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

I met a woman at work who mentioned she had lost over 100 pounds in the last year. I started asking her questions and she was very open about her experience with bariatric surgery. She seemed to have adjusted easily to the lifestyle changes and she looked fantastic. I was excited to find some hope.

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

I had no trouble with my insurance at all. I was approved over the phone on the first request. The only thing was, since I had recently changed jobs and insurance companies, they double checked with me to make sure this wasn't a pre-existing condition. I had not been seen specifically for weight ever before, so it wasn't a problem. The best advice I can give is to be patient. Waiting for approval seems like it takes forever and it is easy to start worrying about not getting approved.

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

My first visit was fairly brief, but informative. He took my measurements to make sure I would likely qualify and then went through the procedure and some of what life would be like post-op. To get the most out of the meeting, go in with as much information as possible so you are prepared to ask questions that may go beyond just the basics.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I tried one last ditch effort to lose the weight through dieting. It failed miserably. I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to spend the rest of my life hating myself for being overweight - especially if there was something I could do about it that would actually work.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My friend from work and her mother both had the lap RNY. I read the obesityhelp.com website daily and it just seemed the RNY was the way to go as far as getting long-lasting results. I went with lap instead of open because, honestly, I just didn't want that big scar.

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 had very few fears. I didn't have a lot of comorbidities and was in relatively good health, so I figured I didn't have much to worry about. I thought the majority of people who had complications were those who had serious health problems before surgery. Now that I am post-op and have gone through so much, I would advise everyone to think seriously about the possibility of complications or death and to prepare as much as possible. It is ultimately a decision no one can make for you and you just have to weigh the possible good versus the possible bad.

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?

The people closest to me were not thrilled about my decision to have surgery. They felt I was just fine as I was and worried that I wasn't fully aware of what I was getting into. Those who were not as close were all for it, mostly (I think) because they saw the end result and were not as concerned with what it would take for me to get there. I wouldn't have really communicated things differently, but I would have been more open to listening to the differing opinions of loved ones instead of insisting I knew it all. My family was incredibly supportive after surgery. They were there for me in a way I never could have anticipated.

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

My supervisor was fine with my decision since I took my vacation time to have the surgery. I told him I had to have surgery and that was all, I offered no additional information. I planned to be out of work 2 weeks, but ended up being out 3 weeks. Of course, I had some complications so I had to take several more weeks off and eventually told my supervisor exactly what was going on. He was very supportive.

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

I don't remember a lot about my hospital stay. I was pretty out of it most of the time. I was over-sedated my first night post-op and things just didn't get a lot better. I remember being so thirsty I thought I would go crazy. I was there 6 days, 2 days longer than planned. Again, since all I did was sleep, I didn't need anything I brought except my toothbrush.

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

Yes, I had several complications. I had acute renal failure and ended up back in the hospital for a week. I've been having periodic follow-up appointments for the 4 months following surgery. I also had a very difficult time keeping food and water down, so I was readmitted twice for dehydration and malnutrition. I ended up having to get a feeding tube put in for 6 weeks. It was very discouraging and I went through some depression. I relied heavily on my family to help me cope.

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 quite nauseous for several weeks post-op and became very tired from the lack of nutrition I was able to get in. I started to get very nervous about not being able to even drink water. I just had to take it one day at a time and do the best I could.

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

My first few weeks are hopefully not what most people experience. I was sick constantly. I was very thirsty, but unable to drink very much at all. What little food I could get down usually stayed down, but I was throwing up mucous many, many times each day and I threw up all of the liquids I took in. It was exhausting.

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

I traveled 6 hours to have my surgery. It was tough for aftercare, especially considering all of the complications. I had to make several trips back after surgery and it became very expensive for my family to be with me through it all.

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.

After the nausea settled and I was able to start eating (about 2 1/2 months post-op), I started with mostly the pureed stage. Cottage cheese, hard cheese, eggs and soups felt like they settled the best. I was able to move on to solid foods fairly quickly, though, and I started to add more meats. Tuna and chicken were the easiest at first, but only a couple of weeks later I could tolerate ham, bacon, sausage, and beef. Potatoes and pastas felt very heavy for a while, but I can eat them in smaller quantities with no problem. So far, only bread has been off limits. I am able to eat it just fine, but 2 bites are enough to make me very full. I am able to eat about 4 grams of sugar and haven't attempted to build up a tolerance. I have also had a bad reaction to the sugar in milk, so I try to avoid that.

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

I was very tired from lack of nutrition during the first couple of months after surgery, so my activity level was very low. The first two weeks after surgery I did nothing. I forced myself to go out and walk in the evenings as much as I could for the next few weeks until the lack of food caught up to me and then I stopped almost all activity until after I had my feeding tube removed. My activity level increased dramatically almost immediately after I was able to start eating again.

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

I have been taking VistaVitamins. They have chewables and capsules, but I was not able to tolerate the chewables.

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?

Oh gosh, I had them all. The nausea and vomiting were definitely the worst for me. The lasted over 2 months before suddenly going away almost completely. I've only dumped a few times and there really isn't much you can do except wait it out, so I just try to avoid things that make me dump. The hair loss didn't start until almost 3 months post-op. I cut some of my hair to reduce its weight and I just try not to put a lot of products or use the hairdryer or curling iron any more than I absolutely must.

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

Without a doubt, the nausea and vomiting. It was so frustrating because I couldn't begin to adjust to the lifestyle changes I knew were waiting for me. After those problems got under control, the main things have just been learning my limits and adjusting to an entirely new way of looking at food.

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

I don't have any support group or aftercare program. I have been to one support group meeting about an hour from here, but no one with my surgeon was there. Mostly, I depend on my friend who had surgery and my mom for support. I think it is critical to have some sort of post-op support network.

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

I have 5 small scars. 2 are about an inch long and 3 are about 1/4 of an inch. Its better than I expected!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am currently on my first plateau after losing 47 pounds. It has been about a week since the plateau began, but I've been losing inches even though I'm not losing pounds. I've gone down almost and entire size just during the plateau.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. I notice men looking at me more now when I'm in public, but probably the most noticeable thing is how customers treat me at work. People at work are not as condescending and dismissive toward me as they were before. Also, people from work are inviting me to do things after work more often. I believe part of that is because I have more confidence than I did when I weighed more.