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

I first found out about bariatric surgey when I was flipping through the medical section of the Washington Post newspaper and saw an add for the surgery, along with a web address. I was skeptical at first about the claims made in the newspaper article but I looked at the webpage nonetheless. I looked at the webpage and did some additional research on the net. I also went to an open house seminar that Dr. Afram was conducting. The seminar was what made me a believer in the procedure and that is when I decided to undergo the surgery.

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

Unlike many people who have undergone the procedure, I don't recall much problem with getting approval from my insurance company. Velma, the Weight For Life administrator who handled my case, did a great majority of the work. I was turned down the first time, but Velma told me that that was expected and told me what additional information I would need to get for the insurance company. Once I got that information, the procedure was approved.

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

My first visit with my surgeon was at his open house seminar. He spoke to my briefly and I made an appointment to see him. When I went for my appointment, he talked to me for about an hour. He explained the procedure from start to finish and answered all of my questions. He also laid out of the possible complications and explained what each one would do and how he would treat it. In my situation, I was prepared before I went into the first meeting with the doctor. I was familiar with the terminology and had a basic understanding of the procedure. I was able to ask specific and pertinent questions that I believe made the doctor understand that I was serious about the procedure. I believe this allowed me to get the most out of this meeting.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

A combination of factors made me decide to have the surgery. The research I did on the internet, the meeting with the doctor, and the overall professionalism of his staff made me realize that I was making the right decision.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I mostly relied on the expertise of the doctor but I did research on all of the procedures and was aware of the positives and negatives of each.

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?

My fears about complications or dying from the procedure were minimal. My philosophy is to not worry about things that I can't control and to allow those people who can control things to do so. Therefore, any fears that I may have encountered about complications or dying were placed in the hands of the professionals. The one fear that I did have, and still do have, is that the surgery will not work and I will regain the weight that I've lost. I'm working on this with the nutritionist and the psycologist affiliated with the program. I would tell others with this fear to express it to the professionals and allow them to work through it with you.

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?

My family reaction to my decision was not positive. It was seen as a temporary solution to a long-term problem. In fact, my decision to have the surgery caused a rift in the family, especially with my mother. She had only heard of the worse cases that make the news and was unfamiliar with the relative safety of the procedure. My brother is in the medical field and understood the procedure so he reacted well to my decision. When I made the decision to have the surgery, I made it by myself with no imput from my family. Looking back, I believe that this was a mistake. I believe that I should have consulted them and gotten their opinion on the procedure. I provided all of the information that I had to my mother and allowed her to read it and make up her own mind about the procedure. After doing that, she came around and was a tremendous support to me immediately after I had the surgery and while I was recuperating at home. The rest of my family has also provided whatever assistance and support that I've needed.

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

I initially did not tell my employer that I was having the procedure. I did not feel that it was any of there business. However, as the date for the procedure approached, I decided to tell my co-workers and supervisor. I felt it would be easier to tell them beforehand then to try and explain it afterwards. I also knew that I would need special considerations upon my return to work and it would be best to address these issues beforehand. Most of my co-workers were supportive and understood that this was something that I needed to do. Others were less supportive and judgemental. I remained out of work for approximately 2 months and worked 1/2 days for another month when I did return to work.

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

To be honest, my stay in the hospital was worse than the actual procedure. I was told that I would be in the hospital for approximately one week but I had some complications and was in approximately 10 days. I was in the ICU for 4 days with a high fever and I had some kidney problems that forced me to stay longer. The hospital staff was not as helpful as I would have liked. I am a male but had to have my surgery in a women's hospital. No consideration was given to this fact and I felt as though the hospital staff was unsure as to how to deal with me. I had an extremely difficult time sleeping and was generally miserable while I was in the hospital.

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

I did have complications from the surgery. I was in the ICU for 4 days instead of just overnight because I had an extremely high fever. Also, my kidneys were producing too high of a level of a chemical. My incision did not take the first time and I had to be re-stapled a second time. I dealt with these complications as best I could and allowed the professionals to handle the situations.

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

Prior to my surgery, I was concerned as to how I might feel. Therefore, I kept myself extremely busy at work so that I wouldn't have the time or the energy to have any anxiety about the surgery.

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

My first weeks home from the hospital were interesting. I was still sore from the surgery and the complications. I had to adjust to a whole new diet. I had to eat a time that weren't customary for me. I had to learn to sleep in an entirely different manner from which I was accustomed. (I am a stomach sleeper and obviously couldn't sleep on my stomach). As the muscles in my stomach were healing, I would get incredible pains if I twisted the wrong way or bent over too far.

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

I travelled approximately 50 miles for my surgery. However, the hospital and the doctor's office are about 5 miles from my place of employment so aftercare is not affected.

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

Once I made my initial recovery, my level of activity was about the same. I was afraid to try and do anything that might cause me pain or inhibit the healing process. Therefore, I didn't do anything that I knew would cause pain. However, once I got over that mental hurdle and returned to work, my level of activity has increased ten-fold.

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

I am not taking dietary supplements. The vitamins that I take are the ones that were recommended and prescribed by the doctor.

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 biggest side effect for me has been vomiting. It has persisted since I've had my surgery. It occurs when I eat something that doesn't agree with me or I eat too much. It still occurs but it is happening less frequently than before. I still trying to learn what I can and cannot eat. Sleep disturbance was a constant problem after the surgery because I sleep on my stomach. Since I was unable to sleep like that, my sleeping pattern was greatly affected. Once my stomach sufficiently healed to allow me to sleep on it, sleep disturbance has not been a problem.

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

For me, the worst part of the entire surgery process was the stay in the hospital. Every other aspect of the process has been a learning experience (which I knew it would be) and I have been learning to deal with issues that were not issues before.

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

The hospital, nutritionist, and psycologist affilaited with the program hold a weekly support group. This group has not been that helpful or important to me. While it is important for me to know that there is a group who can understand and relate to what I've done, they cannot relate to me as a person. I am the youngest person in my group my more than 20 years and I cannot relate to the experiences that the other members of the group have, nor can they relate to the experiences that I have. Also, I don't get a feeling of confidence from the psycologist who runs the group. She seems to have a "book knowledge" of the process but is unable to relate to the individual members of the group in any personal manner.

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

My scar is approximately 10" long and looks like a "zipper scar" that many heart patients have. It looks as I expected it would.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

In the 5 1/2 months since I've had the surgery, I've not yet experienced any plateus.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. People seem to give me a different type of respect that wasn't there when I was obese.