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

I was attempting to seach the internet for yet another diet to try and found obesity help.com and started my research on the wls.

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

I live in one of the 4 states at this point that have a law that insurance companies must cover weight loss surgery. approval was fast and easy for me not as some that must struggle and get denied. I hope more states and insurance companies will soon follow suit to insure this surgery. I would advise others to take a stand and contact thier state represenatives and get a law passed in thier state. never never give up on this surgery and helping others to get it. write insurance companies state the facts of the cost of surgery vrs the cost of health care for obesity related conditions. it is amazing how one person , one letter may change minds of the uninformed person or company.

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

my first surgeon was a total jerk , uncaring and ignorant to the facts of the obese person , so i chose another surgeon who was well informed and a caring wonderful person , who was compassionate to the obese and thier feelings. I researched wls and was ready with all my information , family history , diets that i tried and health related problems. My doctor spent 1 hour just going over the surgery and the risks and he was very understanding to all my questions and concerns.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

after researching all the information i could find and speaking with my doctor and alot of soul searching i felt this was the answer to improve my health and head off further weight related problems i was heading towards.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor was the person who decied what was best according to my weight and what surgery he felt would best benefit me.

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 stay confident and positive about the surgery and it working for me. It is normal to have these fears but i tried to deal with them as they arose in the sense that I was not going to die but finally going to live!

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 told few people about my surgery , only a few close family memebers who live miles away and tried to keep them informed in my progress. I chose only the people who would be supportive , not those who had been people who always had something negative to say about any aspect of my life, those are the ones that would sabatoge my feelings about the surgery. I need the support, i was dealing with enough emotional baggage due to my weight and i didn't need any further baggage from them to carry,

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

I was able to take off a year from work to research this surgery, but i went to work 6 weeks after surgery and my employer was told about the surgery and things i would have to deal with as i went through the healing and losing weight, and what problems that may occur. To my surprise i was one of three employed who had surgery! My boss was wonderful and very supportive.

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

I started hemmoraging where they reconnected the stomach back to the intestines (in the lower portion of my intestine and the lower part of my stomach) I was on the verge of further surgery and blood transfusions . my doctor told me that this problem is very rare to happen , few have this problem.

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 postive tht i would have a chance at a healthier life, I spent most of my time encouraging others going to surgery and never had time to think or worry about mine and i feel this helped me stay postive and calm.

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

I knew i was going to enter any race , I spent alot of the time resting or sleeping. I knew i was weak from the blood loss but any major surgery will require rest and make you sleep alot to heal. I took short walks all the could and spent time researching high protein foods that i would soon be eating and ways make liquids and soft foods taste more appealing. this is hard to deal with not chewing foods and longing to just have something good to eat,mostly head hunger , the body wasn't hungery.

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

My hosptial was only 20 miles from my home.

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 on liquids for the first few weeks then it was followed by pureed foods then soft foods. some foods like eggs made me very ill then after several months i could eat them again. I ate a lot instant mashed potatoes in the soft fooed stage and flavored them with different creamed soups that would add protein to my meals. I really enjoyed yogurts,, and wendy's chili , drank the juice from that and smashed the meat and beans till they were very mushy. Each month was trial and error in what my body could tolarate, a very learning experince in eating again. I ate chicken and it made me sick when i entered the chewing foods stage of my surgery , now i love chicken. i now cant stand any thing sweet, I can eat it no problem from getting sick , i just choose not too. I eat healthier!

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

my energy level was very low, i felt like all my energy was drained from me . i knew when i was sleeping my body was healing and when i was awake i made my self walk. I wanted t make the most of every day i had in the 6 monthtime frame to lose the most of my weight. being tired and sleepy is very common after surgery .

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

I take 2 flinestone with iron vitamins in the morning and 2 at night. I take vitamin b complex and vitamin c both the same way.

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 worst was the energy level, i wanted to stay awake and be on the go but my body wanted to rest. Dumping occasionally from trying new foods in my diet but it is a learning experience in eating again. hair loss i knew was common after any major surgery, so i knew it may thin but i never read anyone going bald so i cut my hair and gave it a perm to add body . the hair loss occured about 6 or 7 month and i upped my protein levels to help with the loss.

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

the worst part for me was thinking will this really work?? and worrying it wouldn't work for me. i would just be buying into a another failed weight loss failure attempt that would permently change the inside of the body not the outside. and the drain tube i hadfor about a week after surgery it was annoying more than any thing

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

the MOST IMPORTANT PART....SUPPORT!! i have a very supportive group and love to attend to see the progress in others and the encouragment is better in person.when i miss a meeting i feel so down and when i go back it is just the boost i needed to encourage my self i was going to succeed!

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

I had lap surgery and have 6 small scars. i used liquid vitamin e on them and you can hardly see them now. i expected them to show more than this.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued about 9 or 10 months well under goal and now trying to keep weight on, with slight gain then losses for the last 5 months

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes, more girls seem to be jealous, men are more willing to open doors to stores, smile and speak and even flirt.