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

I first heard about it when Carnie Wilson was going on the internet to have her surgery broacasted. At the time I was in my millionth attempt of Weight Watchers and I had that attitude that "she just did not try hard enough with diets and exercise." Now, 2 years later after the People article came out in January 2001 with her "new" body, I took the surgery seriously. I felt that the surgery was the easy way out and that it was the lazy way to lose weight. I will argue to my death the opposite way now. The surgery is the easy part living the life of a WLS patient is the hard part.

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

I went in on Tuesday morning and went home on Friday morning. My stay depended on what nurses were on duty at the time. Being 4 months out now I am still waiting for the glass of ice I asked for. I found that my late night nurse was the best for me. I had a nurse assistant that could not speak English and did not understand my request to walk. That was a little upsetting! Overall when I did have a nurse in my room they took time to talk to me and make sure that I was comfortable. Most important thing to bring is a pillow for the ride home, I packed mine and it never made it to my room. It was in another car when I went home so I rode without it. It was painful, but I was lap and not open, I think if it was open I would have been in severe pain!

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

Nope, I was the model patient.

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 felt worn out. I was frustrated with eating and began to hate the thought of having to eat again. Quiet a change from someone who lived for the next meal. I at times after trying to eat and throwing up I would cry and wonder why I had done this to my body. Getting over the fact of not being able to eat certain foods was hard too. I had lost my best friend in the world. Once I was able to start taking my anti-depressants I was better. It is such a big adjustment re-learning how to eat. I still 4 months out do not have it down right at times!

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

I lived on sugar free popcicles. Once I was able to add soft proteins I got some energy. What I liked before surgery I hated afterwards. Take time to listen to what your body wants. It is not going to be able to go and go and go like before. Your energy will be zapped and you will need lots of rest. My emotions were all over the place. I was happy one min and then sad the next. I would cry at the drop of a hat. I found that it is normal so I did not feel to bad about it once I found that out.

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

I had my surgery fairly close to home. It was closer to my work so my aftercare is not a problem.

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.

What I could and could not eat, well! I had the worst time with chicken and I still do. It just has a hard time getting through my pouch. My Dr. said no beef or lamb or pork for the first six months, i do not have any problems with them, I have tried them all and they seem to go down fine. I could not eat salad for the first 3 months, it was just to hard to digest. I tend to find something that I like and eat it for weeks at a time. I hated almost everything for the first 2 to 2 1/2 months. The thought of food just sickened me, a lot of that was because I waited way to long to eat and when I would eat I was too hungry and ate too fast. I love yogurt, but it does not like me. Too much lactose, cheese I am fine with. I have even taken the lactose pills and they did not help me either. If I do have yougurt the next day I pay heavily for it. I can now eat salads, I find that spinach is eaiser for me to chew than lettuce. I cut my salads up into small bites, it just helps me digest it better. I tried sugar free hot chocolate in the 2nd month and I dumped on it. I just recently had 3 bean salad and it must have been loaded with sugar, I dumped really bad on that one. I am glad that I do not get along with sugar!

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

The first few days while I was in the hospital I made sure to walk more around the floor than the day before. I infact walked the night after my surgery. I wanted to do it myself and no one was forcing me to get up and walk yet. When I got home, I mainly layed around and would go out and walk across the street. The 4th day I was home I spent the whole day out shopping, when I got home that night I was exausted and I slept way late the next day. I started water aerobics in my 2nd month and love it!

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

I try to take a vitamin every day, I do not do chewables so I have been taking a generic one a day. I forgot to get the ones with iron, so I have been taking iron pills a few times a week. I could not use the b-12 sublinguals so I got a shot from the dr.s' office and it lasts for 2-3 months and was cheaper to do it that way than spend all of the money on the pills.

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 was sick to my stomach for 2 months solid. Everyone kept telling me that after the first 6 weeks it will go away, the first six weeks came and went and I continued to feel like crap. I just felt pukie all of the time and someone told me to try hot mint tea, I figured what the heck and it really did work. Now I am addicted to it it has become my new coffee. I am just now having hair loss and it is kind of scary but I know that it will stop.

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

The wait for insurance approval and the wait for your surgery date. Plus the fear of the unknown. I just knew that I was not going to wake up from my surgery and I put myself through hell thinking that way. But the waiting is the worst.

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

I belong to an e-mail group called Dallasites and Milleniumbobs, they have provided so much info before and after my surgery. Dallasites is a local group and we meet for a lunch every once in a while. My Dr. just got his aftercare program going and the first meeting is next week.

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

I had my surgery done lap, and I have 6 tiny scars on my belly. The longest one is maybe 1/2 of an inch. I love my scars they are a constant reminder of what struggles I have gone through for a better life and better health. They look just like I expected them to.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My Dr. told us only to weigh in his office. I do not own a scale and I am so glad that I do not. Therefore if I have ever been on a plateau I have never know. I went on vacation and the house we stayed at had a scale and when I found out the first thing I did was stand on it, then I wonder is it right with what my dr.'s scale says and what if it is on the light side. I drove myself crazy and if I owned one I would be on that sucker everyday. Just another thing for me to freak out over. That scale in the vacation house was all that I could think about once I knew it was there!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, but that might be because I feel better and like myself better now. My mother always told me people treat you the way you are coming across to them. I am proud of myself for suceeding in this and I think it shows.