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

I first found out about Bariatric surgery on television. My first reaction was "That is so drastic". I have now come to realize that what is drastic is the long list of diets and fast I have put my body through already.

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

I didn't have a stuggle at all. My surgeon sent a letter of medical nessecity, and eight weeks later I am on my way. The waiting was the hardest part. Your emotions go all over the place. Sort of like being held hostage while someone decides your future.

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 was great. He was very specific in his answers to my questions, he explained several procedures to me. We discussed which he thought would be better for me. I would say the best way to get the most from this first meeting, is to be brutally honest with your surgeon. I mean after all this is the person that is going to give you the tool to change your life. Tell him how you feel about certain things and truely listen to his answers. If you pick an experience surgeon he has been doing this a long time and will not steer you wrong. Also a positive attitude is a must. Don't go in his office telling him you are misserable and fat. He already knows that. Tell him why you want to do this to change your life. Tell him how this would benifit your life. By all means if you can bring someone with you for support.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

This was in no means a snap decison on my part. I have been researching this weight loss option for over a year now. I really think was influenced my decision the most was information. The more I learned and the more post op patients that I had contact with the more confident I became in my decision.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I went to my surgeon asking for the Roux en y. I did discuss with him the different procedures, and let him tell me what he recomended for me. He said I would be a great candidate for Lap Rny. I then told him that a scar was the least of my worries and if he thought that open would be better I was not going to quibble over which he did.

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?

In the weeks leading up to my surgery I was really nervous. I even wrote letters to my children and husband in case I died. I was really scared about two weeks before surgery up until my pre op test. Afterwards though, the week before surgery I was really calm. and ready for my surgery.

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?

My family and friends that knew about my decision were very supportive. I don't know what I would have done without them. I however didn't tell everyone. I felt that I did not want to deal with any negative comments or feelings just now. That is not to say I will not tell them about it after my surgery. I just think this is my choice and also my choice to have postitive energy around me througth the most stressful time.

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

I am a stay at home mom.

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

My hospital stay was pleasant. The staff was attentive, and very concious about my pain managment. I do have to say that they were very prepared for bariatric patients. They even had a high protien menu for me after surgery. All the liquid items that came on my tray as well as jello and pudding had protein powder added. It didn't change the taste of anything and was very good.

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

No complications what so ever.

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 nervous wreck the weeks before surgery. My family and friends helps alot. The funny thing is that after I had my preop test, i was very calm about the whole thing. So I was ok right up until my big day. I don't know what difference having my pre op test made, but it made some difference for me.

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

Eating all liquids was tough at first, but I got used to it and was moving on to soft foods in no time. The hardest part was that my tummy muscles were so very sore and getting around was much harder. I learned to appreciate the little things like getting out of bed by myself, shaving my legs, and sitting and standing alone.

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

I only had to travel 20 miles from home. A mere stones throw. My aftercare had been fantastic. My Dr. doesn't have an answering service, so anytime I call I get him on his cell phone.

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.

Since surgery I have really had no trouble eating anything that I have tried except for Bread. That is a huge NO NO. I only ate it once, and it felt like it got stuck in my pouch for hours. I am only two weeks out right now though and that could change later on. Now nine months post op, I know sugar is a huge no no for me. I can have it in very limited amounts, which is good for me. I don't eat sweets often, or didn't used to, but when I did look out. Now I can have a bite or even two of a desert, and that is my limit. I can live with that, it is no longer a big deal. I miss eating ice cream trmendously. I can't even look at the stuff. I think it is the fact that it has so much sugar and melts to a liquid which goes right into my system. Anything liqud that might have sugar I have to be really careful of. I also have had trouble with pork. Dr Stoner said stick to pork and chicken for the first six months and don't eat beef. It turned out that I could eat beef but would throw up pork everytime I tried to eat it. I also have to be very careful with pasta. It takes a bit for it to settle and before I know it I have eaten to much and will be miserable for a couple of hours, or throw up the exess. The best thing that I do now is eat on a saucer, keeps me eating what I need to and not even attempting to over eat. When everyone tells you that things will get better every day that is so true. You have to keep trying things even if you can't eat it one week, you might be able to the next. I can pretty much eat anything now, even pork, and have learned my limits. Mostly through trial and error which is a rough way, but has worked.

