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

I work in a large medical organization. Seven other employees have had bariatric surgery in the past two years -- all with great success. I wanted that for myself!

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

No problems.

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

My first visit with the surgeon was a breeze. I had read all of the information in this site and went prepared.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Control of Type II diabetes

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I never considered any procedure but the short limb Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. I had several friends who had successfully had the procedure and were very happy.

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 never thought about death as an option from the surgery but I always thought about death from obesity. I saw the surgery as the light at the end of a long dark tunnel. I was ready to do anything to achieve success. As a weight loss patient and counselor, I talk with patients every day about this procedure being the best thing I ever did for myself. I would do it again in a heartbeat! There is more danger in crossing the street than in having this surgery.

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 family was very supportive. I did not give them any opportunity to make negative comments. I was positive that this was what I wanted and they needed to accept it. They were great.

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

Other than the negative comments about "running up the premiums for all of the other employees" by the HR director, my immediate boss and co-workers were very supportive. I was the eighth employee in a clinic of 145 to have the surgery. Since my surgery another ten have had surgery. We are all doing well and have become more productive employees. My boss, a physician, insisted on calling my surgeon to discuss the procedure and possible outcomes. He was very comfortable after this discussion. I was only out of work for one week. My surgery was on Friday and I was back at work one week later on Monday. My boss had them give me an assistant to run the clinic so that I would not have to be getting up and down a lot (I was open and not laparascopic). All went great!

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

I was in the hospital for five days. Surgery was set for Friday and I arrived at 9:00. I spent the first three days following surgery in ICU since I was opened instead of laparascopic and it was the week-end. All of the staff was very supportive. Don't bring anything to the hospital - you don't need it and you only have to drag it home. Just bring a good book to read.

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

I developed a seroma which drained profusely about two weeks after surgery. I had to pack the opening on a daily basis for two weeks but all went well. And, the best part...I developed a hernia two years postoperatively and now I get a tummy tuck on the insurance company.

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

Elated! Anxious and could not wait to get going. My life was about to begin.

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

I was very tired. Some days it was all I could do to get home from work and lay down on the sofa for a nap. I started B-12 injections three weeks post-op and felt so much better. It took about three months for my energy level to return to normal, but every day was better.

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

Two miles

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 only thing I absolutely cannot drink following surgery is milk. I have developed lactose intolerance for milk but I can drink Carb Countdown. It was hard to do three weeks of liquids following surgery. If I ever see another cup of beef or chicken broth, I will die. But once we added scrambled eggs and chicken, all was good again. I have not had trouble with any foods since surgery and nothing has really been off limits. Nothing makes me dump. I have not really even had any cravings with the exception of chocolate and I can satisfy that with Carb Countdown chocolate milk. I do notice that I really do not care much for meat following the surgery. I tend to stick to fish a lot more.

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

Immediately following surgery, I was extremely tired. It took about a month to get my strength back and about three months to get back to full energy levels. B-12 injections were helpful. My PCP gave me a script for a bottle of B-12 and a co-worker gave me the injections at work. I took them every two weeks for the first three months and then once a month. I still take them about every six to eight weeks and I am two years post-op.

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

I took children's chewables twice a day for the first year following surgery. Now at two years, I take a children's chewable in the morning and a prenatal at night. I am also taking calcium citrate five times a day - chewable

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 some hair loss at the five month mark but all has returned to normal now. No nausea but dry heaves when riding in the car. Nothing interferes with my sleep!

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

Being tired after surgery.

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

I attended weekly support groups for the first two years following surgery. This was very helpful especially when it came to plateus, food choices, emotional support, etc. Now I attend support groups at least once a month.

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

Scars are hardly visible. I am very fair skinned. Little keloid formation.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

About five months out I completely stopped losing weight for about three months. However, I was losing inches...lots of inches. I found that I would lose weight for awhile and then I would lose inches for awhile. I also was able to hasten falling off plateaus by increasing protein intake when I would stop losing weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. I don't know if I exude more confidence now that I am skinny but I find that people listen more attentively to what I say and seem to respect my opinion more.