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

I first learned of Bariatric Surgery a long time ago, when I was 18. I worked in a restaurant, where one of my customers came in to eat soup every day. The cook told me she had bypass surgery. At that time I thought that WLS was a very drastic procedure. But, I didn't understand until now how this happens to people.

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

I thought that it would be a big hassel. It took me a year after I decided to persue surgery, to consult with my health care provider. I first contacted my insurance provider to get the criteria I had to meet in order for aproval. The doctor did the rest and I was aproved with an aproval code after having a phsyc. eval.

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

My first visit with Dr Carlin, was a relief since the wait to get an apointment was 2 months. He was friendly and very comfortable to comunicate with. I didn't have many questions because I had done a lot of research prior to meeting him. I just was waiting for him to say I was a good candidate for the surgery. before meeting him I met his ma and she said I needed to take 50000iu of Vitamin D3 once a week. And to lose 10 lbs before my surgery. Then appointments were made for the medicine internest for a medical clearence, and a return visit to Dr.Carlin.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was miserable. My back was hurting, so much that I could not stand or walk or shop. I had tried the pain clinic, and the treatment did not work. I had just retired and was unable to enjoy my retirement cause I could not walk. And since I could not get exercise I was gaining more and more weight. After that my knees began to hurt. I was diagnosed with a baker cyst. My blood pressure was borderline high and my blood sugar was pre diabetic. And one day I sat on a metal folding chair and it bent. That was it. I had to take drastic steps to get this weight off and I did my research and decided to have weightloss surgery. I know I need more than what I was doing.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon and I decided together.

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 am not afraid of having complication or dying. I have every confidence in my surgeon. I usually direct people who questions about what to expect to do as much research as they can. The more knowledgeable you are the less aprehensive you will be.

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?

Most are supportive. I do have a few that have concerns because they have heard only horror stories.

