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

I'm not entirely sure how I found out about the procedure. I knew about it for some time before I really convinced myself that it was the step I needed to take. I had told myself that I wasn't THAT bad, and that I could do it on my own. Initially, I thought it was too drastic and that I would be very unhappy if I couldn't UN-do it. That alone says a lot about where I was with food addiction!

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

I had my surgery so long ago, right after Carney Wilson and Al Roeker had their procedures and right before it got so overwhelmingly popular. There was a great psychology process that had to be gone through, and I had to prove that I had YEARS of attempts with trying to do weight loss on my own and years of therapy before my insurance would consider it. I had Blue Cross/Blue Shield at the time, and my BMI was so high that it really only took them a day to approve it. It was much easier than I expected it to be.

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

My surgeon was very rogue, kind of. He was the only doctor in Iowa that was doing laproscopic procedures. He had done only a few at the time I found him. He was an ER surgeon, and I thought "well, if something goes wrong while he's in there, at least he'll know how to fix it!" And, I spoke with another gal who had her RNY with him (found her on here, actually!) and she was very pleased. I think that a person just knows when they've met the right surgeon. Just know that you are not limited to one doctor who can perform the surgery you're looking for.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was desperate for change, and I was willing to suffer to have that progress in my life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I went with statistics. I knew I needed something that had the best results that would be long lasting.

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 pretty young, so I wasn't worried about dying. :) I had an abdominal surgery prior to that (gallbladder removal) so I knew it was gonna hurt and I knew what I needed to do to recover and make my recovery go as smoothly as possible. I did have one small complication in that I needed to have an endoscopy to move my scar tissue out of my anastamosis, but that was all. You have to be willing to acknowledge that there are going to be fears going into having surgery, but is the fear of living another day in the shell you're in greater than the fear of trying this?

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?

They were SO overwhelmingly supportive and they knew the pain I was in and they had seen me try other things. They saw how overweight my mother was, and they wanted me to have better for myself.

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

They too were very supportive. They let me take the time off of work that I needed and return at my own speed. They accomodated my absence and recovery as I needed them to. They were wonderful. I only was gone for a week, but I came back to a mostly sit-down job, so I had it pretty easy.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

There was no "information seminar" at the time I had my surgery. There was just this website, this awesome website. :)

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

My stay in the hospital was great. I was there for two nights, only because I wasn't staying in the same city where the hospital was located. I would say not to worry about what to bring. Let that hospital provide for you! That's their job!!!

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

I had one small complication initially. About a month after my surgery, I had some really bad hearburn and we noted that my scar tissue had closed in and was blocking my new opening. I had an endoscopy where they used a balloon to open that back up, and I was a new woman after that. :)

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

Oh my word, I was SO excited! I only had to wait a month, and it couldn't come fast enough!!! I wasn't anxious in a bad way. I was totally stoked to move forward with change.

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

I experimented with the foods I could tollerate, but not to any extremes. I remember when I tried my first scrambled egg, I was SO excited I could eat it! I just took things nice and slow. Don't push yourself. Follow your surgeons instructions, and walk walk walk as much as possible. Get your body moving, but stay within the limits given to you. Don't push the food. You've had plenty thus far! Enjoy being full!!! You've been waiting for that natural feeling for SO long!

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

I traveled 3 1/2 hrs away from Des Moines, Iowa to Sioux City, Iowa. I stayed with my mother in a town only an hour away from Sioux City for a week after my surgery.

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 could eat anything mushy. I ate eggs, mashed potatoes, and a lot of pre-digested protein! It was not tasty at all, and luckily, manufacturers have come a long way in creating far more pallatable ways to get in the protein you need after surgery. I was unable to eat meat. No matter how much I chewed it up, I was unable to eat it without getting sick. I could eat fish, but I didn't eat it very often (mind you, now that I am 8 years out, I eat meat all the time just fine!). The only item I find now that I cannot eat is cereal. It never seems to fail that when I eat cereal, I have the classic "dumping" syndrome. I have had this problem when I eat pancakes or waffles at a restaurant. I assume that this is from the incredibly high amounts of sugar in the syrups served. Whatever the reason, I just avoid it. And, I don't miss it at all.

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

The very same day I had surgery, I got up and started walking and I never stopped. I was up and walking the halls of the hospital as very often as I could without the nurses telling me I needed to stop. When I was discharged, I walked around the block at home constantly. A month after surgery, I joined a gym and went very religiously.

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

Because of my age, I take a multivitamin pack with several vitamins. I also get a B12 injection monthly for the anemia that occurs due to the surgery.

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 vomitting from food that was not able to pass through for the first month after my surgery (this wasn't constant, it happened quite randomly). The hair loss wasn't too terrible. I didn't have much dumping syndrome, luckily.

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

I think the worst part was the little hickup I had with the scar tissue closing in instead of healing correctly. The rest of it was everything I knew it was going to be. It saved my life! It gave me life! And, I would do it over and over again if I had to!

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

I have looked for an Overeaters Annonymous group here in Des Moines, but have lucked out. The biggest support group I have is my church! They have loved me through it all!

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

I have several small scars, and they just look like little connect the dot marks in combination with my others. :)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I experienced the typical plateau effects that occur with rapid weight loss. I just pushed through them. I knew, from earlier attempts, that it would pass. It was going to take patience, and I had to continue to work.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh absolutely! There is a huge stigma attached to being overweight. Big people are portrayed as lazy, unmotivated, undiscipled, and just ugly. I instantly realized a greater sense of ease obtaining the roles I was hoping to get when auditioning for theatre parts.