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

A friend had it done years ago and I watched what she went through. I was happy for her, but thought I could never do something so drastic to myself that would change the way I ate FOREVER. It seemed perfectly ghastly!

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

My surgeon's staff were very well versed in the expectations of the various insurance companies and explained what mine required, as well as some additonal info they suggested I add. I completed everything required of me and added a personal letter to the insurance company about how obesity was effecting my life and why I wanted surgery. Once the surgeon submitted the request I was granted approval quickly. I would tell people to be patient, but thorough in the info they provide.

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

My surgeon holds regular intro meetings for groups of people wanting to learn about the process. His staff handles most of it and he came in toward the end to answer specific questions. I had met him before when my friend had her surgery, but was please that he was professional and straight forward when answering questions. He made it clear that the process was longer than some others, but it was designed to benifit the patient more in the long run.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It took two years of seriously thinking about it before I felt I could emotionally handle the permanent changes I would need to make in my life style. I came to terms with the idea that I would never again use the same coping mechanisms I had leaned on for years and I felt confident that I had the support of the people that mattered to me the most. Mostly I realized that all me attempts to lose wieght, though successful initially ended with gaining everything back and more. I needed to get on with my life in a healthy way.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I read about a few different proceedures and went with RNY in the end becasue it was the only one my surgeon did and I felt his program was the best I had learned about.

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?

No fear of complications or dying. Through prayer and a priesthood blessing I knew that all would be well. For those who pray, I would recommend taking it to Heavenly Father. For those who are not comfortable with that I can only suggest that you investigate your surgeon and ask lots of questions of others who have had the experience.

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 husband and oldest son were the best! They both knew I had long thought about this and were supportive of improving my health. Most people were cautiously supportive, mostly because they feared for me. I mostly kept my decision in the family until such point that I needed to make arrangements for church and work obligations I had to cover. Not a single person was unkind, for which I am grateful.

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

I own my own business and am blessed to have very capable people who took over my responsibilities. I was honest about my surgery and returned after one week to part time. (I have no lifting required.) Were an employee of mine to have this done I would want to know somewhat in advance in order to work with that person to arrange for work to be covered, both for the company and for the staff member to not worry about their job being piled up when they got back.

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

The hospital was mostly a fog. I was out of it much of the time and when I wasn't I was uncomfortable from laying down. Getting up was not picnic either but walking was required several times a day beginning just hours after surgery was complete. I was in three days and the worst part for me was getting in and out of bed. I brought several things to occupy my time and never even opened my bag. I wished I would have brought chap stick. The nurses and staff were excellent, some had even had the surgery themselves and understood. I was fortunate to be on a floor that was entirely devoted to WLS patients.

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

No complications at all.

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

My original date was set for January and I was just looking to lose the few required pounds during my waiting period. Because the original date was going to conflict with a significant bit of travel, I requested to be put on a waiting list and was blessed to get a call for a surgery opening in mid November. I had three days to prepare and mostly used that time to focus on getting everything in order. The details distracted my from any anxiety which thankfully did not surface until shortly before I drove into the hospital parking lot.

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

The first three days home were the hardest. Moving about was painful, but not so much that I took any medication. I was sluggish but happy. I recovered with much greater ease than others I have heard about. I had expected recovery to be a living hell, which it wasn't and I also tried to have a good attitude and do as much for myself as possible. Having a lot of very loving support made it much easier than it otherwise would have been.

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

Less than 10 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.

Could eat: soup, cottage cheese, SF pudding, string cheese, ricotta cheese, boiled egg, egg salad, lettuce salad, mashed potato Could not: any kind of meat, including tuna, scrambled eggs, anything with the least amount of sugar in it and anything that tasted sweet, soda, bread, Still cannot: bread, most meat, rice, ice cream (Soy Delicious is wonderful though!), pasta, anything sweet It was frustrating in the begining to have something and love it only to hate it a day or two later. Taste buds were changing quickly and it seemed nothing was good for very long. It took getting used to concentrating on eating, but it was needed to avoid vomiting or getting food stuck - highly unpleasant. When I started solid food it was several week before I able to regulate food intake in a manner that did not cause adverse reaction. At 9 months out I am still very careful about what I eat and do not even buy things that might tempt me. I never really have food challenges anymore mostly because there is such a long list of foods I never expect to eat again. It is a non issue.

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

Immediately after surgery I walked several times a day just around the house, but no formal exercise until almost three months out when I started CURVES three times per week. I also began doing some exercises at home and used the treadmill some.

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

Everyday I take chewable muti-vitamins, B12 sublingual, Iron and Calcium. I also drink high protein smoothies and juice to increase my protein intake since meat is rarely in my diet.

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?

For a few weeks nausia and vomiting were frequent visitors while I adjusted to eating again. I also experienced mild hair loss after the third and forth month, but that decreased to almost nothing when I began to drink the protein smoothies each day. My attitude is this - I knew what I was getting into and while no side effects are fun, it is part of the deal. Live with them and be happy you are getting healthier.

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

The worst part about the process was the waiting to get surgery, but even that provided the opportunity to coninue preparing mentally for the change required. Recover was no fun, but again, attitude makes such a difference.

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

My only contact with other as far as support has been ObesityHelp.com I have never attended a meeting, but enjoy the anonymity of the on line support. I can glean what I am interested in and disregard the rest. I must say that the few times I have posted something, everyone has been gracious in their response. It has been very helpful, especially in the first few months after surgery.

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

My scar is about 4 inches long and i's appearance is neither here nor there to me. Some of it is hardly visible, and some is rope like. I don't care - I am healthier!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

There have been several plateaus, but that is to be expected and except for one that lasted nearly a month I have not been too discouraged. I figure that as long as I am sticking with the program the weight will eventually take care of itself.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, but it varies. People I know are happy for me, but I notice strangers talk to me more than before. Where I used to be "invisible" people make small talk. I sometimes wonder if they would have talked to me 85 pounds ago, but don't let it effect the way I treat them. I have noticed I make a more conscious effort to communicate with heavy people.