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

Like most folks, I'd vaguely heard about people (both friends of friends and celebrities) who'd had it done, but I hadn't looked at it as a serious option. When a friend of mine, whose opinion I greatly respect and who I know wouldn't take such a drastic step without thoroughly researching and being sure, had gastric bypass in July 2009. This led me to thinking about it as a possibility for myself and I began to do the research. The more I learned, the more confident I was that this was the right decision for me. Our local program is particularly well regarded and thorough in making sure that people are fully informed and truly committed to making the changes necessary to succeed.

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

I have Medicare, so everything is done post-op. I still haven't heard anything from them yet, but I expect to be denied (as I don't have any of the three co-morbidities that they require), and have to go through the appeal process.

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

It was quick, but she was very nice and made sure that I understood everything that was required of me. Be prepared ahead of time. Learn all you can about WLS, so that you can go in with a list of any questions you might have. The surgeon probably doesn't have a lot of time to meet with you, so you need to be efficient and be prepared, know what you need to ask.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Having a friend who had the surgery and who has been very successful was the tipping point, but in the end it was me. I was tired of being overweight, unhealthy, not able to do what I wanted to because of my weight, struggling with daily activities, not being able to shop in "regular" stores, etc. Plus, I knew that it would be better and easier on my body to have the surgery now, while I am still relatively young and healthy, rather than waiting until I had full blown diabetes or hypertension, etc.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had originally gone into the process with the idea that I would do banding. But after the orientation session, in which we were thoroughly informed about each procedure, its risks, success rate, and necessary follow-up, I decided that gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y) would be a better fit 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?

My need for the surgery overcame any fears I might have had. I was actually more fearful of the anesthesia, because I'd never had it before. I think that all you can do is to understand what the possible complications are, know what you can do to prevent them (if possible), and trust that your team will know what to do if something does come up. For me, the more knowledge I had, the more my fears were eased. Also, I hoped for the best, but prepared for the worst. I put together an advance directive form which gave specific instructions about who should be responsible for making decisions about my health, and should the worst happen, my wishes for my remains. It was good to know that I had something in place, just in case.

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 was absolutely amazed at how supportive my family, friends, co-workers and doctors have been. I'd heard such horror stories from other folks about how people reacted to the news, that there was a part of me that was ready to back up my decision with information, and to just put my foot down about it, if necessary. But it wasn't. Everyone I told was incredibly supportive, even excited for me, which was a huge relief. I'm only a few weeks out, but so far everyone is still very supportive. My mom is even happy that someone else now eats as slowly as she does! (which she does naturally!)

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

I have the best boss in the world. She was 100% supportive. I was already only working part-time, mostly from home, because of other health-related issues, so I was really only out of commission for about a week before I could start doing things from home. Even though the timing was horrible (we're coming up on our biggest fundraiser of the year), she was so appreciative of any little thing that I could do and understanding if I hadn't been able to do anything at all. I love my boss!

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

The folks at EMMC were fabulous. My surgery was at 7:15am, and I woke up in recovery at about 11:00am. I had a room with a roommate (which I would not recommend if you can avoid it!) and a private bathroom. The nurses and techs varied a bit in their responsiveness and knowledge (my favorite was the guy we dubbed "Nurse Hottie", who was not only pleasant but also extremely competent), but overall it was good. They brought me pain meds when I asked, encouraged me to get up and walk, and other than having to wake me up repeatedly to check my vitals, they pretty much left me alone to do my own thing. I slept a fair amount of the time (the pain meds knocked me out), and when I was up, I walked the ward, watched a little TV, and listened to music. I didn't end up needing most of the stuff that I brought! Probably the most important things were my mp3 player and headphones, and my toothbrush. Everything else was provided to me by the hospital.

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

So far, I have had no complications whatsoever. *knocks on wood*

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 dazed because I got my surgery date much sooner that I expected. I had been at the point where I thought I was going to be going to the insurance company for approval and dealing with that process, but apparently, because I have Medicare, all of that is done AFTER the procedure is completed, so they booked me a surgery date the same day I saw the surgeon. I felt nervous and excited and a little scared, but it was the feeling that I get before starting off on a new adventure or trying something I haven't tried before. Because my surgery date was three months out from that, I had plenty of time to calm down and continue to learn about the process. More information = less anxiety, at least for me.

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

I'm now a little over two weeks out and I feel really good. Amazingly, I felt far better and was much more mobile than I anticipated, right from the get go. My mother stayed with me for the first few days and that made me feel like I wasn't alone if anything should happen (which it didn't). I've had a few bouts of diarrhea, but I referred to the binder of info that I received and my Weight Loss Surgery for Dummies book (which I highly recommend) to reassure myself that nothing out of the ordinary was happening. I haven't yet had a moment when I thought "What did I do to myself???", but I know that will happen at some point. ;)

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

I was quite lucky in that my hospital is, literally, less than a mile down the street. So it's very easy for me to get to appointments, etc.

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 only two weeks out and just starting on semi-solid food, so this may change, but right now my only problems have been with eating things that have too much sweetener (sucralose, Splenda) or sugar alcohols (sorbitol), and MSG. Other than that, everything has done down okay.

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

At two weeks, I have been cleared to do any exercise that doesn't stress my abdomen - mostly walking and riding my stationary bike.

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

I was started with just two chewable children's vitamins for the first two weeks after surgery, but now I am including a calcium supplement (Viactiv) twice a day and B-12 once a week.