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

The receptionist at my sister's Vet's office (where she took her cat) had the surgery done. My sister said that the last time she went in and the lady was fat - 6 months later she was much thinner! About 6 months after that she saw her again and the difference was miraculous - she didn't even recognize her. After that Traci (my sister) and I decided to start researching the surgery. My first impressions of the surgery were that it was a little "drastic" and that I was going to be kind of on my own. After more research, we found on-line support groups and informational websites that took the mystery out and unveiled the magic.

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

My first advice would be - DO YOUR RESEARCH! Find out if your insurance coverage has obesity related restrictions, or clauses barring you from bariatric surgery. Find out if they cover the surgery and try to get the criteria (I found Aetna's criteria online). Evaluate the criteria - do you meet it? If you find that you probably do meet the criteria then go see your PCP - see if you can get a referral to a surgeon. Throughout this entire process it is YOUR responsibility to make sure the Doctors involved have all of your available medical history - including your personal account of your struggles with your weight throughout your life. If you do not give the physician(s) the proper information, they cannot forward that informatoin to your insurance company (duh!). I don't suggest writing a threatening letter to your insurance company as suggested by some other individuals - there are some people out there that would "lose" a threatening letter a few times to punish you for being pushy. If you are denied initially, write a calm and professional letter of appeal documenting why you think you meet their criteria and what consequences will affect your health if they do not approve the surgery. The time it get nasty is later - not from the get-go. And nasty should be by means of an attorney if need be. Be a squeaky wheel though, call them at least weekly (document every call - who you spoke to, the time, date, and what you are told) and check in with the surgeon's office weekly too just to let them know you are still waiting - and to offer your help if needed. Don't be a pest unless you are being ignored - a Dr's office should not have a problem with giving you weekly "status" updates.

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

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!! Make sure YOU know what your insurance company requires as far as referrals, authorizations, and coverage criteria. You need this information for your PCP first - then you need to make sure you forward everything to the surgeon's office (along with your medical history chart notes from all previous physicians.) Write up your entire weight loss history - make it chronological if you can - and list all of your weight related problems - bring it with you and give it to the Dr. Research the surgery online and get to know the names of the individual parts of your stomach and digestive system. Armed with all of this info, you should not only be able to formulate the basic questions, such as, what kind of surgery he does, how long the recovery time is, what the aftercare instructions are, but you will be able to actually understand what he is telling you. If he says he is going to cut your small intestine at the "duodenum" - then you should know what that is - right? Lastly, your surgeon will appreciate the fact that you chose to become well-informed before you appointment - it proves that you are serious and not just seeking surgery on a whim. He will also respect you more if you don't try to teach him - ask informed questions, but do not try to tell him how to do his job.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I am 31 years old - I want to have children someday - I want my children to have a healthy mother. I decided to do this now because I don't want to wait any longer - it was time to take care of this issue. I grew more and more depressed as I gained weight and I was not a happy person - inside or out. I found that it was harder to keep telling myself it was OK to be fat than to have the surgery. I did my research and found the reports to say the surgery is safe and it is a viable solution for the morbidly obese.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr. Schrock (the surgeon) does not do lap procedures - he is not comfortable with them because he said they are so new that the long term results aren't really known yet. I trust him and am choosing to stay with him for the open 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'm confident that if I have any complications, they will be minor. I am not afraid of dying - the risk is extremely small - what good would it be to worry? Maybe I can be a little more relaxed about it because I don't have children and I'm not married - yes, my family would be devastated if I died in surgery - but I won't be around to see it. I know that sounds cold, but I just don't think it's anything you can spend your time fretting about. If you are a worrier and are truly afraid you are going to die - then maybe surgery isn't for you. Maybe discussing your fears with your surgeon can help you make your decision.

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?

Everyone has been relatively supportive - especially my parents and my sister. My boyfriend was stand-offish about it at first - but he knows me and knows that there is no way he can talk me out of something I am set on doing. He has chosen not to really voice any opinion - because I told him if he cannot support my decision then he needs to just keep quiet about it.

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 against me (and my sister whow works in the same ofc)having surgery at first - he thought that if a person truly wants to lose weight they just eat less and exercise more - well, duh!! But that doesn't work for everyone. We explained the procedure to him and gave him the reasons why it is healthier to do the surgery than to be fat forever. Little by little he jumped on board with us up until this last week when he wholeheartedly encouraged us to hurry and get the surgery done asap - even if it meant going at the same time. We plan on being out of work for around 2-3 weeks - we'll see how we feel. We are so very lucky to work at a company that truly cares about its employees.

