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

The first time I met someone who had it done was Oct 06. It was my hairdresser's mother. She was talking about her plastic surgery and showed me her 'fat' picture. I was riveted and wanted to know more. I wanted to be happy and excited, like she was.

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

I had no problem with insurance approval. BCBS Federal was fantastic. Just make sure you have everything done that the doctor requires! Make sure your PAP and Mammogram were done recently. If you had any other tests that were done, make sure you have dates.

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

Overwhelming. Lots of information. I would research things so you know what the heck your doctor is talking about!!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I knew before I went for the seminar that I wanted it. It was a mixture of things....not being able to wipe my butt, not being able to tie my shoes without huffing and puffing, etc. Once I realized it was a possibility, I never looked back.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I researched the gastric bypass and the lap band. I originally wanted the lap band but changed my mind based on a few factors. The lap band gave much slower results. I didn't want to deal with a port and constant maintenance. I also knew that the lap band was just restrictive...not malabsorptive. My thing was sweets. If I could cheat I would. A lap band would not stop me from cheating...a gastric bypass would.

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 aware of all the complications beforehand and was very aware of the possibility of dying...as in any surgery. You can't focus on that stuff. Just be aware, learn as much as you can so you KNOW if something goes wrong. Find the best doctor that you can and trust his/her abilities.

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?

Most were shocked (I didn't tell anyone), but all were supportive. My brother asked 'how do you make it stop?' I enlightened him and then he was supportive. I would probably include a few more people in my circle of support because it would have helped me during those first few weeks after surgery.

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

My supervisor at the time knew about it beforehand. He was very supportive...worried, but supportive. I only took off 3 weeks. I should have taken off more, but I have a sedentary job so I just didn't walk around alot when I went back!

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

It was fantastic. The bariatric unit at Sacred Heart in Pensacola is the best facility and most of the nurses had bariatric surgery themselves!! My insurance paid for me to stay in there longer than most, so I was in there something like 4 or 5 days. My doctor likes to keep people in as long as the insurance will cover it for a couple reasons: if something will go wrong, it usually will within a few days of surgery. Also, he can make sure his patients don't get dehydrated during those first few days after surgery. Bring something to do! It's boring in there. :o)

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

I have had no complications. I had kind of a 'stitch' in the front right side of my stomach area which took 2 weeks to go away. I still have no idea what that was because others didn't have that issue. It just made it a little harder to get around.

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 elated!!! I was on cloud 9 and was so excited I couldn't stand it. I was a bit anxious just because it was going to change my life forever, but other than that small thing...I was great!

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

I had my sister there with me for the first week. She had read up on what I could and couldn't/should and shouldn't eat and do and was a little hitler. She enforced the rules and it was definitely what I needed. She helped me establish a routine of drinking my protein at certain times, always having water at hand, and making me eat the little bit that I could. She also made me get up and walk outside several times a day. Having her there was a blessing and I would HIGHLY recommend having someone there during that first week at home. You aren't hungry at all and haven't established a routine yet, so it's tough to remember to drink and eat. That's why people get ill and go back to the hospital alot of times! Even if you don't want to, you HAVE to drink water, you HAVE to drink the protein shakes, and you HAVE to eat.

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

My hospital is about an hour from my home. It was inconvenient, but worth it to have the best doctor and facility around. I did not feel that it affected my aftercare at all other than attending support groups. I have no problem taking off work to go to doctor's appointments an hour away, but it's hard for me to attend support groups that are at night and an hour away. I've only attended 2 in the year since I had my surgery.

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 had things like pudding, grits, mashed potatos...things I could basically swallow without chewing. Very shortly thereafter I moved up to things that were soft that I could chew and knew wouldn't get stuck...like vienna sausage for example. I also could eat fish, but I did have a bad experience with fish once because it was chewy and I didn't chew it up well enough before I swallowed it. PAINFUL. I tried most things that everyone else ate. Pasta I could eat a little of. Breads were good, of course, but you have to watch how much because they fill you up quickly. They also sneak up on you and then that's painful. I moved up to thin crust pizza. Like I said, I can eat pretty much anything. I can even have very small amounts of sugary things...but I don't know what those things are until I try them. I've learned the hard way that I can't have ice cream or sunny delight. Painful for several hours. But I've tried candy corns, cakes, and other things and I have no problem...probably because I'm only eating a miniscule amount. Weird. But I'm learning that it's okay to have a BIT of things...I don't have to scarf down an entire cake to be happy. I will only take a small bite because I don't want to get sick. And I'm happy with that. This surgery teaches you behavior modification, which is awesome.

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

I could get around slowly at first because I had an uncomfortable 'stitch' in my stomach area, but it didn't keep me down long. Each day was better and better. I went back to work 3 weeks after surgery.

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

At first I did Pepcid, Actigall, chewable kids multivitamins 2 times a day, sublingual B12, and caldium chews. But now all I take is chewable adult vitamins (hard to find) 2 times a day and calcium chews several times a day.

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?

Hair loss started 4 months after surgery and it was pretty bad. I had a VERY full head of hair and I noticed it, but nobody else really did. It's been almost a year since my surgery and the hair loss is minimal...it's growing back too. I learned the hard way with several foods that I can't eat them. I learned that I can't eat chewy fish...it got stuck and was extremely painful until it worked its way through. I also learned that I can't have normal ice cream or Sunny Delight orange juice. I can drink Simply Orange all day long, but I won't ever drink Sunny D again....PAIN!!!!!

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

The only bad part was recovery after the surgery (i.e. the pain), and to me that wasn't bad either. I had a c-section before and multiple plastic surgeries, so the pain was expected and nothing unusual...just annoying. There has never been a moment that I've regretted the surgery and in my opinion there is nothing bad about the experience at all. I researched it thoroughly and was prepared for everything that could happen.

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

Support immediately after surgery is imperative until you get into a routine. The support group at the hospital where I had my surgery is very good and it's good to interact with other patients of the same doctor and encourage those people who haven't had the surgery yet. It's a rewarding feeling to be able to offer words of wisdom. I think it's very important.

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

I have minimal scars since it was laparascopic surgery. They are just 5 or 6 dots around my abdomen.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've had a couple plateaus but they pass after about 2 weeks. It was frustrating because I didn't feel that I was doing anything different. I weighed myself once a week, which I think is key. If you weigh yourself too often then you see all the ups and downs rather than bigger results. Plateaus pass.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh yeah. I'm not invisible now. Guys pay attention again, which I like of course. I don't feel like people are judging me by my looks anymore.