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

I work in the public and see alot of people that has had WLS. I have 2 friends that had it done and it was Kelly that made me decide that gastric bypass was the way to go.

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

I ahd no problems at all getting approved. My husbands insurance was great. I got approved in about 2 days of the office visit. Since we had met our deductable for the year I had to pay nothing for the surgery.

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

My doctor just went over the procedure with me and asked if I had any questions. I knew I wanted it done so the first visit didn't take long at all. You have to be dedicated to your decision and know that you don't have to be fat forever.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Looking at me in pictures. I look like I was blowing up like a balloon. I had to get back to being me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor recommended 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?

Everyone takes to the surgery differently. It is the chance you take with any surgery. You have to have an open mind and be will to take the blunge. My biggest fear was it wouldn't work...lol. I am a firm believer now.

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?

They were trying to tell me of people they knew that had the surgery and what problems they had. How this person had lost too much too fast and looked horrible. Everyone advised me not to get skinny too fast because it is not healthy.

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

My employer did not have a problem with it. I had only 2 weeks of vacation and they told me to be off as long as needed....without pay of course once the vacation time ran off. I was out all together 6 weeks.

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

I was in the hospital for 3 days. I really loved all the nurses and my room felt homey.

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

I did have a few complications. After I got into my room from recovery I got very sick. I spent the whole night throwing up blood which at first scared the daylights out of me! IT WAS A NIGHT FROM HELL!!! The other complication landed me back into the hospital just 4 days after coming home. They day after coming home from the hospital I got bad pains in my lower stomach and ended up with bad intestinal virus. I went to the ER and they ran test thinking I has contracted CDEF. All the good bacteria in my intestines was wiped out and taken over by bad bacteria. I lost 20 lbs in a week because I couldn't stay out of the bathroom. I spent 3 more days in the hospital on IV's then gained back 6 lbs, I guess that is how dehydrated I was.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

The 2 months couldn't go fast enough!!! I never did second think about what I was signing myself up to do.

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

Again, everyone is different. My first week home was no walk in the park by a long shot, but it happens. If it wasn't for the intestinal virus it would have been bad.

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

My doctor and hospital is about a little over an hour away. After making a few trips to Northern VA I started getting pretty tired of the trip but knew in the long run would be worth it.

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.

Nothing fried, breaded or greasy of course. Only soft foods. I was to puree everything but tried to pick things that was soft and could be chewed good.

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

Still tired and no energy. I did try to walk as much as possible.

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

At first I got for a multi vit the Sentrum chewables. YUCK! I was sooo glad to finally be able to take pills with water. The protein I get at GNC store. It has no carbs and mixed with water. Chocolate is the best.

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?

I had nausea for a few weeks. The most I had in the first week when I was running to the bathroom all the time. I have only really vomited anything up about twice. Sometimes meats don't go done well and I eat the Papaya Enzyme and within minutes I feel better.

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

The sickness after waking up from surgery and the intestinal virus.

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

Just my family here at home. I do not attend any Staple Club meetings because I work and they are too far away for me to go to. If I need a question answered I go to the OH website and post it...I usually get the answers I need. I talking to people the have experience the surgery first hand.

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

I just have a scar about 4 inches long that is horizonal. Not a bad scar. It is healing nicely.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At least once a month I go through a period for one week when the weight lost slows done.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, they all just say how much better I am looking and remind me to be careful and not get too skinny.