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

I saw a special program on 20/20 I think, one of those shows. I thought after years of stuggling with loosing and gaining weight maybe this could be the answer I needed

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

First of all I wasn't insured at the time I learned about the surgery. So the process of getting insurance through my job and having the surgery took a year. So, I guess it would be true to say I was pretty motoviated. Plus it was a huge sacrifice to my income being a single parent to have the insurance taken from my pay check. Then after I had the surgery about three others at my job did as well and the company ended up dropping coverage to bypass surgery even for medicial necessity.

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

When I finally got to meet with the surgeon it had been a year since I made my decision to have the surgery, so I had spent a lot of time in self education. When I went in I went in armed. I was too excited and didn't trust myself to remember clearly what to asked and what was answered. So I had a paper and a tape player. Bless the doctors heart he was so good about everything.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My blood pressure was 200/120. My health in the previous two years had declined at an alarming rate, I was afraid not to have it. I thought without the surgery I might not be around.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Honestly for me it was availabitiy. I had to go out of my state to have the proceedure and it was difficult on my insurance to find a doctor on the program that would do it.

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?

All the normal fears. Would I wake up or stroke out. Would I have a blood clot at home and die. The fears are real concerns and these things do happen. Right after my surgery I knew a guy through the support group that didn't wake up from the operation and another girl had a blood clot at home after surgery and they found her dead. You've got to have your eyes wide open going into this, really I believe it should be a final resort operation not a weight loss program.

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?

Interestingly enough the one I thought would do well with the news didn't and visa versa. My Mom and Dad were wonderfully supportive. My Mom came with me to the hospital and stayed with me during then drove me back to their home where I stayed for about a week. They had already had a private conversation and agreed that they wish I could have something like this done. My kids on the other hand were afraid I would die. It was the exact opposite of what I thought would happen. And no doing it differently wouldn't have change anything. Once the surgery was over veryone was very supportive, that part was great.

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

Well as I've already said they weren't happy. I was out four weeks the full amount allowed.

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 a pleasant experience. I was there for three days I think.

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

Not from the surgery it's self, but from the intubation. I knocked a piece of flesh loose that kept obstructing my breathing, then I also found out I'm allergic to morphin.

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 anxiety and once I coughed up the obstruction I felt great.

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

Don't expect anything, just rest lots and let your body tell you what it feels like. Don't fight it, if it wants to sleep then do.

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

2 hours on way. It was difficult to do the after care.

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

It was as my body allowed. I don't remember how long it took to build up to a full exercise routine, but it wasn't that long.

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

Everything I was told to take.

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?

Nausea was the worse. Four years out I'm still very careful what I eat and still sometimes I go to bed deathly ill. I cope by being careful what I eat

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

I ended up with an open incision and the staples, ugh was I ready to get rid of them!

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

None now, in the beginning it was important.

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

It's wide and ribboned. I'm having it removed with Plastic Surgery this year and well as having things put back where they belong on my body in general

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

After I'd lost about 100 lbs I hit a plateau for a while. But I made a few adjustments with each plateau and the weight continued to drop

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yeah, well there's no comparison to the way I was previously trated