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

I first learned about WLS when my mom was in nursing school. Oh, that was so many years ago!! She took care of a patient that had severe complications after a gastric "wrap"... By the time I went to nursing school the surgeries had change significantly. My initial impressions of what I learned as an adult were that this might be the best thing in the world for some people. Not me. Not then. But my opinion changed.

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

I actually had a pretty easy experience with the approval process. After checking into the possiblity of treatment at a military hospital (DH is active duty) and finding a terribly long waiting list I decided to go the civilian route. I found out what I needed for approval beforehand and made sure to have documentation for all of it at my first surgeon consult.

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

My first visit was overwhelming. There was so much info and I had so many questions. People need to be ready with a list of questions! I had mine - but luckily my doc covered most of them with his usual presentation.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I finally decided that my health was going downhill and I wanted it to stop. My knees are bad and I have back pain. The extra weight only adds to these problems. Plus my mother is MO and I could see myself being just like her in another 20 years...the thought wasn't very appealing.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided on the Laparoscopic RNY. Its not as new as the duodenal switch, nor as old as the VBG... but it does have a good track record for long term success. And thats what I want. I had the Lap for the quicker recovery time!

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?

Fears... I was afraid of dying. Not so much fear of complications.. just of death. I think that is a normal fear when undergoing such a major procedure. I made sure that my will was updated and took care to write a letter to my husband and to my son just in case. That helped.

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 limited the people I told to just immediate family and we didn't tell most of them until just a couple of weeks before the surgery. I did my best friend too. I think in my situation that was the best way to go - it cut down on the potential negative feedback. Those that know I've had the surgery have been very supportive. They've asked a lot of questions, but thats okay - I feel like they understand why I wanted and needed to have this done.

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

I told my supervisor I needed time off for stomach surgery. I am an operating room nurse so it was a bit dicey...but that was all they needed to know. In fact, she didn't even dwell on the details. Just gave me the time off I asked for and told me to call if I needed more. Due to the physical nature of my job I was out for the full six weeks.

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

My hospital stay went well. I didn't have any pre-op delays and went through that whole process smoothly. Post op they took me to my room and helped me into bed. I was uncomfortable, but I knew they were there to help. The nurses were helpful and responsive. I had a private room so that was great. The only thing that bothered me was the usual hospital "noise". I was in the hospital for 3 days, counting the day of my surgery. I think the most important things to bring are a pillow of your own and headphones to play soft music and drown out the hall sounds when you're trying to sleep.

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

I have had no major complications. The only ongoing problem I have is an irritated nerve along one of the abdominus rectus muscles. This is not uncommon and should resolve in time. I have some trouble with bending - I get a sharp pain along my left side. But its getting better. I've talked to my surgeon, ruled out any other problems, and now am just getting on with life. The pain should resolve in time.

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

In the first couple of days I felt like crap. Honestly. I couldn't eat or drink nearly the amounts they wanted me to and I was plain tuckered out. Tomato soup saved me. Well sort of. That was the first "real" food I ate a significan portion of. After that I started to feel better. At about the two week mark I was really wondering why I had done this to myself. But I talked to my DH about my feelings and frustrations and kind of worked through them. After a while I started feeling better about things. (Getting out and walking helped too!)

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

My first few weeks seemed to drag on forever. I was sure I'd never be able to sleep in my own bed or take a shower by myself again. I think I expected just to come home and be "normal". Let me tell ya, thats NOT going to happen. I'm a nurse, I should have known better. With urging from my DH I set more realistic goals (not walking a mile, but maybe around the block) and took my pain meds when I needed them. Things improved slowly. People should plan on taking it easy during this time and not expecting too much from themselves. But do plan on moving! You cant just lay around and hope to get better.

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

I had to travel about 40 miles, not including a 35 minute ferry ride. My aftercare hasn't been badly affected since I've been able to travel back for my follow up appointments without too much difficulty.

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.

Things I could and couldn't eat: This changes week to week, but for the most part I've been able to tolerate all the foods I've tried. Exceptions would be milk (lactose intolerant) and beans (no taco bell for me! - the gas was horrible) I take Lactaid now and can tolerate the milk better but still..no beans! Meats have been okay. They all make me feel terribly full after just a few bites. But thats okay. I cut everything really small and chew, chew, chew. I swallowed a piece of steak that was big and it got stuck - talk about pain! Thankfully it passed without incident other thank the awful pain. Foods have been off limits? Sugar. Gives me the shakes. Carbonation. Just plain can't tolerate it, and soda isn't good for me anyway! Dietary tolerance changes: Right after the surgery I didn't want to eat at all. Nothing! I took me a couple of weeks to work up to the idea of eating even tiny portions. Now at 3 months out I am eating normal foods - just small portions.

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

When I first got home all I wanted to do was lay in my recliner. It seemed a trip to the bathroom was almost more than I could do. Over the days and weeks I kept pushing myself to get up and out more. Down the street, around the block, out for a long walk. It took time to build up my tolerance but now I've got more energy and stamina than I've had in years.

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

I take a daily multivitamin (small so no iron), an iron supplement, & calcium supplement. I was taking the sublingual B12 but decided the shots are easier - they are also covered by my insurance which the B12 tablets are not.

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?

I think my worst side effect has been sleep disturbance. Pain is the big culprit. I can get to sleep but then when I move the pain wakes me up. Its getting better all the time but is still an issue at 11 weeks out. I cope by napping when I can and exercising so I sleep more soundly. Nausea has been very minimal for me thank goodness.

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

The pain. I don't think I was mentally prepared for how much pain there was. I guess I assumed that since I was having a lap procedure there wouldn't be much pain. Wrong. When they go in and rearrange your insides it hurts! Once I wrapped my mind around the fact that pain is normal and I wasn't going to die things started to get better. And yes, I would do it again!

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

I live in a small town so I haven't been able to find a local support group. Thats okay by me.. I'm not a group type person. My surgeon has completed his follow up - but I still have more sessions with the dietician. My PCP is also involved in my plan of care and will be tracking my labs. I think it is important to have some follow up! And I think support groups can be a good source of info for people.

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

I have 5 small scars from the camera and port placements. The one from the largest port site was a seemingly huge dent right after the surgery. This was from the closure device the surgeon uses. I think that was a bit of a surprise. But as the weeks go by the dent is disappearing. The other scars are barely noticeable.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a slow spot at about week 4. It was frustrating.. but after thinking about it, that was a normal perch weight for me. Before I gained past it I had hovered around that weight for sometime. I figured my body was taking a break and catching up. I kept up with the exercise and fluids and after a couple weeks the scales dropped again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet. But many have noticed I'm losing. Its nice to hear people say I'm looking good. *update* Yes, differently. And how. Its nice for people to look at me as a person.. not a "fat" person.