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

My best friend and I started looking into it and had researched it thoroughly and had already and was only 3 months away from surgery when my husband's 32 year old ex-wife had it secretly done and died from DVT/MI six days post op from an open RNY. That scared us to death and I cancelled mine but my friend went through with hers. When she had wonderful success, my husband and I reassessed and decided to reschedule my surgery. I went to the seminar and new all the risks, probably better than most but felt good about the whole thing and went into it with a good attitude and determined this would be what worked for me.

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

My stay in the hospital was far from wonderful. First of all, when I awoke from surgery, I was in terrible pain and wanted my husband. They couldn't find me a room so I spent from 2pm until 11pm in recovery without any member of my family, even though I requested my husband many, many times. They had told me he left and went home, which was a 4 hour drive away. Imagine how crushed I was! Then, I had to urinate. They put me on a bedpan in recovery and just left me there and it took every stomach muscle I had to hold myself up on that thing, but still could not urinate after staying on it for about 20 minutes. The nurse fussed at me for not relaxing, but you try to relax an hour post op with a bladder full, all by yourself and in pain. Once they did finally get me a room, things improved a little, but not a whole lot. My nurse crew forgot to give me my ice chips the next morning so I went almost 2 days without anything by mouth and they wouldn't allow me to have swabs to swab my mouth with. My doctor had been out of town but when he came back, I told him that I had not had anything and he was not very happy. He moved me to his floor on the hospital and from then on, everything was done to make my stay more comfortable. I was in pain only the first day really, then I was turning myself, getting up to walk down the hall, sitting up, brushing my hair, teeth, etc. I was able to go home after spending two nights in the hospital. I was doing great and was ready to go home. The ride home, which should have taken 4 hours, took about 6 hours because I had to stop every 30 minutes or so to walk so I wouldn't get blood clots. I would bring something very comfortable to wear there and home and some personal hygiene items and socks. Its cold in those hospitals!

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

No complications from the surgery what so ever, though I had to go home with a catheter because I could not urinate. I had the catheter for 10 days before I could go by myself. This was not comfortable and was very frustrating.

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 didn't have any medical complications, but I had major mental ones. I dreamed of chocolate rivers, floating in a banana boat, Popeye's chicken was flying around me. It was very mental, going from gorging yourself at a meal to eating out of a medicine cup. I cried and cried and regretted my decision so many times and if I hadn't known someone who had warned me of how mental it was, I would have gone back to have it reversed. After a few weeks, those feeling subsided and I began to get away from the jello and broth and venture out to mashed potatoes and cheese, etc. Drinking was a big problem for me because i like to gulp down a glass of ice cold tea. Sipping just frustrated me because it didn't quench my thirst. I opted to just chew crushed ice constantly and that helped greatly.

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

My first few weeks home were okay. I thought I would lie around and be bed ridden but I was up walking, doing very, very light house work and walking on the treadmill almost immediately. My incisions were healing well except for one that continued to ooze puss and blood. Taking the humongous vitamins killed me. They would get stuck in my throat and I would gag. I was afraid to eat hardly anything, for fear of vomitting or stretching my pouch. I started losing weight immediatly and in the first month, I had lost 20 pounds.

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

My commute to the Doctor and hospital was about four hours. It did not affect my after care because I felt it was worth the drive for the care my doctor gave me. I was afraid to go to the hospital and bariatric surgeon in my neighborhood because that is where my husband's ex-wife went and she died so I was determined to have it in Little Rock.

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.

To begin with, I ate nothing but liquids, jello, broth, applesauce, etc. I then started to venture out to things like mashed potatoes, melba toast and bland foods. I could not and still can't really tolerate meats, breads or milk products, except for certain kinds of cheese. The only meat I can tolerate is meat from taco bell (because it is almost pureed) and crawfish, crab and shrimp. Other than these things, i have basically become a vegetarian. I can eat most vegetables, but things like corn, peas, beans, etc., I have to spit out the hull or shell. Milk products send me into nausea and bloating fits and I can't even stand to think about eating things with milk in it. I tried the sugar free, carb free, fat free ice cream and I had a terrible time with that so those things are just off limits. I can tolerate some things with sugar in it, but i try to make my brain believe that it can't. I do eat some things that are sugar free just to relieve that "sweet tooth" like sugar free jelly beans or sugar free chocolate, but only once in a while. Unfortunately, I tolerate things like cheeze nips, peanuts, triscuits and cheese better than anything else. I feel like I don't get enough protein but can't eat seafood every day. I have to be very careful not to gulp drinks down because I forget and sometimes over do it.

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

I was able to walk quite a ways on the tread mill and walked around the house and picked up clothes, etc. Before no time, I was back to my regular routine and teaching school two weeks later, though I was very tired at the end of the day for a while. I took naps when I got home and was too tired to do anything at night.

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

I take Vitamin B-12, Vitamin D (for 6 weeks after surgery to get my levels up to par), calcium with K and D and a multivitamin each day.

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?

I don't have much nausea or vomiting, only when I eat something I shouldn't or too much, which is not often. My problem is the hair loss. My hair comes out in wads. The shower floor looks like I got a haircut almost daily. Luckily, I have a head of full thick hair, so it does not look as though I am losing so much but it bothers me. It feels like I am on chemotherapy or something and will wake up bald one morning. The hair loss started about 2 months ago (3 months post op) and is still present.

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

The hospital experience was the worst. Had I been taken better care of during recovery, I don't think I would have been upset. The recovery was fine with the exception of one oozing incision site. It took quite a long time to heal. My fear is stretching my pouch. I am scared to eat much at all and can't fit in a meat and vegetable, etc. in at every meal. My fear is not getting enough of the right foods and eating the wrong one's. I certainly do not want to stop losing and never want to gain any of it back.

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

I have none, except the obesity help website, which I just joined. I feel it is very important to have a support program. I would like to start one but just haven't taken the time to look into it. This is a lifelong process that changes daily. I need someone to talk to about it and help get me through the ups and downs.

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

Five little scars. Much better than I expected. They aren't large or dark at all.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I recently had a plateau and would seem to lose and gain the same pound for a few weeks, then I woke up one morning and lost 5 pounds. The weight loss is not consistent and you can't watch the scales because the few weeks I didn't lose a single pound, I went down one size in clothes.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I get looked at by the opposite sex now, when I didn't before and people don't stare at me like they did. My sisters are jealous and do not even comment on my loss or my change in appearance but others are just overwhelmed and so excited for my loss.