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

I worked with someone who had the surgery with the same surgeon and all had gone well with her surgery and weight loss.

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

I had 3 insurances and they all refused to cover the surgery. (My work, my husbands and military insurance) I could have waited until I developed diabetes etc (comorbidities) but I chose to go ahead and pay cash.

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

The visit went well but, I would have a list of questions and write the answers down.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I never doubted I wanted the surgery, I just had to get my finances together in order to pay cash.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted the duodenal switch, I liked the surgery on the stomach better than the RNY.

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 feared my IBS would get worse and it did for a while but has gotten better over the years, but I have to be careful not to eat too much fat. I have never had any complications.

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 were fine but, my husband left me for a heavier younger women after I lost weight.

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

I only told Human Resources Dept. the type of surgery and that it was private, I told everyone else after the surgery. I had one supervisor who was rather judgemental and he might have tried to delay my surgery as elective surgery. Everyone else at work was great but, I do work at the same hospital. I was out of work for six weeks and then half time for three weeks. I had lots of sick leave built up.

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

My stay was 3 days and it was fine, bring your own toiletries and sanitary pads just in case, also bring your own breathing machine if you use one for sleep disorders.

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

I never had any surgical complications but my IBS got bad for a while and I have diarrhea if I am not careful to eat very little fat.

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 was overjoyed to have the date set and had the surgery very soon after I decided to have surgery. I was never scared or anxious as I had C-sections and gallbladder surgery in the past and all had gone well.

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

I was far more sore and weak then I expected (I had open surgery). I could never have coped if I had small children or had to go back to work very soon.

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

I had surgery at the hospital I worked at and it was a few miles from my home. I got to go home even sooner because I was so close to the hospital and doctor.

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.

After the first couple of weeks of soft food, I could eat small amounts of anything not fatty, I have never had any problem eating sugar.I had to be very careful with meats at first as it felt as if the meat got stuck if I did not chew very well. After about 3 years I was able to eat larger meals. After 7 years I can nearly eat normal meals, but still cannot eat fatty foods without getting diarrhea and very bad gas.

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

I was not completely inactive but, I should have tried to actually excersize, I think I would have recovered my strength faster.

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

At first I took multivitamis and extra protein, but I wasn't as good about it after a couple of years and became anemic and very tired. I now take a multivitamin, 2 iron and 1 B12. I haven't had any problems since starting these a few years ago.

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?

At first after surgery I was just exhausted and dealing with pain medications, then after I had lost 40 lbs or so I felt as if my female hormones were going crazy, mood swings etc, like PMS all the time, this got better over a couple of years and birth contol pills helped a lot. I also started losing hair until my weight loss stopped after 120 lbs or so, I lost about a third of my hair, but no one could tell but me, so it was OK. My hair fell out about the same when I became anemic and grew back after I began taking my supplements every day. My hair is not as thick as before the surgery but it was very thick before and now is about normal for most people. My Irritable Bowel Syndrome became worse after the surgery, hard to say if it was the stress of the surgery or the surgery itself, it is better now and almost gone if I eat carefully.

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

Going into debt to pay for it (the stress) and the recovery from the surgery (first six weeks).

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

I was in a local support group for a few months but, I'm not a group kind of person and I lost interest, the on-line support has been far more helpful for me.

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

My scar goes from my breastbone to my bellybutton, about 7 inches long and 1/2 inch wide, It was worse than I had hoped but it has faded over time.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My weight loss seemed to plateau every couple of months but that may have been more the fear that the loss would stop too soon. I lost enough weight that I looked a little too thin, I gained a few pounds and stayed at a good weight (144) for a couple of years without effort. Then I started to be able to eat more at one time and was used to eating a little every couple of hours but the more I could eat, the more I started to gain. Over the last 4 years I have gained 50 lbs. back, I still look better than before my surgery so I'm still pretty happy with myself. I also hit menopause and that has not helped, it is much harder to lose weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I felt like people treated me better but I don't know if that was just my perception or if they actually did treat me different.