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

I had a niece that had gastric by-pass surgery and had lost so much weight. I was just so afraid that I would die if I had that surgery, though, that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was a single-again mother of 2 and didn't want to put the kids through that (and I was really scared myself). One day my sister was in the surgeon's office and saw a pamphlet about lap-band surgery. She brought it home to me and I started researching the procedure. It looked too good to be true. It seemed like just the answer I had been waiting for all my life.

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

I was one of the fortunate ones. It only took a couple of months to get insurance approval. It was really quite painless. I completed the surgeons questionnaire about my diet history and had all my records sent to him. He submitted everything to the insurance company and I was ready for my surgery within about 3 months after starting the approval procedure. My only advice would be to be persistent with the insurance company. Most of them will pay for gastric bypass even if they don't pay for lap-band. I think this will change as more and more people have success with lap-band, but you may have to be a little more "insistent" if you are initially denied. This surgery can save your life (in more ways than one)!

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

Dr. Paluzzi requires all of his patients to attend a seminar he does that tells about the lap-band procedure and the expected costs. After I attended this seminar I was pretty convinced this was what I wanted to do so I made my initial appointment with him. That visit was really to get all my history and to get the process going on getting insurance approval. I guess I would say the best way to get the most out of that meeting would be to be very honest and open with your sugeon. Talk to him!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I thought I would be dead within a few years if I didn't do something. I didn't want to continue living the life I had been living and I thought this was the tool I needed to change my bad behavior.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Lap-band was the least invasive and seemed to carry the least amount of risk with the surgery. I felt "safer" with this type of surgery than the other bariatric surgeries that were offered.

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?

Of course, there are some fears anytime you have surgery. There are complications that can come from any surgical procedure, but I am so relieved that I faced those fears and had my surgery. I know in my case, I felt the fears about the surgery were much less than the fears I had about facing another year in constant physical and emotional pain.

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 has been very supportive in my decision. It has been difficult coming from a family that focuses a lot on eating. They couldn't understand eating such small portions and still being healthy but they were supportive in what I was trying to do. It has been a learning process for all of us.

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

I was out of work for 2 weeks. I guess my employer has been as supportive as any company would be.

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

My surgery was done as an outpatient. I was at the hospital about 8 am and I was at home in my own bed about 2 pm that afternoon. Since I didn't have an overnight stay I didn't bring anything.

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

I had no complications.

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 extremely nervous. I was not sure exactly how this was going to impact my life. The surgery itself was scary but the uncertainty of how this was going to change my life was very scary. I just tried to stay busy and not think too much about the surgery.

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

I actually took a couple of weeks off from work. Those 2 weeks were very nice. I was not in a lot of pain and I wasn't constantly thinking about eating. I just wasn't hungry. The only thing I had a problem with was my wanting to lose the weight faster than I was. Even though I thought I had everything together for this surgery I think I still wanted an overnight fix. I think you just need to make sure you look at this as a change for life and not just a quick fix. The weight is not going to come off overnight but I truly believe it will work if you just remember it's a change for life not just a diet to lose some weight. There are support groups out there to help you if you find this a difficult transition. If you don't have a support group in your area FIND ONE! It is always easier to talk to someone who understands what you are going through.

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

I am only 7 miles from the surgeon and the hospital where I had my surgery.

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.

The first few weeks were the liquid phase. I usually had a sugar-free protein shake, Jello, broth, juice skim milk and things like that. In the mushy phase that followed I ate a lot of the food the family was eating just mushed up in a blender. I had a lot of trouble with any type of bread and rice in my earlier stages of recovery, but that was really about the only things that gave me a real problem. Two years after my surgery, though, I find I can eat pretty much anything in just smaller portions and chewed very fine.

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

I walked as much as possible. I felt a new lease on life so I felt more like getting out and walking. As the weight started coming off I felt even better. I was doing water aerobics because of my joint pain and walking as much as possible.

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

I take a multivitamin and Calcium with D every day. I also take biotin every day for my hair. I have not experienced the hair loss some people talk about so I don't know if that has really helped or 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?

The worst thing that I have had to deal with is the "sliming". I have a lot of sinus drainage already and there are days that it seems like everything I try to eat or drink comes out in this slime. I still have days like that even 2 years out from surgery but they do seem to be getting fewer and farther between.

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

I guess the worst part for me has been adjusting my lifestyle to eating the smaller portions. My family still loves to have these huge meals for everything. We celebrate with food and we bury our hurts and disappointments with food. Or should I say, THEY continue to do those things. I am changing day by day and will one day overcome those learned behaviors with my new and healthier behaviors. I will hopefully change the future for my kids and grandkids because of these changes.

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

I attend a monthly support group meeting. It is very important to have these people to share things with that you are going through because they understand.

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

My scar is very minimal. Yes it is what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had a couple of health issues that required hospital admittance (kidney stone and some chest pain) and required the removal of all the fluid from my band. I felt very frustrated after these experiences because I felt like I was having to start all over but it really wasn't.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I haven't really noticed how other people treat me in a different way but I know I treat myself in a different way. I don't feel like everyone is pointing at me and making fun of me everytime I leave the house. I always had that feeling when I was heavy even though I don't really think that ever happened except in my mind.