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

I knew someone who had the surgery many years ago. At first, I thought it was a very extreme measure for a seemingly simple problem to correct. Now, while I still believe this is an extreme measure, I am proud of my decision and that I had the guts to follow through with it!

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

I tried several times in 1999, only to be denied by Anthem. According to their policy for this surgery, it was not a medical necessity at the time. I weighed about 50 lbs. less at the time and did not have hypertension and sleep apnea.

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

I was well prepared when I visited the surgeon for the first time. I had already been cleared with a pulmonary specialist, a dietician, and a counselor. After many years of research, I was as ready as a person could get!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Carrying around 300 lbs. and feeling miserable was the last straw for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Open RNY seemed to be the most common and the only one my surgeon performs.

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?

While there are risks with any surgery, I particularly felt concerned because it seems that the risk is high with this surgery. But, given my health at the time, the risk was higher that I'd have a heart attack, so I assumed the risk and everything turned out just fine. I would advise that people weigh the risk for their own lives before having this surgery. It's important to you become comfortable with the fact that something could go wrong.

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 brother was extremely concerned about my decision to have this surgery. He did his own research and quickly jumped on the support bandwagen. Now, he is in awe of the weight loss and my improving health.

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

My whole department was in complete support from the beginning, and are now cheering me on as I continue to lose weight. I was off work for 5 weeks.

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

My hospital stay was only two days, which if I had it to do over again, I would have asked to stay one more day or two. However, I was doing so well that they couldn't justify another night's stay. It was very hard to get up and around the first day because of being groggy from the anesthesia and pain meds, but by the 2nd day, I was up and down the halls 2 and 3 times a day. Walking is very, very important to fend off blood clots!

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

I did not have any complications, thank God! My surgery was 1 1/2 hours long, and I tolerated pain medicines very well. I did have a little nausea from the anesthesia, which is quite normal. Be sure to ask for phenegrin, which is an anti-nausea medicine. They will put it in you prior to surgery so when you wake up you'll feel half-way decent.

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

After so much time and effort spent in just trying to get the surgery, the phone call with my surgery date was surreal. I immediately went into panic mode for a few days. That feeling went away and was quickly replaced with a feeling of relief and peace. The biggest hurdle was overcome and I was locked into a date. There were still feelings of anxiety just in realizing what a big step I was about to take, but it's important to always remember that your alternative is to continue to live a miserable existence without the surgery.

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

I did great for the first 2 weeks. I started my protein right away, and began taking the chewable vitamins, taking in all the necessary water, and eating very well. Then the nausea set in, and I mean extreme nausea. Some people have this problem and others do not. For me, nausea was a definite problem that has stuck with me even 13 weeks post-op. I took home with me Promethazine, which an anti-nausea medicine. My surgeon told me not to take it though, because it's job is to empty out the contents of the stomach, thereby removing the reason for the nausea. The medicine was not working for me either. The surgeon recommended, instead, to go back to just fluids until I felt good enough to try soft foods again. This worked, although I still feel nauseous every morning. I have learned to just be patient and try to get in my food and water. By the afternoons, the nausea just seems to disappear.

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

I traveled all of 15 miles to the hospital.

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.

At 13 weeks post-op, chicken is still a big problem for me. Although I haven't "flirted" with sugar, I seem to be one of those people who can tolerate higher sugar content. This new lifestyle is very important to me. I refuse to even try foods/drinks that might cause me to: 1) fall back into old habits; or 2) cause my body distress. I am start enough to realize that the first 6 months is my time to eat better and get into new habits. I refuse to do carbonated beverages, although I know a few people who do them regularly after this surgery, and I absolutely do not over-fill my pouch!!!

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

I walked frequently, if only from one of my house to the other. I gradually increased my activity level by the 2nd week and was outside walking through the neighborhood at least 3 times a day. At 13 weeks post op, I am at the YMCA 2-3 times a week hitting the treadmill and stationery bike.

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

I started taking flintstones chewable vitamins twice a day. At 9 weeks post op I switched to Theragram multi-vitamins. At 13 weeks post op, I am starting to take in calcium citrate and b12.

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?

Nausea has been a source of trouble for me since about 2 weeks post op, and continues to this day. I had dumping syndrome a few times, and it was miserable and very scary!!! At about 10 weeks post op, I began to lose my hair, which continues today. I am not worried about losing hair because it will eventually grow back, but anything causing dumping syndrome I intend to avoid like the plague!

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

Not finding a good tasting protein!!!!!!!! If someone would make a magic pill for this, you'd make a million dollars!!!

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

Imnotfatanymore.com is a wonderful support group. They meet bi-monthly, and through the website, you can stay in contact daily with others who have had this surgery thereby sharing victories and facing problems together. Find a support group!!!!

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

My scar is a dark pink line, and doesn't bother me a bit. I have had other surgeries, so my body kind of looks like a battle ground anyway. There are creams on the market that help fade the scar, but I have not tried them.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateued twice in my weight loss journey so far. Both times was because I was not taking in enough protein and nutrition. The body stops all metabolism and thinks you are starving.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes! Having been on both sides of the weight dilemma, being obese brings out the worst in people. Because of the society we now live in, I was made to feel that being obese was almost criminal. People had a hard time even acknowledging my presence, especially store clerks! Now that I'm inching my way back down, I'm noticing that people are looking me in the eye, holding doors for me, and smiling a lot more. I had one man refuse to date me because he didn't want to open "THAT CAN OF WORMS", meaning he thought my obesity meant I had emotional difficulties.