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

I saw a CBS news magazine do a story on a girl who had this surgery - started looking into it. REALLY did my homework before taking the plunge.

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

I did not even try. At a meeting with surgeons & patients at Alexian Bros. Hospital in Elk Grove Village IL a girl came up to me afterward. She was about my age, height, build & coloring & she said she'd paid out of pocket & would do it again. It got me thinking. I'm self-employed & coverage is minimal, not to mention shaky to hold on to. So I considered doing the same - out of pocket. ESPECIALLY, after I gave it a shot to apply for insurance with Blue Cross & others & they turned me down - BECAUSE OF MY WEIGHT.

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

I already had a lot of knowledge before meeting my ultimate surgeon. However, I recommend that everyone go to meetings, even if it is only once or twice & at a hospital where you would not have the surgery. No one is turned away from the meetings & rarely are dues/fees expected. Ask questions of both patients & surgeon & office staff. Most surgeons hold these meetings monthly in most metro areas.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Felt secure in its success rate & relatively low risk. Liked the surgeons I met (well not the one in Jacksonville nor the ones who charged $60,000). Prayed about it big time.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Did my homework. Roux-en-Y is not only the most successful, it's the safest. My surgeon opted to fully separate rather than just staple, & that too seemed best to me. He also did not yank out my healthy gallbladder which was good. I might still have gall bladder trouble in the future, but I don't think it's smart to mess with healthy organs.

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 dealt with them early on - I would not have moved forward without getting past that fear I suppose. This is the safest possible surgery it seemed to me. Safer than Oprah's stupid liquid diet for sure. The morbidity rate is SO LOW. ALSO, what other surgery of ANY type can CURE so MANY things in one stroke? Realistically, this is the most safe & practical surgery there is.

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 had a big fear about how/if to tell folks. Took me some time. I waited till AFTER the surgery to tell anyone but my supportive mom & sister. NO ONE close to me reacted negatively. I still to this day feel a need to preface the news of the surgery to people so that it is not blurted out wrong. The ONLY negative reaction I ever got was early on & was EXACTLY the reaction I feared. As a Christian, taking medical action to solve what is clearly a medical problem that in my case for sure was also a sin problem seemed pretty radical. I told a co-worker who was a Christian & she asked why I didn't pray for God to just "shut my mouth" instead. Considering the decades of pain & prayer & crying out to God I'd gone thru, that was a devastating response. But I chalked it up to her lack of compassion & understanding & am very comfortable with my decision to have done this.

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

I worked temp at the time, so could easily have the time off. However, I tried to start working (where I met the insensitive co-worker) a few days too soon afterward & had to leave mid-day & wait a couple days. I was back to speed sort of in 10 days. However, the first couple days were rough since I was at a huge corporate building where my bosses had to walk FAST down LONG halls - I had to keep asking them to slow down the first couple weeks - they were nice about it. Soon I started passing them as I gained strength & energy.

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

I got VERY lucky - not typical. It's a teaching hospital at UIC. I ended up with a room all to myself at the end of the hall - so no noisy traffic. The only problem was the unresponsive nurse station & being at the end of the hall made getting attention hard.

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

only complication I recall is my I.V. went bad & made my left hand swell painfully - not a big deal - also had trouble with double vision first few days, so could not enjoy what was apparently a really nice view of the student park out my window.

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 coped with the anxiety right away. By the time I got to surgery date, I was just anxious to get it all done - had NO fears of dying or anything at that point.

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

My mommy took great care of me. I was fully prepared with kitchen stocked with the post-op weeks' food rations. I had to keep my little doggies away a lot - but they seemed to understand & slept at my feet, so no big deal. I forgot a few times about not lifting things. I have a manual top convertible & sometimes overstressed a bit to open/shut it. Never popped any staples though!

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

It was about a 90-minute drive - about 40 miles (Chicago traffic) from where I stayed (I live in Florida during the winter, Chicago in the summer). The ride was no big deal for me. Did have to rely on my Mom to drive the 1st couple times. It also limited the ability to have visitors. One good friend made the trek. That was fine, though, since I had the surgery on a Friday & was home by Sunday afternoon - not even 3 full days in the hospital since I was recovering so well.

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'm slightly disappointed (but not really) to find that I can basically WHATEVER I WANT!!! I can even have a bite of ice cream or a sip of a shake. I was forewarned that these were taboo. I never cared much for ice cream, though, so no big deal. Chocolate & sweets are a problem. I must eat them VERY slowly. The sugar hits the blood stream & I go into what I call a "sugar coma." Unfortunately, unlike most, I am able to drink unlimited quantities of Soda Pop - with sugar. That is STILL my addiction & keeping me from losing those last 20 or so pounds. However, my metabolism has sped up so much that I can eat a completely full meal over the course of a few hours (my microwave really gets a workout) & I still lose weight since even on rare days when I eat as much as any other person my body is processing it so much better that it's not a problem. But USUALLY, I eat very small portions in one sitting & am satisfied until the next normal eating time. Some days I graze all day. Other days I have sit-downs & take in very little food as constrained by time.

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

Immediately after - I was a lump on the sofa. After a couple weeks I did EVERYTHING for myself except heavy lifting. By 1 months following, I was energetic as never before, having already lost a lot of pounds & by 6 months afterward, I was like a kid. Now, 18 months later, I have enough energy to annoy the people around me a lot!

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

multi-vitamins once daily (need to be more consistent)

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?

Two things: vomiting & constipation. The vomiting only happened the first few months as I was still learning how much was too much & how to listen to my internal "full" meter. Haven't had an episode since October 1999. The constipation sneaks up on me every once in a while, every two months maybe. But it's less dramatic each time. The most recent was no big deal at all. The first one - well, let's just say I had to get some rubber gloves (sorry so graphic).

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

paying money for it (but as said so many times now - I'd do it again)

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

For awhile I returned to the Orlando group even though it was sponsored by a surgeon/hospital where I did NOT have it. People asked me questions & asked them. Have not been back since November 1999. Would like to find another group - I think this one has dissolved.

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

It's a little pinker & uglier & more crooked than I'd expected, but I don't care a bit. My 84-year-old grandma has the exact same size/type scar from her hip surgery & within a few weeks it practically disappeared - it's just my own coloring.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My only conscious goal was to reach my last name (gross=144) & I did that around June. I'm lingering in the upper 130s now. I seem to be losing about 1 pound per month. I'm not gaining & that's all I care. If I don't lose another ounce, I'd be happy. BUT, ideally another 15-20 pounds should come off. Just have to start watching WHAT I eat better as well as slow down on the soda pop.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Ugh - if you've seen the dark comedy with Stockard Channing where she's fat & hated & then gets re-made after an accident & suddenly is hit on by men left & right, that's sort of me (though I'm not going around killing those who hurt me in the past!). Trucks honk on me at the road, I've had men touch me & am now at least CONSIDERING dating - this is a all HUGE steps in my life. It's the confidence level though & the lack of hang-up on my looks that is most freeing.