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

Girlfirend had it done back in 1980 in Phoenix, AZ. They cut her from pubic bone to breastbone back then. Watched her struggle and initial regrets. Since she was very young and had never been slim, she went wild with men and wrecked her marriage. Swore that kind of surgery would never be in my life. I was still slim then.

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

My Medicare HMO said "yes we cover it" when I called. I asked what criteria they needed. A BMI of 40 or a BMI of 38 and one co-morbidity factor. They wanted 3 months of surpervised weight loss attempt presurgery and a psych evaluation. I had the surgery just over 3 months since I asked for it. Thought I was lucky to only pay $250 out of pocket for $38,000 operation. 5 years earlier, I had different insurance that wanted a $7,500 co-pay and almost went through it then but couldn't get the money.

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

Brief and routine. What's to talk about? either you are overweight and wanting some help using the surgery or you are not. You come to him.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

5 years earlier I got qualified for the surgery in another state. I went through all of the steps and was ready to set the surgery date but there was a money problem and couldn't do it. I was about 53 yrs old and new it would get harder as I got older to lose the weight. So I muscled up my will power for one last try and weight loss by diet and excercise. I wasn't working so I tried to be like "the biggest loser show" on TV. I lived right by a 24 hr gym, so I was there 8-10 hrs a week. I walked 1 hr every night. I counted calories at 1000-1200 a day and lost 65 lbs. in 5 months. I never felt or looked better in recent years. I kept it off for about 1 year. Then we moved from a cool climate to Las Vegas in August. it was 117 degrees and i didn't want to go outside or even workout inside. I didn't have a gym close by and the weight came back over 1 year. I thought I just didn't have the fight in me to diet one more time and struggle daily with calorie counting and food weighing and hunger pangs.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

5 years earlier I was going to have the lap band. But I changed my mind to RNY when I learned more about it and heard about my Dr's good reputation. I wanted to lose the weight and KEEP IT OFF for good, I thought the malabsorption was the way for me to do this. I even wanted to say to the Dr. "Bypass a couple of feet extra so I can stay good and thin" but I didn't

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?

No fears, I trusted my Dr. I was not real obese 235 lbs. and a pretty healthy woman (diabetes only) age 56. I had previous surgeries and knew I took anesthesia well.

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?

Did not tell my elderly Mom who lives out of state or my adult daughter. They have seen me lose weight on my own before so they did not suspect. My long term boyfriend has been my support. Glad I did not tell them now that I am having problems and looking for a reversal.

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

On disability now. Wanted to return to work after surgery and some weight loss with my new health but that my never be for me.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I already knew the information. I have been researching this subject for 10 years. Thought I knew all the problems and risks. I regret I was never told there was such a thing as reversals so I could look up people that have regrets. All I could find on the internet was bypass "problems" or "complications" and that was all about the surgery itself. Nothing about long term problems after the RNY surgery.

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

It was awful. I hemorraged and needed 2 units of blood. I was throwing up blood and passing blood clots as big as small apples. The Dr. never did come and check on me. I wa there 4 days. Everyone else went home the next day. And the pain was way off the chart!!! I am not a lightweight about pain. (I has a 9 lb 2 oz. baby with no pain meds. it really hurt) This surgery pain was right up there with that pain. The nurses kept wanting me to get up and walk, I did but this was not right. I was told I could go back to normal activities in 2-3 weeks. I couldn't get out of bed for months. The pain meds did little or nothing.

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

Severe pain, fatigue and remorse. I laid in bed and tried to keep positive. I know that post op depression is normal and can be caused by pain. I tried to keep my spirits up and just wait until time healed my body.

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 felt awful. I had constant diarrhea. I messed myself all the time. I messed my bed a lot, I couldn't get to the bathroom in time. I spent the first year running down the hall holding my behind together with poop running down my legs every day. The smell is like a sewage treatment plant and still is. I stay home away from people because I am embarrassed. I was home alone during the day and did not tell my boyfriend how bad it was. We have seperate bedrooms and bethrooms so he didn't know. He kept waiting for me to feel better so we could go do things together but it never came. I also have mental fog and memory problems so bad that the first year I could barely tell you my name or where I was. I was so blank mentally that I could not realize how bad the problem was. I went to my check ups and told them of my problems. They did blood tests and just kept saying "it will get better." It had not and I want a reversal 2 yrs. later.

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

When I went to checkups I told the Dr's office people about my problems. I never saw the Dr. and I thought they were telling him about it but they were not. 6-7 months later I learned that I had to request a seperate appt. with him to get to see him.

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

5 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.

I woke up with a fierce hunger like I have never felt in my life. (And I used to be able to diet for months at a time) I have been unable to keep with the food plan because of this. The Dr. said he could give me prescription diet pills to help with this. What's with that??? I declined. When I could only eat liquids I went for cream soups and spagetti sauce out of the jar. Anything with high calories and fat to help with the ever knawing hunger I had. I also had constant diarrhea and passed my food undigested so it didn;t matter what I ate anyway,

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

Awful, i am a semi-invalid because of extreme fatigue. I can only now 2 yrs later go to the store or dr. Ofc. but not both in one day. I can do one thing a day and I have to rest. I never resumed my life. I can't take walks, I can;t do housework, I can;t walk the dogs or excercise or ride my bike or anything. I sit in my easy chair or bed 23 hrs a day. I can go to the bathroom or make a sinmple meal. I am miserable. (I am no lightweight... I once had Epstein Barr virus but was still able to get up and get to work then.) This has ruined my life.

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

I take the recommeded B12, B1, Calcium, Iron and 2 multivitamins a day. Because I feel so lousy I have been recommended to take a liquid multi. Then the Bariatric liquid high A,E,D,K. Liquid amino acids, Super B-complex, branched chain amino acids, D3, liquid trace minerals, and brain function vitamins like; acetyl-l carnitine, alpha lipoic acid, botin, choline, DMAE, L-arginine, L-glutamine, l-lysine, l-tyrosine, lecithin, phosphatidly serine. What a waste of money... I just pass them in my daily diarrhea along with partially digested smelly food.

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?

No dumping for me. Lost 75% of my hair but it came back. since then I have lost almost all of my body hair, no arm pit, legs or arm hair anymore. Dry, dry flaky skin that looks 20 years older.

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

Keeping my hopes up for too long that my results are normal and it will get better with time. I feel lied to and belittled because I had problems.

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

3 support group meetings a month. Gastric bypass, nutrition support & psychological support. They gave me false hope for 1 1/2 yrs. but when I would describe my problems the room would be silent because no one there had heard of this. People with problems like mine aren't at these meetings. They are home or at the Dr's Ofc. or hospital getting reversal. They made me feel guilty that I would be critical of the surgery.. like I could just "wish" my problems away with the right attitude or positive thinking.

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

My scars are practically invisible. I have skin that heals well. Even thought I have been pregnant and obese, I have escaped stretch marks or visible scars. But since I am 58 my days of two piece bathing suits are over. I also do not have the dreaded tummy flap or panus. But I do have saggy thighs.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

We moved to a new neighborhood right after surgery. My neighbors know there is something wrong with me and that I never come outside. When they come over, I am always in my easychair or in bed. Some of them know about the bypass surgery and saw me lose weight but they know there is something wrong.