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

My stay in the hospital wasn't a picnic by any stretch. One nurse out of the many that came and went over the 4 days I was in the hospital actually seemed to care if I felt OK or not. She was the first nurse I encountered there and was so sweet to me. There were a few others who were "semi-caring" in that they asked about my pain level and made sure they read my chart thoroughly. The rest acted like I was an animal and did not interact with me at all unless absolutely necessary. One forgot to turn my suction back on for my NG tube after a walk - it took 4 hours for a family member of mine to figure it out and ask the nurse if it was working right- his response "Well, I wonder who did that?" and then he turned it back on. That same nurse also failed to give me one of my shots of blood thinner and ignored my call light for 15 minutes (I was right next to the nurses station and saw him sitting there doing paperwork the whole time). My dad wanted to punch him out - it was quite a scary situation. I was in a total of 3 days after my surgery day and did not feel ready to come home but did anyway because I was more scared of the care I was receiving at the hospital than going it alone (I had my mom to take care of me anyway). The things I used most at the hospital were my ear plugs and sleep mask (the hospital is SO NOISY!), my lip gloss, hairbrush, toothbrush, and slippers. I packed a whole lot more but didn't end up using most of the stuff I brought.

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

No complications at all as of 5 months post op.

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 tried to stay busy at work and not to dwell on the upcoming surgery date. I found it hard to concentrate on anything but the surgery and spent lots of time talking about it to my friends and family. I had a few moments of anxiety and wondered if I was making a mistake - but logging on to the AMOS website always made me feel better. In hindsight, I think I was right to feel a little scared.

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

My first few weeks at home from the hospital were miserable even with the wonderful support and care of my family (especially mom). I felt so incredibly weak and pitiful. I struggled just to get out of bed in the morning and eating was torture. I wasn't in severe pain - just an all-over kind of uncomfortable weakness and fatigue. The taste in my mouth and my super sensitive sense of smell really made things unbearable. I would go through it all again though.

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

I had surgery in the same town I live in - I had no travel to deal with other than a 15 minute ride to get home (which was not pleasant).

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.

At first, I could choke down a few bites of sugar free jello or pudding, cream of wheat. The taste in my mouth made everything I ate or drank taste foul. I couldn't stand water, crystal lite, or sugar free Kool-aid. I subsisted on iced tea and chicken broth for a few days, then 3/4 water and 1/4 Kool-aid - then slowly I was able to tolerate plain water. After 2 months, water is all I drink now - nothing else. Food went from jello and pudding to toast and bananas in the first 2 months. Then I slowly added other foods including popcorn, tuna, chili, bean and bacon soup, crackers, sugar free ice cream, potatoes, doritos (bad), hamburger, macaroni (plain), and the occasional bit of peanut butter or cashews. As of 5 months out - that is still all I eat - I don't plan on introducing new foods for a few more months.

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

First 6 weeks - activity level = 0. From weeks 7-10 I improved to an energy level half of what it was pre-op. From there I have slowly improved to where I am now - just slightly higher than before I had the surgery. So - my energy level has NOT skyrocketed - but it is acceptable for now.

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

I take a daily multi-vitamin and I take calcium almost every day. I eat a protein bar almost every day that has added nurtrients in it too. I am going to start some Juice-plus supplements soon at the suggestion of my Dr.

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?

At first I felt icky all the time - especially after eating - it was like 3 bites took all my energy away and left me laying there helpless for 2 hours before I could recover. I haven't vomited many times - only when I eat too fast or don't chew enough. I had diarrhea for a few weeks after surgery but that cleared up and I haven't had trouble with it since. I am losing hair at a rapid rate but haven't started really worrying about it yet - I had too much hair on my head to begin with. I have dumped 3 times - what I would call "mild" by AMOS standards but still very unpleasant. The last time I dumped for no reason at all - I had only eaten 1 bite of a protein bar that day - nothing else - and spent 3 hours in the bathroom feeling miserable before it passed - very weird.

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

The worst part was the first 2 months after surgery. I found myself just wishing I could fast-forward to the 4 month mark when I knew I had to start feeling better and more like a "human" again. It was very hard feeling so weak and helpless all the time - like I was this pitiful lump who just sat in a chair and never wanted to get up. It was hard for my boyfriend to watch - he was worried about me all the time and thought I was crazy for doing the surgery.

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

The only aftercare I had is the AMOS web-site, and my sister (who had surgery the same day), and my friends Brandy and Tracie F who both live in my area and had surgery around the same time.

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

My scar is long and pink - but fading slowly. It's about what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had 3 or 4 plateaus since surgery - the first of which lasted almost a whole month. Plateaus are discouraging because they make you think you screwed up and ruined the surgery somehow. Only time will tell with a plateau - I know that I just need to keep following the rules and do my best - that is all I can do.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Nobody really treats me any different yet - I am only down 80 pounds. I treat myself differently though, I have more self-confidence and don't let myself use my weight as a crutch anymore to not do the things I need to do.