post-op. It has slowed, and I hope it is temporary. I have not tried the various medicines offered.

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

In order of difficulty: 1) Getting over the pre-op anxiety 2) Paingn & Discomfort: Surgery day itself & next 3 days 3) 2 week pre-op liquid diet (very difficult)

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

We have scheduled meetings once a month. It consists of about 20 of us who HAD the surgery and 30-40 WLS candidates in various pre-op stages. There are also some family & friends. There is usually one speaker on WLS related topics (i.e. exercise, nutrition, plastic surgery) which are sometmes helpful but sometimes a real bore to be honest. When I was going through the qualifying process, the meetings were MOST helpful - You got to meet folks who actually had WLS. I met my mentor there - they call them "bari-buddies" (he was actually at the hospital with my family during my surgery). I find as tme progresses, I am losing interest in attending the meetings. We are there as 'props' to give support to those getting ready to esperience WLS. ButI know how much it meant to me pre-op so I still try to make most meetings. But I realize now that of the 1000+ surgeries they have performed, only 25 post-op patients attend the meetings. Hmmm, tells you something, eh?

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

Yes. It's a dinner-plate size circle consisting of 5-6 small 1-inch incisions. They have faded and are getting less noticesble each month. Never hasd asny post-op problems with them. There were also 2 small holes made for pain med drips & drainage which have almost dissappeared altogether.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Two HUGE plateaus: I started at 417 in March and was dropping weight like crazy - 4-5 pounds a week the first 3 months. When I got to the 340's, it JUST STOPPED. It took a full month for me to get into the 330's. Then the WL started steadily aggin, albeit a little slower. In August, I weighed 300 lbs. (I had lost 117 pounds). Enter PLATEAU #2! It lasted a month. 3 months later, I'm weighing 272, so I've lost another 28 lbs. It appears all my losses now come in spurts. (Against my doc's advice, I weigh daily) I'll go up and down 3-5 pounds seeral times in a 2-week span. Suddenly, I'll drop 7-8 pounds and it never goes back up beyond that previous low.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Lot's of compliments! ... Some people almost rave. I have had a few people tell me they were "relieved" to hear I had WLS .. Thy noticed my dramatic weight loss and didn't want to say anything for fear I was sick. My favorite story is a young man who was loading materials in my truck at a lumber yard I've frequentd for years. He kept eyeing me up & down with a quizzical look on his face. After a few moments he blurted out: "Say mister, you got a FAT twin!!??" (I love it!)