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

From a surgeon who removed my gall bladder

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

Getting approval was a nightmare! We tried for 7 very long years fighting different insurance companies to get approval. Finally my husband joined the military again and they approved it, and honestly that was the main reason he joined.

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

The first meeting was comforting, he put me at ease, answered all my questions, and even asked me a few, I even had to take a test!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to live again! I knew if I didn't lose weight, and lose it soon I was going to die, there really was no option.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

By reading on the internet and discussing with the doctor which one would be the best for me.

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 really wasn't affraid because I knew if I didn't have the surgery I was going to die soon, my chances were far better getting the surgery.

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 all fine with it, they all knew I had wanted/needed the surgery for a long time. They are all 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 was not working at the time of my surgery due to my health.

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

My stay at the hospital was fine, kinda funny though, I had the pain pump where you press a button, well I was in pain, but thought I had been pressing the button, and they came in to take me down for some x-rays and I mentioned I was in pain and the nurse said "well push your button!" I told her I had been and she said "no you haven't, you've only pushed it once since surgery yesterday!" well by golly I started pushing the button then! The trip down the hall hurt a bit till the meds kicked in, but I guess for not useing the pain meds but the one time after surgery it must not have hurt much! I was only there one night and the most important things to bring are something comfy to wear home and something to do, it gets boring waiting before surgery sometimes if it gets delayed at all.

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

I didn't have any complications. My surgery did take a little longer because they had to take out a prior surgery on my stomach, but no problems.

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 great after surgery, walked all over the place, could breathe, my back didn't hurt as much. I didn't really have any anxiety, any anxiety I had left as soon as I seen the pounds start to fall off me.

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

I was a little sore for the first 4-5 days then I was fine. The one thing I wasn't told though was that I would gain weight from all the fluids they give you during surgery, and like and idiot I felt like I would be the one person that would gain weight from weight loss surgery, and sure enough, I got out of the hospital and gained 16 pounds! I lost it in a couple days and ended up losing like 43 the first month, but no one told me about the water weight, so now you know, so don't have a heart attack like I did! :)

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

I only traveled 45 minutes to get my surgery.

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.

Right after surgery I was on a liquid diet just had broth and jello, then had soft boiled egg and a piece of toast, then it was soft foods, and worked up from there. Avoiding starches. Only eating 2 meals a day until 6 months out. No snacks ever! As far as diet now, I eat 2-3 times a day, and at each meal 1/2 is protein and the other half is vegetable, fruit or starch. I am lactose intolerant and have to take lactaid pills even for cheese or sour cream now.

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

It was amazing, from what it was before hand, before surgery I could barely walk from the couch to the restroom. Right after surgery I was walking 1/4 of mile and within a week I was walking a mile. Now I walk 2.5 miles on my treadmill and don't even sweat. We go to Six Flags and stay all day and I do great going up and down stairs and everything, before I would have never have even gone.

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

I take calcium citrate with vitamin D and multi vitamin and I get a b12 injection each month

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 do get nausea and vomiting from time to time, the food just don't settle right, but like I say I have multiple other health issues and it could be from that. I have had some what of a dumping side effect from sugar where my heart will speed up a bit and I feel a bit light headed and then I will vomit and then be fine. Milk and dairy products make me very ill. The other thing I can't seem to tolerate is BBQ sauce. If I keep my sugar range to 10mgs i'm fine and fat to 10mgs i'm fine, I just have to be careful.

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

I would have to say getting use to the portions. You feel like your starving to death, eat 4 bites and your stuffed! When you first get the surgery, you almost feel like its not fair that you can't eat, then you realize, duh! Thats the whole point! It just takes getting use to. But it is hard, its all a mental game. Everyday there is struggles, some easier than others, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

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

I wasn't able to attend a support group after surgery due to my husband work schedule, we only had one car and the support group was 45 minutes away.

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

I can't tell it apart from all my others to be honest.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had several plateau's. I have had to be on steroids, have had 5 surgeries since my bypass and have been diagnosed with cancer, and have had multiple respiritory infections that kept me from getting as much exercise as I would have liked to have gotten in.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, people are more friendly toward me, they find me more approachable. They smile at me. One guy at our yard sale the other day even said I was pretty. And if I mention I had the surgery, people find it hard to beleive and say I look great. The nurses at the last place we lived told me I looked so different they were going to start asking for ID. My drivers license looks nothing like me anymore and with us in the military I can't just go to Oregon and get another one, hope I don't get pulled over, they won't think its me!