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

I saw an ad for a doctor performing vbg's in 1994 and immediately decided that this was what I wanted to do. I considered it "the easy way". Ha! Now I know better! I went to this doctor's seminar, was approved by insurance and promptly lost my job and thus my chance at the surgery. It was a blessing in disguise as I was in no way informed or prepared for the reality of wls.

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

Even though my insurer has a bad reputation for covering wls, I was blessed to get approval the first time around. The only thing they wanted after receiving information from my surgeon was documentation of my diabetes. Once they got that I was approved. All in all, the process took about 3-4 weeks. My adivce is to stay on top of your insurance company during the submittal and approval process. Make sure your paperwork was received, document all conversations, and make your presence known. If you are denied, don't give up! Appeal until you can appeal no more and then call Walter!

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

My first meeting went really well. I was already well informed about the surgery. He explained the surgery and necessary lifestyle changes in detail and then he went through a two page list of questions I had brought in. The best way to be prepared is to educate yourself, write down any questions you have, give your doctor a copy and don't leave until they are answered in a satisfactory manner.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Diabetes, asthma, high-blood pressure, depression, back and leg pain, despair, lack of energy and enthusiasm for life. I was 32 years old and felt 62. I live in Texas and every time I went out in the heat my lips would get numb and I'd almost have a heat stroke. I really started fearing for my life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon, who I hand-picked, only does VBG. Looking back, I probably would have been better off with RNY because of my sweet tooth but I wanted this surgeon in particular.

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 didn't worry too much about complications or dying. I prepared a living will in case something did happen and I prayed right before I was put under. Realize that there is a 1% chance of dying with this surgery but a 10% or greater chance of dying from complications of morbid obesity if you continue to stay morbidly obese. Get your affairs in order, living will, regular will, anything you need to say to family members or friends. Take care of all this in advance and then try to relax.

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 and friends, although worried at first, could not have been more supportive. I let them know from the beginning that I was educated, knew what I was doing, and that I felt like this was my best and last shot. I would do nothing differently.

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

My employer was very supportive. I went in and told him the truth, what I was having done and why. He expressed some concern to another co-worker which I found out about later but told me once I came back to work that he was so glad I had it done. He continued to tell me that and remark on the changes the surgery brought about in me, both physically and mentally. I was off work for 2 1/2 weeks.

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

I was in the hospital for 4 days. Other than a bad roommate, my stay was routine with no real problems other than being hot because of the morphine pump and a lot of nausea which was managed by shots of Phenergan. The nursing staff was great as was my surgeon. I did get an idiot for a nutritionist. He insisted on preparing a diet for me and kept writing down gargantuan portions. I explained repeatedly that I would only be about to hold 1-2 oz at first and he just didn't get it! I wanted to throw him out of my room!

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

I woke up in extreme pain and had dry heaves which I thought were going to kill me. The whole first day is a very painful haze for me. I was given Phenergan injections for the nausea but the morphine pump didn't do a whole lot for the pain expect keep me sleepy. They also had problems controlling my insulin level the first 24 hours or so but by day 2 I was much better.

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 excited and a little scared. I went through the "last meal" rituals eating all of the things I was afraid I'd never eat again.

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

My first week I was sore and moved very slowly. I couldn't sleep in my bed and had to sleep on the couch. By the second week I was cooking supper and making short trips (like to the grocery store) and by the third week I was back at work. Each day I felt a little better.

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

I had surgery in the town in which I live.

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.

From the beginning I've been able to tolerate any type of food I wish to eat. I experience some problems with Chinese food and occasionally with meat but I pretty much eat what I want and have since the beginning. I was on all liquids the first week, a soft diet for weeks 2-6 consisting of things like scrambled egg, tuna, bananas, peas and carrots, mashed potatoes, yogurt, cream of wheat. After week 6 I was allowed anything my body could tolerate. The only thing forbidden is food with a heavy casing, such as some sausages, boudin. Even then, I can eat it as long as I remove the casing.

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

Week one I moved very slowly, week two still slow but a little better, week three back at work and moving a little faster, week four working overtime and just about back to normal. By six weeks I was back to normal.

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

I took 2 flinstones chewables for the first 6 weeks after surgery and then switched to a Centrum once a day for the first year or so. At two years post-op I no longer take vitamins.

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 terrible nausea in the first few weeks which gradually disappeared. Hair loss for me was pretty bad as I didn't have a whole lot of hair to begin with. It persisted from about 4 months to 12 months post-op. I didn't think it would ever stop but it did. I've regrown all of the hair I lost now.

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

The pain when I woke up in recovery was truly terrible. It was the most intense thing I've ever experienced and something I will remember forever. Even with the pain though, a friend stopped by the night of my surgery and asked me if I had known what it was going to be like would I do it again. My answer was yes!

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

I get my support from an e-mail list for vbg patients and from a brand new live support group we have formed in Houston. I wish I had been able to be in a live support group from the beginning as I think it would have been very helpful. I also wish I had had nutritional support and guidance but it wasn't offered.

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

My scar started at my breastbone and ended about two inches from the top of my navel. I had 28 external staples and the incision was about 9" long. I looked like Frankenstein when I first saw it! Now, my scar is almost totally white and as I lost weight it has shrunk several inches.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I lost the majority of my weight in the first 6-8 months after surgery and then quit losing. I maintained the lowest weight for a while and then slowly regained about 15lbs by the time I was 1 year post-op. My weight has maintained at this level ever since.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People treat me differently because I treat myself differently. I no longer stand out in a crowd as being the biggest. In my support group, I am the smallest! I like myself better, am less hesitant about speaking up and people do treat me with more respect. If they don't they are much more likely to hear about it now LOL!