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

Carli Wilson

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

my insurance approved me in just a few weeks

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

i was scared at first but Dr. Vig was a real sweetheart. make a list of everything you can think of to ask at your first meeting.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i wanted to live life not just exist.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my Dr. advised me in the decision.

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 tried to have this surgery for 3 years, each time I was scared, and each time I was not approved. This time I had a peaceful feeling, like God was telling me "Now is the right time my child, everything is going to be ok." and everything was.

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 is supporive of my decision and are helping me in my recovery.

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

My boss was great, she is even thinking about getting the surgery. I was only out of work for 7 weeks and 2 days.

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 wonderful, all of the nurses were so kind and careing. I think one of the most important things to bring is a calling card if you are going to be out of your local area, (so you can make phone calls to loved ones at your convienence) I could not make long distance calls from my room, and a lot of the times my family or friends would call were not at the best of times. Also, an extra pair of underware, and slippers (ones you aren't worried about wearing outside) or a pair of slip on shoes, because...well you aren't going to be bending over to tie your shoes anytime soon.

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

No, I think this was the best thing I could have done for myself and my family.

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 felt calm and at peace. I wasn't anxious or moody, it just felt right! That is how I knew it was the right time to have the surgery.

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

Expect to be going to the potty every couple of hours as your body starts to get rid of the extra fluids from the IV's. Sleep in a room close to the bathroom if you don't have a master bathroom. You will be up a couple of times in the night for the first 2 weeks. You will be sore, but do remember to do the breathing exercises, it does help funny as it sounds. And...let others help as much as they can you definately need the rest.

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

I had to travel 2 1/2 hours one way to have my surgery. Needless to say I didn't have visitors until I was ready to go home and my husband (William) came to pick me up. The follow up visits have to be rescheduled at times if the weather is really bad.

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.

The first week was clear liquids, the next two weeks were full liquids, then the next two weeks were pureed foods, no chunks, (by this time you will be going out of your mind for something to chew on.. buy sugarfree gum it helps) the last week you wil be on soft foods, mashed potatoes, macaroni, stews etc. then your on real food again. Chicken is still a problem for me to keep down, even if I puree it, it still has a way of comming back up.

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

My activity level was still low in the days after my surgery, but in the following weeks I gradually started to increase my walking. I was never a strong walker, (I would only walk about 3 miles a day when I was younger) Before my surgery I could only walk short distances (half a city block if that) now I have worked myself up to Twice around my block or 5 1/2 minutes on my tread mill at 2.4 MPH.

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

Bugs Bunny Sugarfree Chewables are what I started taking before and up to 6 weeks after my surgery, then I switched to the prenatal pills my Dr. prescribed for me.

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?

The nausia was the worst thing for me I think. I only had the dumping effect 1 time that was enough for me. I know I cannot have b-b-q sauce no matter what!! I am only 8 weeks out so I could still experience any of the side effects for an undertermined amount of time.

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

Coughing, and getting in and out of bed. Very, very painfull!! :(

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

I log on to ObesityHelp.com and I e-mail others who have had the surgery. I think this site is the best in the world for pre-ops and post-ops to support each other and you can make really good friends too!!! :)

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

My scar is about 12 inches long and it looks like a worm. If you see a worm on the ground when it stretches out the way it's skin wrinkles andthen gets tight, well that is what it looks like to me. I expected it to look a lot worse than it does. Tip : (Buy plenty of cocoa butter.)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

No plateaus thus far.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, just the other day my son and I were in the car and a nice looking man in a car beside us looked over and guestured for me to call him. My son and I just laughed. My son said "Mom you are starting to look like a "hottie" not trying to be funny or anything." I have to laugh even harder cause I can;t picture myself as a so called "hottie". ROFLMBO