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

I first learned of it on a talk show where they discussed the Fobi-pouch. I'm not even sure which show it was but It seemed like a solution for me but I also thought it was out of my reach. Not realizing that with other medical conditions my insurance company would pay for such a surgery.

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

My surgeon sent for aproval on February 22, 2000 and after two weeks I called to find out if they had heard anything from my insurance carrier...they said the had sent the request back to them telling the surgeons office that it had been sent to the wrong address. The surgeon sent it back to the correct address and i waited one more week and started calling every two days. The first two times I called they told me they had no information in their system on it yet. I waited two more days and called again...I got someone who actually cared and went to find out what the hold up was. She came back on the line and told me it was in review. Three days later I was approved.

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

I was a little scared. I was afraid he would take one look at me and say, why not try one more diet before we do this thing. I was just so used to every doctor having a magic little pill, or chalky tasting liguid, or miraculous exercise program for 300+ pound people that I was sure I was going to be ostrasized again. To my amazement my surgeon was so understanding...I felt that he either had been obese or had closly known and loved someone who had suffered with this horrible illness...I am so glad I found him!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I have no life as an obese person. I can not even play with my children anymore...just sitting on the floor playing doll's with my daughter has become an exasperating ordeal. I wasn't even able to plant the flowers at my brand new house because I was out of breath from just digging a hole to plant mums. My life has become a ridiculous excuse for an existance. Thats all I do, EXIST, I can not be a good wife, or mother, daughter, or sister...I am literally a lump. I am useless like this...I want to LIVE. I want to run and jump and climb, I want to dance with my husband with out my belly knocking him over. I want to live day to day without depression, leg cramps, headaches and chest pain.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon asked my many questions about my lifestyle and my family life and took into consideration my past weight history and he decieded which would be best told me why and i agreed.

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?

I wouldn't have told anyone...they havent been very supportive, i would have said I was having gall bladder surgery or something they would have been more understanding of that. I dont really care, I dont feel like its anyone elses decision, not even my husbands. I am the one trapped in this huge body.

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

I stayed at Clara Maass Hospital in New Jersey. I was in the hospital for 4 days...2 days were in SICU and the other 2 in a regular room. The SICU staff was wonderful, I was treated like a queen. The nurses on the regular floor were a little less eager to help me...it was a busy floor and I was left to my own defenses on several occasions...my room mate who was not a WLS patient was right there to battle for me. Bring easy to slip on slippers and a loose fitting night gown that wont brush against your incisions and one that you cant see through!

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

I was lucky and did not have any surgery complications. Although my surgeon did find a cyst on my left ovary when he was doing the exploratory part of the surgery.

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 better and better as each day passed. By the 10th day I was up and doing some light house work.

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

I was feeling great after the first two weeks passed by. I MADE myself get up and move around the house at first...made dinner for the family. Ate my meals with them...kept in touch with my ANGEL and just adjusted to my new diet. I kept busy busy busy...and listened to my body when it was saying it needed rest.

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

I had to travel 1 1/2 hours by car for my surgery and just as far to the surgeons office. I wasn't able to keep some of my follow up appointments because of the distance.

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.

I can not tolerate any sweets...they taste TOO sweet to me now. I guess that is a blessing. I also have trouble with starchy foods, they feel like a lump in my tummy!

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

Week #1: Activity level 40-50% Rested, relaxed, healed. Week #2: Activity level 50-70% Walked, gardening, light housework. Week #3: Activity level 70-80% Walked up hill, sailing, housework. Week #4: Activity level 80-98% Resumed normal activities with some rest.

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

I take centrum one per day. (liquid at first)

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 been so lucky I have not had any side effects. A little diarhea with liquid tylenol because of the sugar. That was only during the first week, after that I went to regular tylenol caplets.

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

I think the worst part, if I had to choose something would be the anxiety just before surgery...when you are checking into the hospital and waiting for them to prepare you for admitting. It took 2 hours for me to check into the hospital, have the initial exam, hang out for another hours before they came to prepare me for surgery.

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

none

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

I had open rny and my scar looks EXACTLY like my fathers open heart surgery scar. It is 7 inches long, I had 29 staples in it. It is very red right now, but I know from my fathers scar that within a year or two it will be almost invisible.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The dreaded plateau...I am experiencing one right now at 2 1/2 months post op. I have been at -65 pounds for two weeks now. I hope it doesnt last long because I am having those old feelings of FAILURE again. I know it will not be forever, but it is very depressing!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, and that doesnt neccesarilly mean they are treating me better. Most are impressed with my weight loss, but one of my inlaws is thouroughly disgusted with me because I had to rely on surgery to loose weight.