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

I have heard of it in the past, and remembered a piece on TV about a woman who wished she didn't do it. That was about 10 years ago and didn't seem like a great option. I didn't realize how much better things are until I saw the People magazine story on Carnie. Of course, that's not the only reason I went and did this, but it was an influence since she seemed to be in a bad situation and did find a way out. No one wants to really talk about it, and she had the courage to do it. I cried when I saw her picture and I wanted my life back just like she wanted hers back. I did a search and found this site and read through many profiles and saw many before & after shots. I became a member and filled out the info on "looking for a surgeon". Shortly after I received a phone call from the Bariatric Treatment Center. Then it became a reality -- I could do something about my weight, NOW! I ended up going to a local clinic to have it done, but it was the spark that got me going and not just dreaming about it.

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

Don't give up on the idea of having the surgery, even if you don't get approved. I didn't get approval but had the surgery anyway. I took out loans. There is always a way. Maybe work two jobs, something like this is worth the extra effort.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Seeing the others on this site describe the other side and how it was all worth it. I knew that I was meant to be normal, and I just wanted to be able to do things I used to do when I was a more decent weight.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted the RNY because I have problems with eating too much and too much bad stuff. That is the perfect surgery for me. It controls portion and will make me dump when I eat my favorite things such as sugar.

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 fear dying, but I did fear complications. Not because of the complication itself but because I would have to pay for it and could financially ruin myself since I had to pay out of pocket.

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?

Everyone has been really supportive of me. I told them after I really made up my mind so no matter what they thought, it didn't matter to me since I wasn't going to change my mind. Surprisingly a couple of my friends have other family members and friends they know that had the surgery and told me how well things went for them, that these people had no regrets.

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

My supervisor doesn't know yet! I do plan on telling him because he is a friend and all. I didn't want to tell him beforehand because I knew he'd be anxious about it, he's like a father figure to me and I know it would hurt him to think about it. I told him that I was having surgery and it was a good thing that I was doing. I am still at home and plan to be out for one more week, so 2 weeks total.

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

It was actually quite pleasant except for the noise at night. I don't think the nurses want us to sleep at all. Shouting and singing and stuff like that doesn't make it easy to recover. I think the most important things to bring are a back pillow since you will have no lumbar support in the bed and will need to sit up to sleep and a fan. I had the hot flashes others talked about and it was a godsend to have a fan!

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

No, it went very smoothly.

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 binged like there was no tomorrow! I ended up gaining 15 lbs in two weeks, but it was ok. I don't regret doing that.

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

You will be very uncomfortable. I was very hot, not only because it was July, but because of the huge change in my body. Make sure you get plenty of rest. Take walks when you can but just take it easy.

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

I was lucky enough to have the surgery in my hometown. I took a chance and found out that they did do it and I decided even though the surgeons weren't as experienced as some that do it full time, I felt confident they knew what they were doing and had good results with their previous patients. My aftercare will be another issue. There isn't too much formal care, so I will have to be in charge of it in some respects. Luckily there has just been a WLS group started in the area and it will be a place I can go to for help. This site was recommended by my surgeon as well for support.

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.

Right after surgery sometimes I can eat scrambled eggs with no problem, sometimes they don't sit right. Same with chicken. This is 10 months after surgery and I still have issues with Chicken. Eggs are ok. I also had no problem with peanut butter, and recently I dumped very badly on the same peanut butter.

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

Very low. I was hardly able to walk and I wanted to sleep all day.

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

Calcium citrate supplements that can be dissolved in water and sublingual B-12. I also have added Vitamin C and Iron to the mix. I'm not too good at taking my vitamins except the regular vitamins which I now take morning and evening.

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?

Nausia was bad at first, everything I ate seemed to want to come back up. I still have problems with that and it's because I eat too fast or too much. It takes about 15 minutes for the food to get down to my stomach, and by then it's too late for me to realize I ate too much. I should measure out my portions and remember that I don't have the stomach I used to have.

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

The insurance. They denied me, but I went through with it. I decided to not waste my time fighting a losing battle with the insurance and weight. I figure the total cost was the price of a nice car, so it has been worth it. Once I realized I could pay for it out of pocket, I was relieved.

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

I had gone to a group for a while, but didn't find it helpful. The person in charge advocated eating very unhealthy things and I thought it was pretty disturbing. There was no professional there so it was a free-for-all. I found it much better to do this on my own.

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

HOLY COW is it HUGE! I think it's about 10" or more. It went around my belly button because of the shape of my ribs, they needed more room to get in there. I think I'll live with it!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateau when I shrink in size. My longest plateau was recent and lasted about 2 months. I have lost about 3 dress sizes though, so it was ok. I also have been building up muscle mass so I know it really wasn't a plateau.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, but not in a bad way. It's mostly the people that I knew that treat me differently. I love the look on their faces when they think they recognize me and then describe to me how different I look.