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

a friend of mine had it done, and my 1st thought is "she is taking the easy way out".

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

this was pretty much uneventful for me, the only roadblock I had was having to have an in-person psych. eval, instead of the online one I did 1st.

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

one word...LONG it was a 4 hour appointment, where they did several tests including checking for the bacteria that causes ulcers. There was alot of information thrown at me all at once from the dietician to the Dr. himself. I would say, TAKE NOTES

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Given the life expectancy of 56, and my diabetes was getting out of control, and watching my father die a long painful death from it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I chose the gastric bypass over the lap band for several reasons, 1. it is permanant 2. there is no cheating (if you eat something you are not supposed to have, there are consequences) 3. I have no will power this was the type of discipline i needed, cause if I could cheat, I WOULD cheat!

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?

really, i didn't have any fears, I was so ready to get a 2nd chance at life!

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 husband did not want me to have it done, he was worried I would die, because of all the horror stories he had heard. Family and friends were mixed, but all in all supportive. My husband was alot more at ease after he met with my doctor, and educated himself a little more.

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

My employer was supportive, but my supervisor was negative (but you have to understand- she is a "barbie" and her thought are, push the plate away fatty, and work out and it will fix itself). I was out of work 2 weeks, and I had an open surgery.

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 miserable, I walked the hall all night, cause I couldn't get comfortable, and was in so much pain. (i had a pain pump- on-Q pump- but the line was kinked, so it did no good) I was in the hospital just over 24 hours.

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

Just had alot of scar tissue from a previous surgery, so the doctor had to do an open procedure instead of the minimal evasive like planned, and it took alot longer than planned. Just a longer healing time.

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 bouncing off the walls, I cried alot, I was so excited that I was REALLY going to have this life saving procedure...it was like winning the lottery!

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

The one thing I was not expecting was the "blues", it hit hard and fast, I had the "poor pitiful me's", and had no idea why I was so sad. I was also shocked that I had no hunger, and i actually had to REMIND myself it was time to eat...one or two bites, and I was DONE!

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

I traveled about 1 1/2 hours. The ride home from the hospital was horrible, but the rest of aftercare is ok.

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 really didn't have any problems with different types of foods like others, I could eat lots of things right off the bat that most people couldn't eat. 2 weeks out I ate blended green chili stew (which is a very spicy soup here in New Mexico). I could eat eggs, cheese products, chicken and even beef from the very beginning.

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

I started walking circles aroung the inside of my house- you have to understand that before surgery I couldn't even walk from the wal-mart parking lot to the store. My son would have to go inside to get an electric cart just so I could get in the store-and I just progressed more and more each time I walked.

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

I take chewable centrum silver, and cal-trate petites

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?

hairloss is the only thing I have had to deal with, it started around 2 1/2 months out and stopped about 6 months out.

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

Healing from the surgery itself.

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

I go to a local support group once a month, and I also attend a support group once a month that is all from the same doctor that did our surgery. I also work with a gastric bypass patient, and my daughters teacher is one as well. I feel that this support is VERY important, because you might have your friends and family, but it isn't the same!

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

It is about 8 inches from my sternum down towards my belly button. It is alot bigger than I thought it would be, but I had an open procedure, and was expecting a minimal evasive.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had SEVERAL plateau experiences, and they are annoying as hell! It is like I will lose 4 pounds overnight, and then don't lose anthing for 6 weeks!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh yes...My daughter is a Varsity cheerleader, and at tryout time last year, the other mom's would not even speak to me, much less sit by me, etc. Now that I have lost 105 pounds, I go to games, and they go out of their way to talk to me, and even have invited me to share a suite at State cheer competition, but I declined..if they were too good to talk to me then, then they are too good to talk to me now. I am still the same me I always was (inside anyway :)). Men would once look at me in discust, now stop and open doors for me, and watch me walk by.