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

I am retired

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

3:00 A.M. My eyes opened searching for the alarm clock. I had an hour before it would go off. I guess I just lie here and wait for it to ring. No, thats going to happen. Have I remembered to pack everything? Well, get up and make sure. What will I say to my family as I walk into the surgery prep area? Is my son home from work yet? He said he was going to be here. Wake up Julie. Julie dose your bothers phone work? Can you send him a test? Send him one that says when will you be home? My surgery time is 7:30 a.m. I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 A.M. Mom wants to see you before she goes. 3:30 A.M. The dogs bark it is my boy, home from work. What time are you coming to the hospital? Are you driving yourself? Do you have money to park? Are my adopted kids coming to the hospital with you? (My son and daughters, friends who are orphans, because of parents early deaths). Are they awake? Call them I want to talk to them. He calls them and I say to them Mark I want you and be to know that I think of you and Bee, as my own, and thank you for being her for Mike. If something happens I want you four, You, Bee, Mike and Julie, to stick together. Take care of each other. Mark said OK Mom, we will, and dont worry everything will be OK. We love you and will b e up there in a little while. There are a couple of hours before my surgery. If you want why dont you get some rest and come to the hospital later? Or just come around the time I get done. Say 11: 00 A.M. are you sure that would be OK with you, mom? Yes, that would give me something to look forward too. OK Then I can pick up Bee and Mark too. They are still working until 8:00 A.M. Saying good bye to my son. My first born, the kid, who never shows his feelings. Come here I want to give you a hug, I said, as I hugged him the tears began to fall. I said to him No matter what happens I want you to know that I love you and you are a good boy (24 yrs. Old). If anything happens to me you kids know what I want done. And I want you and your Dad and sister to stay together and get along. Youre the only family that you have. He hugged me back, with tears streaming down his face, he said, I love you Mom, dont worry everything will be OK. Then he said with a smirk on his face Do ya, got any money for gas? I chuckled and said thats my boy. 4:00 A.M. Time to take my last micro-antibiotic shower. Make sure you scrub the tummy and under the boobs good. Dont want any germs getting into those incisions. What to say to the rest of my family before I go to the O.R. I have to remember to tell them how proud of them and how much I love them. And how special they are. WOW the outfit I chose to wear is too big. Thats good wont bind when I wear it home. 4:20 A.M. Hubby and Daughter need coffee. I make a pot. Wake up Daughter, Julie. Its time to get up. I hear my hubby coming up the steps. There is coffee in the pot, its going to be a long day you should get a cup They make their coffee as I smell the aroma. Man I would love a cup, too. Do you guys want to take some snacks in the lunch bag? I am going to be in the OR for a few hours. You could go get some breakfast while I am in there. My hubby says. I aint going anywhere! (My mind thinks back to a time, when we were young. I was insecure and would say to him when he was over the road driving. What are you doing? Do you love me? You been talking to any of your old girlfriends? Are you going to leave me? He would just answer Are you crazy, I aint going nowhere. In his he-man macho style). I did notice him turn his head and wipe his eye. 4:45 A.M. Time to load the car. Hubby takes my suit case and pillow to the car. Comes back for the blue binder and extra pillow and blanket I packed for whoever stays the night. I poke my head into my sons room, I say I am going now, He jumps up and give me a big hug (this kid never hugs me). And says I love you mom. Dont worry it will be alright. I will see you in a few. We go to the car and get on our way. Funny thing as many times as I have traveled this same path in my daily driving, I have never had to wait for a train. But on this morning sure enough the gates, which I never even noticed before, lit up. As the train went by we notice open cars. I wondered if I could run fast enough to be a hobo and get away. I just thought this is another one of Gods ways of giving you an extra minute to think about things. 5:10 A.M. We arrived at the main Hospital entrance. I told hubby that we might have to wait because it doesnt open until 5:30 A.M. As we pulled into the valet parking, a gentleman that looked like a thing Santa came to our vehicle. He gave my hubby a claim check and directed him to put it in line behind a few other cars. He said that they would take them to the parking area when his helper got there. Hubby and daughter hauled all my packed luggage and garbage bags with pillows and blankets form the trunk and into the doors we went. In the doors, behind the information desk, and up in the elevators to the 4th floor surgery unit. Out of the elevator and to the left. Check in at the desk. Have a seat and wait. I said to my Hubby and daughter drop the stuff and lets look around and see what is here for you guys. WOW a big waiting area. A vending area for coffee. The coffee is free. 5:25 A.M. The receptionist calls another patient and one family member. Then in through the door comes a woman with her child in a wheel chair. My guess is he had cerebral palsy. He was sitting like a normal person in the chair as she wheeled him in. a few minutes later she went by and he was in the chair with his feet on the seat and sort of couched up like a little ball. After they were gone my daughter said How can someone be comfortable all crouched up like that. I chuckled because I was wondering the same thing. 5:30 A.M. I heard my Name and one family member come with me. I looked at my husband and daughter and shrugged my shoulders. The lady said that after I got my IV and stuff done they would let the other come back. So I told my daughter to wait with the stuff and Dad would come get her in a minute. I stood up and my knees went week, case of the rubber legs indeed. I looked at my daughter and hubby and new it was the time to say something inspirational. I took off my wedding ring and handed it to my husband and said keep this close to your heart. I love you and Thanks for coming home. I dont just mean this time but for every time. I gave him a big hug and he hugged me back. Keep my family together if anything happens. I hug my daughter, and told her how much I loved her and that I was very proud of her and what she has become. And if anything happens to me dont let the boys boss you around. Inside the pre-0p area As we walk in there is a row of beds with curtains on the right and some rooms on the left. There are numbers above each area. I was put in bed #49 Across from my bed was a room with glass doors. There was an older man and his family member in the room. An OR nurse comes to me and verifies my name and the type of surgery I will be having. Roux n Y for me and medical allergies, and height and weight. I am told to strip all of my cloths and put on the extra big hospital gown on and get in the bed. They have the footy socks with the non skid on the bottom. I am excited about that. Dont like my feet to get cold. I think about putting my window cling on trick or treat on my tummy, but discover I didnt get a cling I got a sticker with glue on the back. So I chickened out. The IV nurse came back and started the IV. Of course my veins were a pain in the rear to find. She finally decided on the one in the back of my hand. She was going to put some stuff to freeze the site first. I told her not to, because the last time they tried that my