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

I originally found out about bariatric surgery when a few coworkers began to have it done! My initial impression was WOW, how drastic is that? When someone said, "So's weighing 300lbs!" I thought WOW, she's right!

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

I've been very lucky with getting Insurance approval. Since I work for a hospital, our insurance policy is very understanding of these types of needs and very pro-active in wanting people to be healthy!! We have a wonderful case manager for my plan, named Wendy, who was SO very helpful with the whole process. She's someone I know from being a hospital employee and so I felt very comfortable with calling her personally to see what I could do to hasten the process!! Got my approval in less than 1month!

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

My first visit with Dr Dana Lindsay at Franklin Surgical Associates was nerve-wracking and interesting and scary and WONDERFUL all at the same time!! There was part of me that couldn't BELIEVE I was even there and another part of me that wanted her to operate right in that moment!! She was so forthcoming and straightforward in answering all my questions. My husband went along and she was very kind to him as well. He was very nervous about my having this procedure, so he asked LOADS of questions and she was just really great!! I think the best advice I could give to others is to make an all-out EXHAUSTIVE list of every question fathomable, and do NOT worry about asking anything "silly!" I can guarantee, someone else out there is either wondering the EXACT same thing or has asked something even sillier!! LOL Asking all your questions at the first visit (which in my case is the only visit) is a good way to see how you're going to "gel" with your doc... I believe that's a good way to see the fit between MD & patient. You HAVE to feel comfortable in dealing with this person who's going to so radically help to change your life.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Basically just "sick & tired" of being "sick & tired" I guess is what motivated me originally!! And wanting to live a longer, healthier life. I'm 35years old and I'm not going to live to see 60 if I don't improve my health now. Those are just NOT odds I'm comfortable with!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had several friends/co-workers who'd had the RNY and to tell you the truth, RNY is the ONLY procedure my surgeon does. But I was comfortable with that. I'm having my procedure done open, as my surgeon does not do lap on anyone weighing over 350lbs. So at 373lbs, I'm over that amount. I asked her about losing a bit of weight prior to qualify me for lap and was told that my body "make-up" told her that open would be better for me. When I asked her to specify what she meant by that, she said as I was thicker through the middle, open would be preferable!

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 many fears at first. I even wrote those dreaded "letters" to my family and husband, should anything happen to me. But I've come to feel, through much prayer, that if it's my time to go, Jesus is going to take me home to be with Him whether that's after surgery, before or whenever it's His time to take me! I'm very peaceful now and trying to make every moment count!

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?

I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family. I won't say there aren't worries or concerns in my husband & family's hearts and minds, but they, along with me, are putting their trust in God that I'll make it just fine. My wonderful, beautiful sister Angie is the most supportive of anyone. She wants this for me, the healthier lifestyle, as much as I want it for myself!

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

My manager & co-workers have been wonderfully supportive and know exactly what I'm having done!! I'm pre-op so I don't know exactly how long I'll be off but have been told it should be around a month or so! Now that I'm a post-op, I was off the full six weeks.

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 four days. I brought alot of things I didn't end up needing, as I found, in my situation, the hospital provided everything for me. It was really important to me that my husband get to stay with me and he was able to stay all four days.

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

I am experiencing a wound infection but my surgeon's assistant was able to meet me at the emergency room to help out with this. He opened up a one inch section of my incision, drained it and packed & dressed it. I am now doing three times daily dressing changes and taking antibiotics.

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 very nervous at first, but when my initial surgery date was cancelled, I was more mad than anything. As a diabetic, I KNOW that high blood sugars can affect the body's ability to heal and I was so angry that I'd been just eating anything I wanted and was unprepared to have my surgery date cancelled. So when I finally got my second date, I was more prepared, more calm, and not too nervous. As the days and weeks wore on and my date was coming up soon, I developed this "I'm not going to live through surgery" syndrome and this was my first thought when I woke up from the anesthesia: "I'm in pain so I must be ALIVE!!!"

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

I'm now 2 1/2weeks out, have lost 31lbs and couldn't be happier about the weight loss. What I was not expecting was how sore the belly would be. I never thought about how much a person uses their belly muscles for every day movement, but this gets better day by day. So far I've been lucky and haven't experienced any dumping, nausea, vomiting or head hunger but I know it's early yet.

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

My surgery took place about 20miles from my home and my surgeon's office is that far away also. It's made the post-op visits kind of a pain to get to and when I had to go to the emergency room to have my incision drained, it was a bit of a drive, but it's not SO far that it's completely hard to get things taken care of.

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've tried to eat many things since surgery but so far the list of no-no's is as follows: I can't tolerate grape juice, tomatoes of any kind, including sauces, refried beans, steak, boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce. I'm sure I'll discover more things as I go along. The oddest thing is that, for example, one day I'll eat about two-thirds of a scrambled egg for breakfast and the next day it won't go down well at all. I wondered if I were eating too fast, or if this was dumping, or what!! I haven't tried ANYTHING sweet, as in anything with sugar, and I don't intend to, but it's so strange to tolerate something one day then to not tolerate it the next. I guess this is just the time in my journey where everything's a learning experience and I'm prepared for it. I can tell when I eat something too fast at this point, because I'm getting more used to how that sensation is and what it feels like. It's getting easier and easier to eat smaller bites and I'm doing the best that I can. One of the hardest things is with drinking liquids. Prior to surgery, I was a gulper when I drank anything, especially if I was extremely thirsty and now, every once in a while, I'll gulp and BOY, does it hurt!! But I'm getting used to that too and I'm getting better at learning to drink in sips!!

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

Although my energy level is slowly but surely coming back up, I still tire easily. I am up to walking five miles per week and try to get in some type of movement daily!

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

My surgeon recommends a children's chewable multi-vitamin, so I've been using the WalMart name brand "Spring Valley" and while they don't taste that well, I'm tolerating them.

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?

Sleep disturbance was difficult at first when I was newly post-op because there is NO comfortable way to sleep. Now I'd say the gas bubbles being kind of stuck in my esophagus is the toughest thing. So far I've only vomited once and that was after eating boiled shrimp with cocktail sauce, but I've been nauseated a few times. I just hang in there and it passes. It's different though from before surgery. Before my RNY, if I vomited, it was an almost violent sickness and now, it's as if that tiny tummy pouch is just calm, just "urps" up whatever's there and I go on. Strange, huh? :-)

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

Uncaring nurses in the hospital after my procedure. I had good nursing care the first day and a half and after that it went to hell in a handbasket. I'm just hoping the hospital sends out a survery because I have some things to say!

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

My scar is pretty much as I expected it to be, although at only seven weeks out, I think it's still more pink than it will be eventually. I just recently bought some Vitamin E cream to rub on it as I've been told that can lessen the appearance of scarring. I had open RNY so it's rather long but it's looking pretty good considering I had a wound infection and had to have part of the incision re-opened and drained!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I have noticed a difference in some ways, even as early post-op as I am at this point, only seven weeks. I work in a hospital and even the doctors, who RARELY pay attention to unit secretaries, have commented on the weight loss (55lbs so far!) It's slightly disconcerting as I'm not used to receiving compliments. I'm getting used to it though, and trying to be gracious, yet not get a swelled head!