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

I heard about it probably 5 to 7 years ago and knew almost immediatly that I would do it. I was something that called out to me, it just fit. I would take me 7 years to get up the courage to admit how much my weight had affected me and to confide in the people around me that this was something I needed to do. What a waste of time. I should have started the process years ago.

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

For me it was so very easy, I had more difficulty with my original Dr. than I did my insurance company. If only they knew, that they saved my life! My recommendation to others would be to have all your ducks in a row. Get together all the info you can on your weightloss history and any and I mean any complications you are currently having or have had in the past that you can say your weight contributed to. Be firm don't let those insurance companies wear you down. Jump through every hoop they tell you to and do it exactly the way they say to. The big game with Ins. Co. is to see if they can get you to just give up DON'T!!!! This is so worth it!

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

The first visit with my Surgeon was great. I liked him immediatly. Don't be afraid to ask questions, I mean any and all questions. This is a major event you must have as many answers and as much knowledge as you can possibly get.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I could not stand myself any longer!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew that for me it was a matter of I am done with this! I did not want to be 3 years down the road and have to start dealing with weight issues again. I wanted the surgery with the highest guarantee. I also knew based on my eating habits that severe restriction was what I needed. I was not a big sweet eater, being from the south I of course drank sweet tea constantly but not things like candy, cake, chocolate. I just ate mass amounts of food. Not necessarily bad foods just alot of whatever it was. The kind of built in checks and balances that go with this sugery are perfect for me. They keep me in line and if I get too far out of line they send me to my knees. Not a bad thing at all!

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 had such a peace about this surgery from the time I first began to research it until the second they wheeled me into the operating room. I would suggest that knowledge is power, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can possibly get. Know the answer to any questions you have. The rest I left up to God. I knew he had sent me down this path for a reason and I had faith in him..

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 friends and family have been awsome. My husband was a bit freaked out at first, you know the whole your gonna rearrainge your insides why? question kept coming up. But we went to a siminar about the surgery and he really got it after that. I think the siminars are really beneficial for family and friends. It really gave the whole thing validity for my husband. Sometimes now I get embarassed by family and friends because they are constantly telling me how good I look, it is great but at times it still gets overwhelming. I love it though, I am sooo lucky.

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

I am a stay at home mom so my employers happen to be my two children. Even though they were only 5 and 7 at the time they seemed to understand and where really great. I was really back to my full time activities within a week and would have been back sooner except I promised my mother I would stay with her for several days after my surgery so I could be closer to my Dr. if anything went wrong. It didn't I went home 4 days after my surgery (surgery on Monday back at my house on Friday) I was back to my normal schedule on Monday.

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

My stay was as good as any hospital stay, it is not my favorite place to be. Went home 12 hours on the dot after my 2nd child was born, did I mention I don't like hospitals. For my surgery I got there at 6:00am went in at 7:00am was out and in recovery by 9:00am this was on a Monday morning I was back at my mom's house by Noon on Tuesday. Short and sweet just the way I like it. I really did not have to bring anything. The hospital supplied everything. I did make sure the clothes I arrived in where very loose just in case my stomach was sensitive post op. It wasn't but still think it is a good idea, be as comfortable as possible.

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

I am so blessed I did not have one following surgery. I had several of your normal oh no I ate to much moments but those where my own fault. As far as the surgery went it was text book if not better.

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 really felt great. I made sure that I really listened to my body though. If it told me it was tired I took a nap. If I was hungry I ate, If I was thirsty I drank. I was in bed usually by 8:00 every night which is unusual for me, this probably lasted I would say a month a month and a half. When I would take my girls to school most mornings I would crawl back in the bed for a couple of hours. I did what I felt like doing and I didn't do anything I didn't feel like doing. I just listened to my body. It really works try it.

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

I really did not know what to expect. I did have certain goals though. I am not the type of person to let things slow me down. This was true for the surgery as well. I am busy I don't have time to lay around for hours at a time. And quite frankly I am the caregiver in my family not just my kids but my husband too. I got plenty of rest and took good care of myself, but I kept going. I did what needed to be done, and really I think that is one of the reasons that I did so well post op. I really beleive that if you get down post op you have a harder time getting back up. If you want a drink don't let someone go get it for you get off your butt and go get it no matter how hard it may be, you will be glad you did in the long run.

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

I had to go to Atlanta, Ga. that is about 3 hours for me. It really was not a big deal. I stayed with my mother for a few days post op, she lives in the area. This was just to insure that there where no post op problems, then I went home.

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 really can eat the same things I have always eaten, just in very different amounts. Carbs make me sick if I eat them in any kind of quantity. If we have rice or potatoes I will have one bit which satisfies my taste need then it is on to my meat and veggies. I cannot eat icecream even no sugar icecream it makes my stomach hurt something awful, so I stay away from that completely. Peanut butter is also too heavy for me to really tolerate much of it. The sweet tea has changed I now sweeten with Splenda and truthfully can't tell the difference. Really for me the major change has been quantity, which is exactly what I needed.

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

Pretty good. I did what I needed to do during the day, but I also rested when my body told me to.

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

I take a multivitamin with antioxidents, 2 tums for calcium, biotin to try and regrow a little hair (alot of hair actually) B-12 liquid, and I am still on Synthroid. I take all of these everyday. It is so important. I have used everything from Shakes to Beef Jerkey to insure I get my protien in. Right now I am eating 2 things of Blue Bunny low carb yogurt a day. It has 9 grams of protien, I add one scoop of a protien supp. called Any Whey. It has 17 grams of protien combined that is 52 grams from my yougurt and the rest I get from lean meats.

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 did not really have any of the nausea or vomiting I slept like a long and I don't really dump unless I eat ice cream. The hair loss is another story all together. I am 7.5 months out, the hair loss started at 3 months and while it has slacked off a bit and I do mean a bit I am still loosing some. On the up side I have all of these little 2 inch hairs that stick up all over my head if I don't spray them down, so it is growing back. Thank God!!

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

Nothing! It saved my life. I can endure anything with the knowledge that I will be better for it in the long run.

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

I don't. There was one here but they quit meeting just before my surgery. I get what support I need from my friends and especially my family. They are the best.

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

So tiny sometimes I can't find them. I had the procedure done Laproscopically so they are really very small. I had my gallbladder removed several years before my WLS and they are 3 times as big as my WL scars. It was also done Lap.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Oh my did I ever plateau. It was around month 3. I did not move the scale for a good 3 to 4 weeks. It was awful but I kept exercising I knew in my head I could not possibly be eating enough to sustain my weight and that I need to just be patient. Okay I knew that, it didn't really stop me from freaking out a little bit though. You know that thought oh my God I paid $26,000.00 to loose 25 pounds kept echoing through my head! Eventually it passed and I woke up one morning and I had lost 5lbs. overnight. Even though the scale was not moving I did continue to loose inches.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really differently, people just paid more attention. I got lots of complements on how good I looked, that kind of thing.