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

I heard about bariatric surgery for the first time 12 years ago when one of my employees told me about the intestinal bypass she had. She was always looking and feeling sickly. And that Awful awful stench. i heard of stomach stapling but I thought at the time it was something like plastic surgery where insurance companies don't pay at all. I first found out about the RNY surgery 3 years ago when i saw a coworker who told me about how his 300 lb. daughter had lost 175lbs with the surgery and tummy tuck and was having a normal happy life. I thought it was wonderful but I didn't think my health insurance would pay for it so I didn't look into it deeper. A year later I saw my sisters' mother-in-law who had lost 100 lbs with the surgery and gave me more details about insurance and I then started persuing it.

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

Insurance companies don't want to pay. You got to be next to dying for them to do anything so make sure if you have any sort of ache or pain constantly tell your PCP that you have it. If you snore, definately have a sleep apnea test. If you have a family history of heart desease or diabetes please tell them so. In other works tell them everything and whine, whine, whine concerning every ache and pain. Tell doc of your anxieties, depressions etc. Everything counts. And most important get tough, make ins. companies understand you will persue legal action and most importantly that you will NOT GO AWAY.

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

It was very educational, my surgeon is a wonderful caring person, but I went prepared with a list of questions. Make sure you write all your questions down because I guarantee you when you are face to face with the doc you will forget most of them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After 8 years of living with my stabilized weight of 255lbs I stopped smoking and gained 41 lbs which caused high blood pressure, sleep apnea, pains in joints and back, constant tiredness, anxiety and depression.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I read different comparisons on web sites and decided I could not live with the 50% success rate of the Gastric banding so I went all the way and had the RNY which has a much higher success rate.

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 did have a slight fear of dying but as a cautious person I made sure all my affairs were in order before I went into surgery. My will was written and trustees were chosen. But i was very confident in my doctors abilities. And actually came out of the operating room with a smile on my face.

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 of their initial reactions were that I had lost my mind, but after educating them they soon came to accept it as my only alternative.

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

Actually I got less slack from my co workers than with my family which is to be expected. Being that I was going to have the operation during Summer vacation (the perks of being a teacher) they were very supportive of it. Out of about 40 co-workers which I told I think there were only 2 that actually would not be convinced not even with education that this was the solution, they sstill believe that shutting your trap and not eating and doing lots of exercise was the answer.

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

My hospital stay was wonderful (thanks St. Mary's Hosp.) I brought a few things like a book (which I read a little on my last day) a pair of long prongs (to wrap my toilet paper around) but thanks to the foley tube I didn't have to go to the bathroom at all, so I didn't use it. A little telephone book, (I did use that). And a change of clothing to get out of hospital with. That was all that I needed, the hospital provided everything else.

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

No complications whatsoever, I was very active. Later on I did develop celiac desease. Which was a blessing because once I got on the gluten free diet I was able to get rid of that pesky 40 lbs I wanted to loose easily.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

The only anxiety I had after operation was convincing my children they had to take upon the bulk of the housework and cooking for a couple of weeks. I felt very little pain, just alot of tightness. I didn't take but one dose of pain med from doc, it made me sick do i didn't take anymore.

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

During this period it will be difficult to clean yourself when you go potty, so make sure you have some long prongs or any other makeshift device to wrap your toilet paper with. The hardest thing to do during this period is to shift in bed while holding your insision with a pillow. (I only used lounge chair for the first 2 nights at home) You will not be able to sleep confortably on your back so you are limited to sleeping on your side.

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

Hospital was only 15 miles from home. By car.

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.

Beng that I am now (8/7/99) only 5 weeks post op my options are limited. 3 glasses of Skim Milk daily, fat free, sugar free yogurt, fat-free cheeses (cottage my favorite), eggbeaters or egg whites, fish (whiting etc.), tuna fish packed in water, canned chicken chunks, Total, Chereos, and Shredding Wheat, Equal, Promice, Sale, Pepper, dietetic fruits, canned none fibrous veggies like peas, creamed versions of soups (Healthy Request Brand), bullions. I cannot eat anything that has fat or sugar, or is fibrous, acidy, or too spicy. Today is 10/13/99. Boy what a change. I eat a whole lot normal now. I had a strawberry fat-free yogurt for breakfast. A glass of skim milk for snack. For lunch I went to the salad bar at UKrops and got a tablespoon of tuna salad, imitation lobster meat, pasta salad, eggs, a few slices of banana, and a few chunks of cantelope. For dinner I went to the local Mexican restaurant and ordered an authentic soft chicken taco without the cheese (I don't eat the shell at all). I have to admit I poured on the hot sause very liberally but it taste absolutely devine. I doggy bagged the other taco for lunch tomorrow. I can eat almost anything now as long as it doesn't have any refine sugar in it or is too fatty.

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

I walked from the day of my operation, only about 7 minutes at the beginning and now 8/6/99 i have worked my way up to 20. 10/13/99 I work out 2 hours at the gym every other day: 30 minutes treadmill (2 miles), 30 minutes abdominals, and 1 hour of upper or lower body weight lifting. At this moment it is addictive. I make sure I go at least 4 times a week.

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

8/6/99 3 chewable kids multi vitamins, 1 cod liver oil pill (A & D), B-12, 4 Tums with Calcium. 10/13/99 Ultra Mega Vitamins, 2 cod liver oil pills, 1 sublingual b-12 every other day, Vitamin E all in evening, Iron pills by themselves in morning. 06/2/2009 2 Iron Pills, 2 calcium pills, 2 vitamin D, Vitamin C, Mega dosis of all the D vitamins and 2 prenatals when I remember being that they are taken at different times of 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?

The only problem i have is that feeling of fullness when I eat too fast and some vomiting when I don't chew well or eat something a little too spicy. But let me tell you, you learn very fast how to avoid this. 10/13/99 Same as above except spicy is not a problem anymore. 06/02/2009 Just discovered that part of my malabsorption problem was due to Gluton Intolerance. I found out around November and my hemoglobin was 9, I stopped eating gluton and by January it was up to 12, and I am happy to say I just donated blood for the first time since my surgery and it was up to 13.8. I am taking the same iron I have taken for years yealding no results until I stopped the gluton.

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

The initial fear going into the operation. After I was out of the anestesia I realized there was absolutely no reason for me to be fearful, I was under the care of the best team and doctor around.

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

OSSG newsgroups, my friends and family have all been so supportive. The chat room on this web site has been very instrumental in making friends and contacts.

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

Actually my scar is better than I expected, my doc was so careful in making sure he cut low enough under my bra line so that the bra wouldn't be too unconfortable, and high enough from the bellybotton so that my pants would fit confortably. All in All my insision is a little under 5 inches, right now (5 weeks out) it looks like I have a thin (about 1/8 inch) pink rope embedded in my upper adominal area. 06-02-2009 You can still see it after 10 years. Very visible pale pink rope looking scar. 10/13/99 I continue to put vitamin E on inscision, and it appears to be a lighter shade of pink.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none yet. 10/13/99 Had a slight one I stayed at 232 for 10 days then was shocked to see I had lost 6 lbs in three days to 226. 06/02/2009 I would go on Atkins diet loose 30 lbs get off and gain it all back. I yoyoed for years from 185-220. Once I got off gluton I went back to 189 from 220 in 3 months and am still holding since Jan 2009

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

A little. I get a few more looks from men especially when I am in the car (I lost alot of weight in my face. 10/13/99 I get alot more smiles and looks from men. Hubby can't keep hands off of me. :)