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

Someone about 20years or so ago had it done. I asked my dr. if he thought I was a good candidate and he said yes. So I thought long and hard about doing this.

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

I had Personal Choice PPO and didn't really have much problems just waiting till the last minute to let me know I was approved !

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

My first visit with Dr. Cha was ok. He explained each of the surgeries he did and advised me what he thought would be best for me. He took his time and did not rush thru the consultation.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The year I went to Niagra Falls for vacation. Even though the hills were not that steep I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest and I had trouble breathing. That's when I told hubby that when I got home I was going to look into it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had a discussion with Dr. Cha. I had been thinking about having the lap band but he said he didn't do that. He also explained that from talking to me he thought I would be able to " out eat" the band. I go on sugar binges and that would defeat the purpose of the band. So after consideration I decided on RNY. Although he does open on patients with a large BMI ( mine was over 50) so I needed mine done open.

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?

My biggest fear was not coming out of the anesthesia. But a year before I started my journey I had half my thyroid removed and I came thru fine so I figured I'd be ok. I did have an infection which put me back in the hospital for a week.

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?

Hubby has been very supportive . My oldest daughter was a little against it because she knew someone who had the surgery and looked bad. The rest of my children seemed supportive. Only one cousin made a comment " you do what you feel you need to do" No one else has really said anything.

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/grandmom so had no problem with that.

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

I was disappointed in my stay. My first day there the nurse was not helpful at all. She put me in a chair ( after I had been given pain meds) left me there for an hour when I finally did get hold of her she said to me " I have another patient that needs me" she left the room again , with me sitting in the chair still ! I talked to a supervisor and told them I didn't want her to help me again ! The next day I was moved and had her again ! She and I had a conversation and I told her how I felt.

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

I was home two days after the surgery and had a terrible smell. My insision was draining bad so I called the doctors office and he said to come in. He started to open me up in the office but realized that the infection needed to be cleaned out extensively. I was in for a week, given three types of antibiotics three times a day. I was taken to the o.r. about three times to be " cleaned out" I was released on my birthday and needed a "wound vac" so when I got hom a home health care worker came in to get it set up and he needed to come in three times a week .

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 was a little anxious before surgery.

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

Since I had an infection my recooperation was a little longer. I needed extra protein thru my GI tube for healing. I carried the wound vac around all the time. I did get to walk around the house but got tired very quickly. I didn't eat much, mostly yogurt, and pureed foods, soups.

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

I was about 4-10 miles from the hospital.

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.

When I was able to eat tuna fish I found out it didn't agree with me. I threw up, and diarheah , haven't had any since. If I eat too many carbs or too much sugar I get very tired and fall asleep almost right away. I try to stay away from bread, rolls, I use soft tortilla rolls for sandwiches.

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

First month or so I was very tired.

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

multivitamins, Calcium Citrate ( citrical chewables) vitron C ( iron and vitamin C ) B-12 1000 a week. Biotin 1000 mcg 2X a day.(to help with hair loss/ thinning)

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?

Being 19 months out I still get very tired if I have too many carbs or alot of sugar ( over 10 grams) If I don't take the biotin I find that my hair thins out a bit.

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

I guess for me it was the pre op taking the bowel prep. that stuff is nasty. But knowing that this was going to make me healthier made it easier to tolerate.

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

I attend the Crozer Support meetings once a month and also I attend a Barix support meeting once a month.

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

My scar was very large. Mainly because I had to be reopened because of an infection. Instead of stitching me back up I had a "wound vac" to help me heal from the inside . It took a while but did heal.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have found that if I don't get enough protein I plateau...quite a lot. I have been "grazing " quite a bit also.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really