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

I had looked into surgery about 10 years ago or so, but my insurance at the time excluded it. My PCP suggested it in 2003, and even though I told him I was sure my insurance didn't cover it and there was no point in looking into it, he asked his staff to check for me, and found out it was covered. I began reading and talking to people who had the surgery. I got in touch with my insurance company and found out about the program it covered in Springfield. I called Dr. Hammer's office and was invited to a initial meeting. I was excited about something for the first time in a long time.

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

My insurance company was awesome. I know this is rare, but they were like cheerleaders for me! I was put in touch with Luanne from Medical Management, and she was my contact person throughout my 6 month approval program. She was really supportive and encouraging. I could tell she was really happy for me when she told me about my approval. My advice is to get in touch with a personal contact that you can use throughout whatever approval process your company requires. I had some frustrating moments before I did that. Be persisitant.

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

I really liked him right away. He and his staff were very warm hearted and pleasant. They were also attentive to my mom, who was more worried than I was. I came ready to ask questions and he was great about giving me the time I needed to get through them. I would encourage people to write down things you might forget to ask because I was very excited by that time and would have forgotten them if I hadn't.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

When my PCP's nurse called me to say that my insurance company covered it and they would support me all the way, I started to educate myself on the surgery, side effects, complications, etc. I also prayed a lot about it. I began to feel very confident after a month or so of working in my pre-approval program and decided if I was approved I would have the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

It was partly because my insurance company preferred the roux en y gastric bypass. After I did a lot of researching procedures, I decided I liked this procedure the best also. I wanted a tool that would help me lose and finally KEEP OFF the weight.

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 can honestly say that even though I was aware of the possible complications, and even death, I had no fears. The prayers really helped me feel that this was the right path to take.

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 and friends were very supportive. They expressed concerns, of course, as this is a serious surgery. They were really great about it. Mom and friends went to meetings and to the surgeon's appointments with me and my brother was awesome about driving me to any appointments I had and took care of my dogs and house after my surgery. I stayed with my mom for two weeks and she took very good care of me.

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

I was nervous to tell my supervisor I would need about 5 weeks off, but when I told her I was being considered for the surgery and it looked like I'd be approved she was very happy for me. She helped arrange for coverage for the 5 weeks. My coworkers were awesome in taking care of my clients while I was gone and no one complained. Many of them called me and sent cards and flowers while I was off work, and then welcomed me back and helped me ease into things when I returned. I felt so fortunate to work with a great bunch of people like that.

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

I was so happy and relaxed when I checked in that morning. The staff were friendly and joked around with me as they prepped me. After surgery, they helped me get up and walk, and took good care of me. I went in on a Tuesday morning and left Friday afternoon. I would recommend bringing a friend or family member to stay with you. My mom was there and she was a Godsend. I would also bring lip balm! It gets very dry and you cannot drink much at all so it feels good on your dry lips.

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

About a week out, I was vomiting a lot and became dehydrated. It was a minor complication, and I was hospitalized overnight with an IV push to rehydrate me. One other time I was also vomiting a lot and received anti-nausea meds in the ER. I really had very few problems after the first couple of weeks. It was pretty much a matter of finding out what foods I could tolerate. A learning process... :)

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 was really tired, but excited. I wasn't anxious about the surgery, but after a couple of weeks at Mom's I was ready to go home and try it on my own. I missed my pets!! I didn't have a lot of pain, and changed to Tylenol pretty quickly as the pain meds were causing me to hallucinate. Not fun! Luckily, the Tylenol did just fine and I became able to walk more and more and felt my strength coming back slowly.

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

I look back on this time fondly. It was one of the most exciting times of my life. I can't say I always felt great physically, as it takes some adjusting. I remember being amused at how little I could eat and be full. The first few weeks, you should expect to be pretty tired. Rest as you need to and don't rush things. They will start going so fast in a few weeks on their own! It was pretty amazing.

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

I live an hour from my surgeon and hospital. The only time this was a pain was when I was vomiting and had to ride in a car for an hour to see the surgeon and be admitted to the hospital. I know a lot of people had to go much farther though. I didn't really consider this a problem.

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 was surprised that a month or so out I could eat chili, but not bread. I thought that was funny. I hated the protein supplements, and things tasted strange in general. Things tasted stronger than they used to. I've been lucky though, I can tolerate all proteins fairly well. It took awhile to be able to eat beef unless it was ground. Now my policy is, if i can't chew it to oblivion, I don't swallow it. I still do not eat coconut, citrus fruits, (unless i eat only the pulp) or sugar. I'm careful not to have much carbonation, and I rarely drink caffeine. Its all hit and miss. Everyone will tolerate different foods at different rates. I had to try things when my nutritionist said it was ok to and see if I could tolerate them.

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

I walked every few hours, even though I was quite slow at first. I increased it a little each couple of days and I began to feel stronger. I was really tired the first few weeks, so I rested a lot also.

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

I take multivitamins, folic acid, calcium, b-12 and stool softeners. Its important to talk to both your nutritionist and your surgeon about what they recommend.

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 problems with vomiting at first, but that decreased pretty quickly. I slept very well and still sleep better than ever since I've lost the weight. I had no hair loss, but it did get really dry (so did my skin) for a few months following surgery. I was itchy for a month or so that following winter and used a lot of medicated lotion to relieve it.

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

I don't think I experienced one.

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

I attend my monthly support group at Memorial. We usually have a presentation and then open forum. It meets for two hours, once a month. I find it very helpful and try to make it each month.

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

I have several small ones as my surgery was laproscopic. They are no big deal.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Whenever I thought I was having a plateau, I had to look at things carefully and make sure I was doing all I could be to lose weight. Often I found I was slacking on exercise or snacking, so it probably isn't fair to say it was a plateau. Once I increased my exercise or decreased my snacking, I would lose again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, but I can't say its all because they disliked me because I was fat. There were people that did treat me differently or make rude comments at times. However, I know part of it was that when I was overweight I felt horribly about myself and I avoided other people as well. I am more outgoing now and more open to connecting with others.