vain would go flat and then they could not get it. Just go for it I am a tuff girl. The anesthetic nurse and the anestigieoligist came to ask me questions and then they were gone. The nurse called to have my daughter come back and join us. And back she came dragging all the baggage. I laughed and said you could have left that in the waiting room you will be going back there. All you need to bring was our purses. So they tucked everything in our little area. And pulled a chair out for her to sit in. The PA Elisa came in and again asked the same questions. She asked if I had any questions. I did. I wanted to know if I was going to have RnY distal or RnY prodistal for the OH survey. We only do the prodistal. That they dont go in any more that 100 cms. Then she went away. Dr. Carling came in and asked how I was and if I had any questions. I asked if he had a steady hand, if he had been out partying the night before. And if he had a good breakfast this morning? He said that he does not drink. His had been steady and that He got plenty of sleep, he did not party. And he eats the same stuff he requires his patients to eat. I kind of smiled at him and wondered to myself if he was a WLS patient too. But I didnt ask. I told him about the window cling idea and he laughed but said that would have been a bad idea cause of germs. But it was funny. Dr. Carlin left and said he would see me in a few. I said and then you will know me inside and out. LOL The anistegioligest and the nurse came back and said it was time to go. First they gave me a shot of something to relax me in my IV. I was calm but not dopey yet. I hugged and kissed my family again and they rolled my bed away. Down the hall to the OR I watched as we rolled down the hall. I remember tucking my feet in because they were kind of close to the door ways and I thought that they would bump into them. Then we came to two big doors. And the Anistegioligest said this is the OR. I said wait a minute. They stopped. And I said this is it. Lets Go. Then through the doors we went. I was looking around trying to see the robot they used in to do the surgery. All I could see was the big round lights above my head. The nurse asked what I was looking for. I told her and then Dr. Carling said I am the machine. Then they had me slide from the gurney to the OR table. I said I was glad because that gurney had a brick under my back and was hurting me. ??? I got on the table and heard someone say now just relax and then************************************************************************ Mary you are in the recovery and your surgery is done. I could not focus yet. But, I remember thinking OK I am alive I made it through. Then I started wrenching, dry heaves. That was the most horrible thing. I was afraid to heave cause I didnt know if I would tear something open or what. I heard the nurse say we going to give you something in your IV to calm that down. A few minutes later it got better. But not gone. So they gave me another dose of whatever it was. I was a lot better. But I was still out of it. They said they were going to take me to my room. I dont remember being moved. The nurse asked why I was making that sound. Was I in pain? I said no dry heaves. They gave me more stuff. Then they had me move to my bed. And showed me how to use the pain pump, call button, remote control phone and I was still dopey and would not remember anything. My family came in. And I was so glad that I was alive. I did not care about anything else. Ken, Mike, Julie, Mark and Bee. Incredibly dry mouth My mouth was so dry that my tongue was stuck to my teeth. I felt as thought somebody supper glued my tongue to the inside of my mouth. I tried to speak but it was mangled. I was slurring and not making any since. They brought me some ice chips, but I remembered something from OH. I had my daughter get a wash cloth and wet it with cold water. I wiped out the inside of my mouth. I noticed a bunch of dry junk on the wash cloth. I had my daughter rinse the cloth and again I wiped out my mouth. It felt so good. And helped a lot. Then I began dropping one ice chip in my mouth at a time. How something so simple could feel so wonderful. I was afraid to move because I thought about the expected pain. So I stayed still. I asked the nurse when I would need to get out of the bed she said around 3 P.M. I had some time to prepare. I tried to have conversations with my family, but I just kept fading in and out form the pain meds. I learned how to use that well. It is ok to pump it a lot because it only allows you to pump some every tem minutes. Good to know for later. Daughter later told me I was wasted. The walk Three oclock time to walk. I feared the pain, how will I manage the cath-bag and the IV pole, and the pain as I maneuvered down the hallway. But I had to get up and go. I lowered the legs part of the bed, so it was flat. Then I raised the head so I was sitting up right. I had the nurse help swing my feet over the edge of the bed. I thought oh man this is going to hurt. I did not. I was surprised. Getting up on my feet would be painful. It was not. I was unstable form the anesthetic and the drugs but I felt ok. So I walked to the door, this was not so bad. Out the door and to the nurses station, past the nurses station and down the hall. All the way to the nurses station on the other end of the floor. So for not so bad. Then around the bend and back to bed. The nurses said you did really well. I was taking inventory. My tummy felt tight and bruised like if you bumped into something but only where the incisions were not internally. I was surprised. As I walked my daughter pushed my IV pole along as I hung on the wall rail. After a few walks we had a system down. I name the pole Lilo. I would say move Lilo faster or slow Lilo down. Then we said if The IV pole Is LILO then my pouch must be Stitch. Belly inspection Time to see what the damage is. So to the restroom I went. In the mirror I took stock of my situation. No bandage, no stitches, no drainage tubes. Good. There are five puncture sites. One at the base of my rib cage, two on the left side of my belly and one on the right and one right next to my belly button. Looks like they have been supper glued closed. No bruising either. My tummy is still yellow form the benidine they used to was before surgery. The catheter bag was an incontinent necessity. Not painful but there. I didnt know how much of a blessing it was until they took it out and I had to get up to pee all night long. After they removed the Catheter, whenever I had to go to the b-room I had to undo the air boots and then get up and go then come back and re connect the air boots. I got good at it. The bed was wonderful. Completely remote. It had an air mattress that adjusted to your body weight and pressure points so that you would never be getting to much pressure in any point of your body. Stitch gets a meal Day 2. In came the breakfast trays. A cup of hot water, tea bag decaffeinated, red Jell-O, bowl of chicken broth, a cup of apple juice. The soup tasted like someone dipped a piece of chicken in and pulled it out. The apple juice was watered down so you could barely taste the juice The SF jell-o was jell-o. I measured the 1 one ounce cups that the hospital supplied of each thing. 4 oz. tummy maximum. I slowly sipped the broth with my tiny baby spoon I brought, fearful of the results. No pain, then I had a spoon of jell-o, no pain, then the juice, no pain. Then the tea w/Splenda no pain. I consumed my 4 oz. max. I was ok. Not hungry, no pain. Good deal. About 20 minutes later Stitch decided it would give me a sign. Sort of like an indigestion type of hic up. Not burning but like a stomach spasm. Or stomachs sneeze. I made a sound like hec hew. And then it was gone. I walked the hall again and then it was gone. I was released on Saturday October 31ST at 12 noon.

