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

My Sister-in-Law. I didn't think very highly about that kind of surgery because of all the problems she seemed to be having as a result of it. Now, I have learned that she never should have had the surgery in the first place. My wife told me that she had worn ankle weights to make it appear that she met the weight/BMI standard to qualify. And then, perscription drug use, excessive smoking and drinking. Now she is in bad shape. I will not end up like that.

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

Very smooth. Premium insurance does help.

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

My first contact with my surgeon was at a group presentation where we learned about the staff, the bariatric program at the hospital and the requirements that must be met to be considered a candidate for bariatric surgery. Recommend writing down everything that is said that is not included in the provided materials. For me, some of this information proved to be useful later on.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The day I realized that if I didn't get help getting my weight under control that I probably wouldn't live much longer and if I did, I would probably feel like hammered crap for the rest of my life. Not a pleasant thought at all.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

RNY is the primary procedure offered by the hospital because of the reduced recovery time.

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 was somewhat worried about complications as might be expected. I tried to pay very close attention to my nurse, nutritional specialist and the surgeon and, being a reasonably good judge of character, determined that these people did appear to have my best interest in mind. Ask questions. Be informed. Listen to your heart.

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?

Very positive before surgery and remain so.

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

No problem. I consider this to be a personal matter and only told my employer that I was having a surgical procedure that I could no longer put off. I am a computer systems analyst so I was only technically out of work for 5 days. The second week I started working from home and after my initial follow up(10 days post op) with my surgeon, I started wirking back at the office. Very smooth. I know that my situation is not the norm so I consider myself lucky to have had plenty of sick leave accumulated and to have been able to get right back at it without loosing any pay.

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

Foggy. It took a day-and-a-half to get over the anesthesia, all the while being poked, prodded and receiving a continual barrage of meaningless questions. I was in on Tuesday and out on Thursday. 2 and a half days. Bring a light blanket if you want. My hospital provided everything else (tooth paste, tooth brush, mouthwash, soap, etc...). i really didn't need anything else. If you need anything else, just ask. They want you to get up-and-at-em because you start healing faster that way.

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

No complications.

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

My only anxiety was the anticipation of getting the surgery behind me adn getting well. Time seemed to just drag on forever.

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

The first two days I was sore and tired. No major problems though. I recommend getting up and walking as much as you can. Walking really helped me get circulating and feeling better. Been walking every day some, ever since.

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

2.5 miles. No problems.

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.

No beef, sugar, fatty foods etc... Folloy the Doctors instructions. Do not take a bit of a cheese burger "just to see if you can tolerate it". Wait until about 6 weeks to start experimenting. Give yourself time to heal properly. If you try to go too fast, you will become very familiar with the discomfort of doing so. Go slow. You'll get there. Every day, every week you start to realize those foods that you can or cannot tolerate. Go slow. Small bites.

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

Moderate. Walking around the house during the day and walking the dog in the evening with my wife(about a mile round trip). I had to stop frequestly to rest.

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

Calcium, Protein, Flintstones multi vitamin, vitamin D and actigall(to prevent gall stones).

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 have only experienced dumping one time so far. Recommend staying away from experimenting with mcDonalds cheeseburger. it is not possible to chew it up thoroughly enough. No other complications thus far.

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

Recovering from the anethesia.

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

We have a monthly Support Group Meeting at the hospital. It is very informative and there is a wealth of knowledge and experience at your fingertips just for the asking. Although this meeting is held on the same day as my Civic League Meeting, I try to go every other month. Very informative and it is comforting to be around others who have been through this the same experience.

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

5 teeny, tiny little slit like scars that are beginning to heal up nicely. i can't imagine that there will even be a noticable scar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None so far. Loosing weight at about .8 pounds per day. Some days more, some days less. Only one day did I actually not record a loss and I could have misread the numbers on the scale that morning.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I am trying not to think about that yet.