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

A few people I knew had it. My first impression (and many more after) were that I'd never do it because too much can go wrong.

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

It was very easy for me with BC/BS PPO. I just had to meet their specifications.

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

Dr. Foote seemed like a very caring person. He took the time to explain all aspects of the surgery, especially what can go wrong and what life could be like after surgery. Make a list of questions up before you go because when you're in there speaking with the doctor, you tend to forget some important ones.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The ease of the surgery - laproscopic and the rate of successes my surgeon had.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My husband and I discussed what we thought would be the best. We started out thinking I'd have lap band but we finally decided on RNY.

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 was afraid I'd die. I did my will, I made sure I had a caretaker for my husband (he really shouldn't live by himself because of short term memory problems). I got life insurance and I got out of debt. Once I did all that, I was at peace.

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?

I didn't tell my family but I did tell a few friends and they were very supportive. I just wanted it to be a surprise to my brother and he sure was 5 months later when he saw me. Everyone I've come into contact with has been very supportive of me.

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 right there with me. He was and still is very supportive and since he had lost weight through weight watchers, he knows what I'm going through with the changing sizes. I was out of work 1 week.

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 2 days. Blodgett has a bariatric floor and all the nurses are trained in bariatrics. They are very nice and helpful.

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

None.

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 happy and excited and I couldn't wait for the day to come.

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

I was different than a lot of people in that I got very active after the surgery. I was home from the hospital on Sunday and out riding my bike on Tuesday. I did get tired so I did nap but I tried to stay active to get the weight loss going.

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

Grand Rapids is an hour away. I have no problems with my doctors appointments. I did start a support group in my town so I could have access to support.

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 am lactose intolerant now but that's not too big a problem. I drink fat free lactaid milk and have cheese only on something. I cannot do anything with more than 9 grams of sugar or very much fat - I dump which is ok because I'm not tempted by stuff I shouldn't eat. I never would eat yogurt because it tasted horrible. After the surgery, I love it and get the Dannon Fit & Light - the white chocolate raspberry and lemon chiffon are heavenly and low fat/no sugar.

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

I was very active.

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

Citracal Chewy Bites and 500 mg of Magnesium along with a pre-natal vitamin.

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?

Dumping is no fun but it also keeps me away from temptation because I don't want to experience it again.

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

Having to eat too much "cream of chicken" soup. That stuff was horrible. We bought the food from MMPC and they had run out of the good stuff so I was stuck with 3 boxes of this stuff. It'll be a while before I can eat that kind of soup again.

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

I started a group in Big Rapids, Michigan. It's very helpful to me to talk with others. We have some who are 2 - 3 years out and some who have just had the surgery. We also advertise so anyone thinking about the surgery can come and get some advice.

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

I can hardly see the 6 small incisions.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Plateaus. Darn those plateaus. I'm stuck at one right now but I know I'm losing inches so the weight will follow shortly. It does get exasperating to be stuck at a weight for 2 weeks.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People seem to be a little more courteous to me. Co-workers are really rooting for me and talking about how much weight I'm losing.