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

no

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 used Obesity Help to pass the time. I recieved a lot of knowledge and support from the members. I am very happy with the results of my surgery. I feel the effects of my new pouch. I don't feel that I am losing as fast as I hoped for. but I am losing. Some is better than none or a gain. I am learning what I can and can not put in my my tummy. And at what pace to eat at.

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

Expect it to be a learning period. You will be fearful of eating the wrong things or over eating. You may have days when nothing agrees or you may be able to consume more than expected. Just stick to the plan and sip sip sip and walk walk walk. Push yourself to get exercise. At about week three I got really tired. then by the end of week 4 I was getting busy doing things I wouldn't get off the couch to do in months. I was off my Blood sugar medicine right after surgery.

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

40 minutes.

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.

Soft bread- gets gooey and get stuck Ground beef- emediatly get the foamies. clear liquids- all good Underwood develed meat- soft and small scrambled eggs w/ crisp bacon- no probs.

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

As the days progress so did my activity levels. I am now working out doing water aerobics 3 times a week, and have been able to clean my house and tie my own shoes. I can now walk my dogs one at a time around the block. Little by little I am able to do more and more.

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

2 multiples 1500 mg calcium 50,000 vitman D3 1000 iu b12 60 mg Iron 100 iu vitamin C

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 have not experienced any of those symptoms as of yet.

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

the gaging right after surgery. And the anticipation of the surgery.

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

I have a group at my surgery teams site and I have OH.com I rely on daily support from my on the MI OH forum. and I get medical support from my HFH medical team.

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

I really did not know what to expect. My scars are minamal I have 5 small 1 inch puncture. One on the right of my abdomon, 2 on the left of my abdomon, one just below my breast bone and one very my belly button. There were no drainage tubes or stitches, and they seem to instatainiously heal.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At about two weeks out I just stopped loosing. I attribute this to the hyburnation phaze of the process.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No Not yet.