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

The first time I heard of it was when that singer... drawing a blank at the moment had the surgery. I actually didn't think much of it at the time but a few years later it was like a light bulb went off in my head and was like "hey why can't I do that?"

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

I got denied on my first attempt but my mother helped me write an excellent letter to fight my case. That worked like a charm and was able to be approved after that.

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

I thought he was kind of a jerk. I was kind of surprised at how long it was going to take to have surgery. He had a year plus wait... that was discouraging and when I let him know I was bummed at that he gave me an attitude about how I did this to myself and it didn't come on over night so it wasn't going to come off over night.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

When I decided to do it, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. I thought "why can't I do that?". That was it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I love sugars and greasy foods so I wanted to have an aversion to them that you get from RNY.

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 didn't think about it until I was being prepped for surgery. Then I actually said to my husband "I can't believe I'm doing this... I'm here because I want to be here not because I have to be here". I definately got scared right before they did the emergency surgery on me... at that point I freaked out and cried because I was afraid for my son.

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?

Everyone was very supportive. My mom helped me a great deal and my dad took care of my son while my husband worked and I was recovering.

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

I was 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?

I was at USC Medical Center. My stay was not good. the nurses during the day were great however the night nurses were horrible! After being taken out of ICU I needed Oxygen and the nurse "forgot" to turn it on. Luckily, a friend was there who noticed that something was wrong with me... if not for her I might not have woken up at all.

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

I did have a complication. After the surgery I had some unexplained internal bleeding and had to have an emergency surgery to find the cause of the bleeding. The emergency surgery went well and what ever was causing the bleeding was stopped. I also had to have blood transfusions and was very sick. Even though that happened I would still have the surgery again. But, it was very scary.

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 so excited. I was really surprised how quickly I got approved and had the surgery. I got approved in March of 04 and had the surgery in May. My surgeon normally has a year wait but I somehow skipped that and got in early. The nurses in his office told me I was very lucky.

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

It was really hard. I think harder for me because of the complications and second surgery. I ended up staying in the hospital for 8 days... much longer than I had expected. When I got home I felt totally exhausted and had no energy. I wasn't hungry but to watch the food channel... strange but true. I did't have energy for the first 3 weeks after coming home (1 month out from surgery) and then started to feel like my old self. the weight came off quickly... 35 lbs in the first month. It was extremely hard to eat anything. Eating was miserable and frustrating. I had a lot of moments thinking "what the hell did I do to myself" That feeling lasted about 3-5 months.

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

I had to travel about an hour and a half to LA. It affected my aftercare greatly... I ended up really not having any.

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.

I started eating slowly. I stuck to soups and soft things at first. I have to admit I didn't stick to liquids as long as my doc told me too. chicken didn't work neither did pasta or rice. It took about a year or so before I could eat normally. Now I can pretty much eat what ever I want... I just stop as soon as I begin to feel that full feeling.

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

I had no energy at all for a month.

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

right now I take prenatals but I haven't been on a vitamin regimin at all after surgery. I have had my blood checked an all my levels are normal.

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 a lot of hair loss. Dumping also was bad but worth it... taught me not to eat bad things!

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

The complication that casued me to need the emergency surgery and the nurse who forgot to turn on my oxygen... so I guess the hospital stay.

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

I come to this website. to be honest I haven't really felt the need for after care.

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

I have several scars. they've faded over the years but one is still pretty bad... the incision opened and so it left a bad scar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The weight came off quiclky. I had a plateau every now and then but just worked through it. Eventually they ended and more weight came off.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. I can go to a normal sized clothing store without the sales people asking me "how they could help me" Men look at me and flirt.