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

I don't recall when I first heard of bariatric surgery, however the incredible results really "hit home" when Carnie Wilson had her surgery. I have always thought that the surgery was a pretty extreme path to travel, but knew that I've tried dozens of other weight loss tactics and was either completely unsuccessful or only temporarily successful (lost weight and gained it all back and then some).

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

I had no "snags" with the insurance company. However, I was very concerned at how close to surgery they wait to contact you reference approval or denial. I think it was about 1 week before my scheduled surgery before they finally approved me and that was with continual phone calls both to the hospital performing the surgery as well as to the insurance company.

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

My first meeting was incredible. Dr. Kispert was so down to earth. He had a dry sense of humor, but he was wonderful. He answered every question that I had and made me feel even more comfortable about my decision. He had performed over 500 surgeries, so I was never worried about him performing the surgery on me.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I don't recall what exactly clicked in my head that this was the way to go. All I know for sure is that I'm getting impatient and wish that the hospital would call me and tell me that I could go tomorrow. I cannot wait to start my life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I don't have a choice as to the procedure. It will definitely be the gastric bypass (not the lap bands). My BMI will decide whether or not I will have the laproscopic or the open surgery.

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 have a lot of confidence that my physician has referred me to someone who will take good care of me. The percentage of deaths resulting from this surgery is incredibly low (less than 1%), so I'm not concerned about death.

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?

Friends and family are very supportive. I've told them everything that I know and continue to learn.

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

I changed jobs about halfway through my journey. I made sure that my current employer new well in advance about the surgery, but I don't think they fully understood the process. I was at my current job for about a year before I had the surgery. When the time finally came to request the time off from work, I had a few minor complications as far as actually getting the time off, but I covered all of my own shifts. I had planned on being out of work for 3 weeks, but was back to work in 8 days!!! (I have a desk job, so over-exerting myself wasn't a concern).

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

My stay in the hospital was fine, but not as nice as being in my own bed. I went in on a Thursday morning, had the surgery and was in and out of the or in less than an hour. I didn't, however, get into my own room until after 6:00 pm that night, due to some type of miscommunication with the staff. They didn't have a room available for me. I was not able to walk that night, due to too much spinal that they'd given me for the surgery, but I was up walking around bright and early the next day. The pain wasn't nearly as bad as I had assumed it would be. (I had open RNY). The most important thing to bring is chapstick. Hospitals tend to be very dry.

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

I had no complications from the surgery. I was in and out of the hospital in less than 2 days.

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 was elated that I finally had a date. I was always concerned about approval from the insurance company, and it seemed that every day that went by made me a bit more concerned. The insurance company certainly waited until pretty much the last minute to either approve or deny. I believe that it was about a week before my surgery that they approved me, but I'm not sure what I would have done if they had denied me so close to the surgery.

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

My first few weeks home were fine. I had no complications at all. The first morning I was home, I went to my neighbors to take a shower because my bathroom is up a very steep flight of stairs. The following day, though, I decided to be brave and attempt the stairs, and everything was fine. There's nothing quite like taking a shower in your own home. The hospital staff wouldn't allow a shower while I was there, so it was spongebaths all the way. A normal shower, in my own bathroom, was a gift from heaven.

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

The hospital is about an hour away from my house, so the morning of the surgery, it felt like we'd never get there. Coming home, however, it seemed like I could feel every pebble that we drove over, so at that time it felt like we'd never get home.

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.

In the few weeks following surgery, I was very cautious about what I ate. I followed the suggestions from the dietician to the "T". When I started feeling better, I started feeling brave, as well. I began trying things that may or may not have been on the next stage of the program. I am currently about 20 weeks post-op, down 87 pounds and have reached my first plateau. I try most everything for food and have discovered that I don't have a very good intolerance for sugar, so need to remind myself that I really need to stop after 1 hershey miniature. I have found, though, that, usually anything more than that makes me queasy, anyway.

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

I am proud to say that I was pretty active after surgery -- to the point where I may have overdone it many times. I was very tired for about the first 4-5 weeks, but kept "plugging along" anyway, which probably wasn't in my best interest. I started walking a substantial distance for my condition about a week post-op. Each day, I would increase the distance slightly. I now try to hit the gym at least three times a week and do at least 3 miles on the treadmill and sometimes a mile on the stationary bike.

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

I am currently on actigall to prevent gallbladder attacks. I also take a calcium citrate, antacid, iron, and protein supplements, simply because I am still finding it challenging to get in the required protein (60 grams). I have no problem getting in the required water intake, though (48-64 ounces).

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 tend to dump if I eat too fast, too much, or the wrong stuff. My dumping used to consist of about 45 mins of hell. I felt like I was cooking from the inside out. I'd sweat, get dizzy, and just feel soooo nauseous for the entire 45 mins. Yet I couldn't vomit. Just recently, I found out that I need to make myself vomit in order to bring instant relief. I need to vomit within 5 mins of feeling ill, or the chance has passed and I'm stuck with the horrible nauseous feeling for 45 mins. I have also recently started losing my hair (which was pretty thin to begin with). I called my hospital, and they advised that I wasn't getting in enough protein, so that is when I started on the protein supplements. Unfortunately, however, 12 tablets a day is worth only about 3 grams of protein, but every little bit helps. I have begun my food journal again, so I can keep track of my protein and water intake. This seems to help tremendously.

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

Overall, I did not think that there was anything terrible about the process. It has changed my life, in so many ways. It was a bit aggravating, at first, though to not be able to roll over in my bed or sleep on my stomach. The rolling over thing, lasted only about 3 weeks, though. Only recently, however have I been able to sleep on my stomach, but everything is back to normal.

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

The hospital offers a post-op support group, but I do not attend. I feel that I am doing fine without it, and with my work schedule, the drive in the evening is a bit much. I believe that a support group is very important if you're having any type of complications or psychological setbacks, however.

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

My scar is about 8 inches long, and ugly. I was prepared for this, as soon as I discovered that I would be having an open surgery. It doesn't bother me, in fact, a part of me is rather proud of it. It is proof that I did something for me that changed my life for the better.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

As stated earlier, I have lost a total of 87 pounds and am now, for the first time, experiencing a plateau. I'm 20 weeks out of surgery. This doesn't affect me as much as I thought that it would. I just know that I need to pay more attention to what I'm eating and start moving again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice a lot more people making comments about how different I look, but I don't think people treat me any differently.