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

A family member had bariatric surgery and initially I was really skeptical. Altering my innards seemed awfully drastic to me. Of course, living with hypertension and diabetes while obese required something drastic.

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 pretty quick with a positive decision. I only waited a week.

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

Take a list of questions and keep them concise. Write down any answers the surgeon gives you so you have it for later and don't be afraid to ask questions. My surgeon is very no nonsense and was to the point. he spelled out everything for me and explained each procedure.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had to lose weight. For my health and my sanity. When I could no longer get in or out of my bathtub, it was time to take drastic measures.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

lots and lots of research. I chose based on my health, my weight, and my long term health goals.

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 would tell people that the complications or fear of death from the surgery were about equal to the complications or fear of death from obesity.

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 was honest with close friends and family about my decision and why. Most were supportive and some were not. I took the support and didn't worry about the rest of it. I have had a great deal of support after surgery now that they can see how much healthier I am.

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

n/a

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. I had pain but it was tolerable and it is very important to keep doing what the doc tells you. Walk as much as you can...the more you move, the faster you heal. The most important thing you can take besides a good attitude is a small fan. I constantly felt hot after surgery and it was good source of white noise to help mellow out the hospital noises.

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

I had no complications.

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 spent a lot of time reminding myself how I got to this point and what my goals were. I looked at before and after pictures when I got overwhelmed or anxious to remember what my goals were. I started a new clothing account to buy the smaller clothes I would need.

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

Expect to be tired. It is major surgery and takes time to recover from it. Expect to have a learning curve for how much and how fast you can eat. It is one thing to read about it and another to do it. Expect to be sore for a little while and it is normal to feel a little teary after all that.

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

1 1/2 hours from my home. Didn't really affect me at all.

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.

The first week was liquids only, strained soup and strained yogurt. The next few weeks were modified liquids that were low fat like cream soups and sugar free puddings. Weeks 4 thru 8 have been soft foods, like scrambled eggs and blended things.

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

No lifting over 10 lbs for the first 2 weeks and then gently added things in. I rested frequently and napped as needed so no o overdo anything. I added yoga and basic exercise in slowly as my surgeon allowed starting week 2.

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

2 chewable multivitamin, 1400 mg calcium citrate chewable, B complex sub lingual. I also take a protein supplement if i don't get enough protein in for the 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?

At 8 weeks post op the only side affect I have had was mild nausea that lasted off and on for a few weeks.

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

The worst part was the waiting for my surgery date. Once the decision was made, I just wanted to get on with it.

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

Meetings with the nutritionist, support group meetings, and obesityhelp.com. All very important to not just get thru the initial changes, but to keep the weight off over time.

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

I have 6 small scope holes that sort of look like a clock face on my belly. Small and will heal to be almost invisible with time. Much smaller than I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES...morbid obesity makes you feel like a nonperson and people who never talked to me before suddenly have the need o speak.