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

My friend first suggested it when Al Roker was on TV. I was horrified at the thought! Was I THAT fat that my best fried tell me to go get my guts ripped out by a butcher? Surgery was something people only joked about. "Hey, why not get your stomach stapled?" I couldn't believe people actually did it. A link on the network's website lead to ObesityHelp where I learned about surgery and read the bulletin boards. It really lit a fire in my head.

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

After the initial application, my insurance company get a letter listing 15 tests I needed (chest x-ray, mostly blood tests, etc), and needed my detailed diet history along with weight loss attempts supervised by a doctor. That scared me! But I filled out my previous WL attempts as best as I could remember and gave them to my doctor. He dictated a letter for my insurance company listing them. That seemed to satisfy them. 2 weeks later, I was approved.

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

My first visit was very short. I was in the office for less than an hour, and that included getting my vitals taken and visiting with the dietician. After researching bariatric surgery and visiting the bulletin boards on this website for a year, and attending the educational seminar, I had virtually no questions for Dr. Sudan other than to find out what I needed to do to ensure I can have surgery. You can get the most out of the meeting by research, research, research. Talking with someone who has already had surgery helps, so I guess I had that going for me, too.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Talking with a friend of mine and discovering that all the horror stories you hear are not the status quo. I always thought a Roux en Y was way too invasive, but after speaking with him about it, I realized that wasn't. Yeah, they rearrange your insides, but in the hands of skilled surgeon, it's not like carving a turkey with a butter knife. The end justifies the means.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Comfort level. The lap band was my initial choice, but low success rates waived me off of that. I know someone who had lap-band surgery and I honestly don't know if she's lost any weight. A duodenal switch was more appealing considering the more normal eating habits and the higher precentage of weight loss, but I really wasn't comfortable with some of the side effects (the bowel movements). I had researched a Roux en Y more than the others, and had a friend that had told me what he went through.

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 only had a mild fear of anything going wrong. I was most fearful of blood clots in my legs, but everything turned out fine - no complications. I guess all you can do is walk and walk to help your circulatory system. I would tell others not to make too much out of 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?

Everyone was really supportive. Almost everyone I've talked to has known someone else who has had the surgery, so it wasn't really hard breaking it to them. I kept it from my mom until my surgery date was set, so she was kind of surprised, but I told her it was so up in the air, I didn't want to explain it all to people and then have something happen. I told her when it was definite. She works in a hospital, so she and her coworkers have been very supportive.

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

I didn't tell my employer. It wasn't any of their business. I was off work for 6 weeks and was paid by short term disability for the time I was off.

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

My stay wasn't horrible, but it could have been better. I was there for 2 1/2 days. Bring something to entertain yourself.

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

No complications at all. I guess I have noticed some body chemistry changes. I used to be warm to hot all the time. Now I'm cold a lot. I was always the one at work that had his fan on all the time. Now, sometimes I want a blanket! My roommate and I don't fight about the air conditioner any more. Some foods I used to love I can't stand now--some cheeses make me nauseous. I used to love blue cheese, but I can't stand it now. I NEVER used to be able to drink milk unless it was ICE COLD. If it was out of the fridge for more than 5 minutes, I would dump it down the drain. Now, I love the taste of milk. I drank some the other day that had been out of the fridge for 20 minutes! It helps my thirst and my empty stomach at the same time.

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

Almost nauseous a lot. Dumped more than I thought I would, but was able to eat food earlier than the dietician said I could. No real anxiety. Reading other people's experiences helped.

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

Boredom with the liquid phase. I only stuck with it for a couple of weeks. Lots of cravings the first couple of weeks. Burgers, tacos, pizza, seafood, chicken, everything for sale at a fast food place. I was starving all the time for the first few weeks, even when I was full. My mind hunger had to catch up with my physical hunger. I dumped more often then I expected. Some fruits made me dump, others went down real well.

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

I visited my mom a couple weeks after surgery. It was an hour and a half. I also went to Nebraska City, about an hour south of Omaha. It didn't affect my after care at all.

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 have avoided sugary foods as much as possible. Anything deep fat fried makes me throw up, but only after an hour or two of feeling like crap. That's not pleasant. Strawberries and watermelon both made me dump, but grapes did not. I'm 7 weeks post op and haven't noticed a big difference in what I can eat.

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

Pretty active. I wasn't lethargic at all. In fact, sometimes I had trouble getting to sleep.

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

Just a daily multivitamin. I took centrum chewable for a while, but grew to hate it, so I swiched to a regular one. I was able to swallow the pill with some water.

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. Persistant nausea from nothing. Sometimes thinking about a food that made me dump would make my stomach feel upset. I guess that's okay in the long run for weight loss. The think I hate most is always being thirsty because I can only sip water. I drank too much tea at once and threw it right back up one time. I drink water all the time, but it just never seems like it is enough. I'm always dry.

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

Being thirsty. I was used to drinking lots of water (sometimes a gallon in a day), but now two or three glasses a day is all I can manage. And water rarely seems cold enough.

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

I think my doctor has one, but I don't know anything about it. Maybe I should ask him about it.

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

They are a lot darker than I imagined, but it was still laproscopic instead of open, so that is good. And it's only been 7 weeks. They should fade over time. I'm not worried about them.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateaud twice. Each time, I'm convinced that that's it--I've stretched my stomach out and ruined whatever gains I made by having surgery. Then, about a month later, 10 pounds drop off overnight. It would be a lot better on the nerves if the weight loss was consistent instead of starting and stopping all the time.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet.