Amy L.

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Obesity & Me

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I was a carb and sweet junkie, and an emotional and stress eater. I had tried countless diets, programs, and fitness routines but could never reach a true goal weight, or keep it off for very long.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

Not feeling good about myself, feeling like I was not in my own skin. Hating my pictures. Being uncomfortable in airplane seats, and ride seats. Being tired after walking 1 flight of stairs. Having trouble tying my own shoes. Worrying about my health- my blood pressure, my heart. Worrying that I would not be here to see my kids and grandkids grow up, or to grow old with my husband.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

Shop in normal sized area of stores, rather than the plus sizes. Fit easily in an airplane seat, and on amusement rides. I have energy, and can keep up with my kids.

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

I had thought of it and researched it for years, my initial knowledge came from television programs, and the internet.

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

My surgery was approved by BCBS in one day. Be diligent, do your own "foot work", make sure the letters and documents you need are ready when you need them, not on your doctors' time. I followed the letter sample that my surgeon's office provided and composed one accordingly for my PCP and specialists, and had them sign and stamp them at my office visits so I could deliver them to my surgeon's office myself. For my psych eval, I was fortunate that I already had a psych, so it took her minutes to give me the approval and letter, I got it while I waited after my appointment. make phone calls, go to the offices if you need to, and contact the insurance company to check the status 24hours after you know the info was sent to them. Don't leave anything to chance.

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

I went in to the hospital on Monday morning, waited maybe half an hour before they took me back to get me prepared. I was in the operating room half an hour after that. I don't even remember going in to the operating room because they put a sedative in my IV, so I fell asleep before all the fun started. When I woke up in my room the nurse taught me how to use the pain pump. She taught me to sip water, and gave me some medicine cups and a pitcher. I was in bed that whole day, and slept most of the time. The second day I was up and down to use the bathroom, and I felt like I was being split in two every time I sat up or lay down. I continued to sip, and the nurse got me up to walk the halls a bit, but then I slept again for most of the day and night. I was not in any real pain except when I had to get up, but I hit that pain pump every chance I got. Day 3, Wednesday, I got up and took a sponge bath in the morning, got in to my regular clothes, was in much less pain, and went home that afternoon. The nurses and doctors were wonderful, very caring, and the hospital was very clean and well equipped with it's own Bariatric wing. I took a ton of things with me, but barely used any of it. The only things I used were: bathrobe, slippers, hair brush, clean underwear. The rest was provided for me, and because I was sleeping a lot, I never really watched tv or read any books.

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

When I woke up briefly in the recovery room, my temperature was apparently too low, and they were having trouble raising it. I was at 95-96 degrees, and they covered me with warm blankets, and even put one on my head. Then I fell back asleep, and woke up in my room after that. I had a bad bout of nausea around 2 months post-op. I couldn't stand to eat or drink anything. My surgeon's office was right on it, and they prescribed Zofran. It was like magic, a day or two later I felt so much better, and was able to get back on track. I got strep throat around 3 months post-op, and it was very hard to deal with it. I had a high fever, very sore throat, and body aches & fatigue. Even though I was drinking plenty, I couldn't eat, and I got pretty weak. I was in bed, actually in my bed, for 3 full days. I actually fainted one night while walking to the bathroom, because I had a fever and was dehydrating. A couple days later after my antibiotics started working, I improved quickly, but without proper nutrition, protein, and hydration, it is not easy to recover from an illness once you've had RNY, so it took me a little longer to bounce back.

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

Excited, prepared, ready.

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

Tired, thirsty, a little dizzy, some pain but not too bad, I was off my pain meds 3 days after I came home. Emotions kind of go haywire sometimes, lots of changes taking place, and hormones will shift. Try not to stress so much about protein and calories at this point, just focus on getting enough fluids.

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

15 minutes from home

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 do not eat white foods- bread, pasta, rice, crackers. I do not eat sweets of any kind, no fried foods, no chips or things like that.And, I don't want or crave any of these things either. I do not eat fibrous things like asparagus stalks, peels on fruit or veggies, or seeds. At 4-5 weeks I was on solids and tolerated most things pretty well. I stuck to meats, potatoes, veggies, milk, eggs, things like that. The only trouble I had was with very dense meats, or things that were not moist. I still can't tolerate pork of any kind. I am now able to "gulp" water easily, and take my pills with no problems. I now eat fresh fruit, and salads.

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

I had open RNY, so my recovery was a little longer. For the first week, I did nothing, except bathe, and get up to use the bathroom. Week 2-4 I was able to cook meals, take small trips to run errands, and drive my car. Week 4-5 I was able to return to regular household chores. (I don't work, I am a stay at home mom) Week 6 and beyond I began a regular exercise routine, and returned to all my regular activities.

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

Centrum Multi,Citracal,Biotin,Zinc, Magnesium,Selenium,Folic Acid,Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, B12 injections, Iron.

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

There is a support group at my surgeon's office. I visit my psychiatrist every two months, more if needed. I think both are vital, you need a sounding board, and some place you can go where there are other people who can relate, and you need a professional to help you cope with all your changes and to keep you on track.

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

My scar is what I expected, my surgeon was very clear and very honest about it before surgery. I have a 3 inch vertical scar between my sternum and belly button, and I have a small round "bullet hole" scar to my lower left from the drain tube. Both are still reddish-pink, but will fade over time.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a "mini stall" (not plateau) at 3 weeks post-op, and 3 months post-op where I didn't lose any weight or I fluctuated back and forth for about 10 days.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I am noticed a lot more in public, in a positive way. Some of my family didn't even recognize me at a recent party. I've had nothing but encouragement, and positive complements.
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