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

Right now, (two weeks post op)I am walking everyday that I can. I still don't go alone yet because I get so tired. I am walking four blocks from home and then walking back. In another week I hope to add one more block to it. When I get the ok from my Dr. at one month from surgery I hope to be swimming laps again. At nine months post op besides walking, I gardened all summer which was great exercise, I went biking, and did some aerobics, but not much. :o) Now that winter is comming I am going to start swimming laps. With the cold i am already slowing down with my exercise, and seeing my weight loss slow as well.

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

Currently I am taking Iron, Calcium Citrate, and a milti vitamin everyday.

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 my first episode of dumping on flavored childrens tylenol at one week post op. It was horrible. I was nausiated, feeling like I would throw up, headache, and sweats. I went to sleep with an ice pack on my throat and woke up feeling all better so I don't know how long it lasted. I was awake aproximately an hour before going to sleep. Since then I have been very careful with sugar, and have had only one other dumping episode even close to that one. I had no vomiting until my third week, and then it seemed like it was every other day. No reason that I could tell for it other than if what I put in my pouch didn't agree it was comming back up. Lots of experimenting with food over the next three weeks. I finally found what I could eat and couldn't and stuck to it. The best advice Janet(dietitian) at Dr. Stoners office gave me was if I continued to get sick, to go back to soft foods for a day then work solids in slowly like at the beginning. That really helped get me past that stage. The all time worst thing for me with surgery was the hair loss. I was devastated. I had really long and thick hair, and it was comming out by the hand fulls literaly. It started promptly at three months post op and continued until eitht months post op. I cut my hair because seeing all that long hair all over the place was just to depressing. One day in the shower I was in tears. To me this was very hard to deal with. The funny thing was that almost from one day to the next it stoped. Now at almost nine months post op, it is coming back as fast as it fell out. I am on my way to long hair again. Now that I look at it in retrospect, I guess it wasn't so bad but to have so many changes at once was very hard. I didn't want to lose my hair too. No matter what you do, if it is going to happen to you you are powerless to stop it. I took vitamines and every suplement that is supposed to stop it every day. I ate all my protien and it still made no difference.

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

I think I dealt with it all pretty well, everything I expected from all of my research. I didn't however expect to feel the way i did over losing my hair. That was the hardest part for me. I guess it seems simple, but even over weight I had this beautiful hair that everyone made comments about. My crowning glory as it were, and I was losing it. I feel that I was amply prepared for the rest of my experience. Well, maybe not how hard it would be to get up and down after surgery. I had never had any surgery on my abdomen before this, and that was hard. After the healing started and I could get around I was ready for what lay ahead of me.

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

Dr Stoner has a support group meeting that is held once a month. All are welcome pre op and post op alike. It is very helpful to get together with others in your situation and talk about the things that concern you. It is also helpful that different speakers come in and talk about issues that involve this surgery and after care.

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

I really had no expectations. I knew it wold reach from my bra line to my belly button but other than that had no preconcieved ideas about what it would be like. In retrospect though, it is a small price to pay for what I got in return. I am very fair skinned so the light pink to white color it has turned sort of blends in with my skin. It is very obvious even after applying lotions and things to help it heal better. I am not unhappy with the way it looks at all. In short I can live with it.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My very first plateau was at ten months post op. I am currently trying to break it after one hundred and five pounds lost I won't give up on loosing the next fifty pounds that it will take to get me to goal. It is very hard to deal with, and above all you have to stay off of the scale. That will drive you crazy. I have been the same weight for six weeks now. It is very slowly starting to go down again just now.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really, the people who know me know that I am just the same person. The only difference is my outward apearance. They do tell me how wonderful I look. The only person that has treated me differently was my father who never got to know me as an adult because he didn't approve of my weight. Now all of a sudden he want to know me and says that my attitude is different and I am a better person. See my profile for more info on this. It is a long story.