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

I'd found OH through a link from another web site and I'd been thinking about it for year or so. It was about 5 years ago and I still felt I was young enough to lose weight on my own and I'd only ever resort to surgery if I had no options left.

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

My first attempt was a flat out refusal from my insurance company. I worked for a place that was owned by a tightfisted corporation and they were self insured. The only person I could bring my fight to was the director of human resources and he told me the insurance policy expressly denies weight loss surgery even if it would help alleviate other health issues. There was no appeal process or higher ups to go to. That was it.

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

My first visit with my surgeon went very quickly. He felt I was a prime candidate given my age and overall health. Because I had done so much research during the past 5 years, there was nothing about the procedure he couldn't tell me that I hadn't already read or heard. He did tell me about his experience, his techniques, what he expected the hospital stay to be like, etc. I think the best thing anyone can do is start writing down questions you have long before you get to that appointment. Don't be afraid to ask anything, including the mortality rate of their patients.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The fact that I had passed my 40th birthday and it was only getting harder and harder to lose any weight. I felt that if I didn't do it soon, my chance for a healthy life will pass me by and "someday" won't come for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

By researching all the different options, the success rate of each one, the severity of each one, and patient recovery stories from each one. Knowledge is power, learn ALL that you can!

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 think everyone has those fears. Mine, oddly enough, are not about not waking up but instead about leakage and infection. I am making a living will to leave with my husband even though he already knows my wishes. There will not be a repeat of the Terri Schaivo case. All in all, I decided that if I don't have the surgey, I'm still going to die young from the severe obesity coupled with my family history of heart disease. I have to give this a shot. Plus I have confidence in my surgeon.

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?

Almost everyone was very supportive. My kids were a little wary (they are 19 and 21) because they were afraid of me dying on the table. Otherwise, all of my friends and family recognized how this could benefit me because obesity has played a role in the deaths of many of my relatives.

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

My supervisors were almost as excited for me as my family! They had no problem with me taking off 4-6 weeks and possibly longer if I need it. One of the supervisors I spoke to had this surgery done 2 years ago by the same surgeon so she had lots to share with me. I feel I am lucky my employer is so understanding.

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

My hospital stay was pretty typical although the nursing staff was top notch. I've had some awful nurses in my past hospitalizations and the nurses that took care of me were all wonderful here. I was only in for 3 days with 1 extra day at a nearby hospitality house in case of complications. Slip on shoes and bathrobe for walking the halls, my hairbrush and deodorant were probably the best things to bring with me. Hospitals will pretty much be able to provide anything you've forgotten so packing a big bag isn't needed.

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

There were no complications from surgery outside of a low iron count but I mainly attributed that to my monthly cycle ending right before surgery.

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 nervous but more excited because getting this date was a long time in coming. Any anxiety I did feel was alleviated by learning everything possible about what was going to happen to me. The day before the big date, my surgeon had me attend a class given by a nutritionist (and former patient) who lets us know everything that is going to happen, and what to expect. It really helps that there are no surprises.

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

My first week home, there was still some pain, but I stayed away from the pain meds as much as possible. It was hard to stand straight up, but walking is very important during this time. My surgeon advises "mall walking" where there are benches to sit at if you need to sit, and no potholes or uneven ground to trip and fall on. If at all possible, have a spouse, relative, friend, or neighbor stay with you during that first week home. You absolutely CAN'T bend over to pick things up and I never realized just how often I bend over until I'm not able to! I couldn't feed my pets because I couldn't get their bowls off the floor, and that was something I hadn't even considered. Plus we're not supposed to drive that first week either, so having help at hand should definitely be arranged.

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

I live in another state than my surgeon/hospital but it is only a 1 hour drive. It doesn't really affect my aftercare except that my husband needs to take a day off work to take me to the surgeon's office post op since I'm not able to drive. Him being active duty military means a big production with lots of forms when he needs to take time off. After driving restriction is lifted, there are no issues with aftercare.

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.

In the early days post op, my surgeon kept me at full liquids then soft foods like mashed potatoes and refried beans as well as my protein shakes. So far I haven't encountered anything that my pouch won't tolerate though. In the first few weeks I tried scrambled eggs which made me sick because I didn't chew. I never had to chew scrambled eggs before so I learned the hard way. At four weeks I'm still on soft and semi-solid foods but right now the only things that are off limits is red meat and pork (stringy meats) bread, rice, popcorn, carbonated and caffeinated drinks, alcohol, high sugar and high fat foods. Updated at 9 weeks out. I've had no problems with any foods being tolerated yet, and only a little problem with dry foods like fish or chicken getting stuck. If I mix the offending foods with some cottage cheese, it slides right down.

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

Minimal at first, I walked small distances at first, with my longest outing being a grocery trip to Walmart. I spent about 30 minutes walking and I was so tired I fell asleep when I got home!

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

Building Blocks chewable multivitamin x 2 per day Building Blocks chewable calcium x 4 per day Building Blocks non-chewable iron 30 mg x 1 per day Update: At 9 weeks out, I switched to OptiSource, but after this bottle is gone, I'm switching again. I don't want to have to order my vitamins from online, but my nutritionist doesn't like OptiSource because of the calcium carbonate it uses for it's calcium source. Plus it has the iron and calcium together in one tablet and she doesn't like the absorption issues. I may try Centrum chewables along with some Citrical chews after this bottle is gone.

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've been very lucky so far in that I've not experienced much in side effects. I've had a couple of bouts with nausea and vomiting from not chewing well, or eating too much. They resolved themselves in a couple of hours. No dumping because I stay far far away from sugar and fat. No hair loss yet, but that still may be in my future.

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

The worst part so far, and I write this at 1 week post op, was the day after surgery. I couldn't find a comfortable position, my incision hurt too much to really move around, it hurt like mad to get out of bed and walk, and I couldn't drink more than tiny sips of water/juice while my mouth was dry as a desert from the anesthesia. Lingering effects of anesthesia is one of the worst feelings in the world. You're not really in a daze and out of it, you just generally feel like crap.

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

Aftercare is very important. If anyone has questions before surgery, you'll have a thousand times more questions after it. You really need someone you can talk to and ask questions in the early days. My surgeon and nutritionist both have given patients their home and cell numbers in case they are needed, plus our support group members have an email group on yahoo, that also includes the surgeon, so we can ask questions at any time and talk to people who have gone through the experience. ObesityHelp.com has been my biggest source of post op support though.

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

I was cut from sternum to bellybutton. My husband called me Frankenbelly when I still had staples in. Since I'd seen other patients of my surgeon and they showed their scars, I was expecting similar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I don't think I've hit a real plateau yet, but a stall that lasted for a week or two, yes. Quite by accident, I discovered the scale moves again if I eat MORE, so I guess I have been in starvation mode every time I stalled out. In hindsight, that is probably what wrecked every diet I've ever tried for the past 20 years as well.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

So far, I have not noticed people treating me any differently at all. Some people will ask how much I've lost so far, or will stop to tell me I'm shrinking and looking good, but I don't consider that more than idle curiosity. I would expect that post op.