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

I had heard people talking about it, and thinking about doing it, but going to surgery for any reasons, scares me, so I didn't really give it a second thought. Then all of a sudden lots of people I knew were having their stomach's stapled, so I looked it up on the internet. The more information I found, the more I thought " Hey, I need to do this!"

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

I didn't have any trouble. My Dr's office called and it was approved. I only wish it could be that easy for everyone.

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

Wonderful. The first time I met her, I knew she was going to be the one doing my surgery. I met her at the pre-seminar, and was very impressed with her. She is very up front, and tells you everything without sugar coating it, and hiding anything. She has a wonderful bedside manner, and is very caring and sincere.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I knew that I had been on this roller coaster long enough, and I wasn't getting any younger. So I decided that before my health started to decline, and my body started to fall apart, I needed to do this. I needed to be able to be more active and stay that way for a long time, and I wanted to be sure I had lots more years with my grandchildren. I have seen alot of people die because they did not take care of their health, and I just decided I needed to do this for myself and my health.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After the seminar, when all the surgeries were explained, I knew that the Rouex-n-Y was the one for me. My family Dr suggested it might be the best way for me to go, but after doing research on the internet and definitely after the seminar, I knew.

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 worry, that something would go wrong. Maybe I wouldn't wake up from the anesthesia, or get too much medicine, or something dreadful would happen. But I just sat down and prayed to God one night and said, Okay, if you wan't me now I guess I am ready, but if you are not ready for me, then I will make it okay. And I had my best friend stay with me in the hospital to be sure that everything was okay. I read some of the stories online about people dying, and heard some horror stories from other people, so that scared me, but I just put myself in God's hands, which is where we should be anyway.

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 wasn't going to tell anyone until after the surgery. I told my two best friends and my husband. I had researched for over a year before making the decision to commit. I told my friends and husband just after I made the appt for the seminar. I was going to wait to tell everyone else afterwards, but My husband told his parents, so then it spread pretty fast through the family. And I am not sure how it got out at work, but it spread pretty fast there too. Most people were very supportive. Some people thought I was crazy. But after they found out how much research I had done, and how long I had been considering it, they all supported me.

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

My boss said she knew someone who had had it, and she couldn't hardly eat anything without throwing up. I explained to her, that as long as you eat the right foods, you won't have that problem. And when she told me what the lady was eating, I explained to her why her friend was always throwing up. She wasn't following her diet properly. I was off work for 3 weeks, and then went back on light duty for the next 3 weeks.

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

It was pretty nice. The nurses were caring and helpful. It was more painful than I anticipated, but worth it. I was there for three days. Be sure to bring your own personal care items, ie: shampoo, conditioner, shaver, lotion, etc. Be sure to bring a gown and slippers for wearing when taking your walk in the hall. Make sure you have a good support system to stay with you and keep you positive. Most of all, be sure to bring your best attitude and be ready to work hard to begin the best journey of your life.

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

No, I didn't have any. I did however, have some reactions to my pain meds. After I went home, I was seeing people that weren't there and talking to people that weren't there. But I realized what was going on and called my Dr, and she changed my pain meds, so I was okay after that.

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 felt good. It was slow going, who doesn't want it to be an instant recovery and weight loss? But it was going rather quickly compared to other things I tried, and I just relaxed and enjoyed the loss!

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

I have a waterbed, so I had my husband bring in our hospital bed and put it in the livingroom, so I could use the contols to help me get comfortable and get in and out of bed. This helped alot. I usually kept a small amount of soup or jello at my bedside and made sure to eat often. I didn't have the urge to eat, but it was important to keep something in there. The most important thing is to have a good support system and patience, and things will work out fine.

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

About 15 miles. Not far.

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 stayed with jello, broth, sugar-free popsicles, and water. This helped me stay hydrated and keep something in me, cause I wasn't really hungry. It was probably after my first week, that I started to experiment, and learned what full was. If it had fat or sugar, I avoided it. After about the second month, I started venturing further, and actually got sick a couple of times. My husband was harder to train. When I let him start cooking for me, he couldn't quite grasp my limits. We went camping one weekend, and he was fixing breakfast. I told him not to fry my eggs. He fried everyone elses, wiped out the pan and made me a scrambled egg. I only had two bits, and knew I couldn't eat it. I was very sick. But he learned from that and now asks about every item, before using it when cooking. I was slow about adding foods. After one year, I could eat alot of foods I probably shouldn't and have been working on getting that weight back off. I also had family move in and couldn't use my exercise equipment so I that didn't help. I am now retraining my eating habits and getting back on the exercise machines, and have started to take the weight back off. This is important. Even if you can tolerate it, and shouldn't eat it, don't eat it. Always exercise. If you don't you won't keep the weight off. Also when I quit exercising I got very flabby, and I need to tighten this back up again.

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

It slowly came up and had been the best it has ever been. It is great to have energy again. To be able to cross my legs again. To be able to touch my toes, and tie my shoes again. It is great!!!

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

I take multi vitamins, and make sure I get plenty of protien. I also use Power Pops, a weight loss lollipop that helps to curb my appetite, and Noni juice. This helps keep my bowels regular, as well as lose weight. You can find these products at www.power-pops.com/candylady

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 had hair loss,dry skin, loss of energy, and everyone told me these were symptoms from the surgery. But when I started having cold intolerance, I knew it was more. I have been hypothyroid for about 20 years now, so I knew that was my problem. I went to the Dr, and sure enough, it was drastically high. I had a hard time, with blood checks every three weeks, trying to keep my medicine regulated after surgery. This is important to be sure your family physician keeps track of what ever medical problems you had before surgery and adjusts your medicine as needed.

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

I think the pain immediately after surgery was more than I anticipated, and the reaction to the pain medicine, making me loopy.

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

I didn't have the time to go to group, but they are very important to attend. Their times just didn't coincide with my schedule. However, I had a good support system in my family and friends, and this helped. It would have been nicer to be able to talk to someone who had gone through the surgery, but it worked out okay.

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

I used some scar get to help diminish the scar, and so it does not look bad. It is just a reward for something that has meant a lot to me, and I do not look at it as a bad thing, but a reward.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued alot, but I just increased my exercises and helped to get off the plateau. The more further out I was, the longer the plateau was. You just have to be determined, increase your exercise, or adjust your eating habits, and be patient. This too will subside.