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

My father's girlfriend told me about it after my father passed away on 2001. I looked it up on the internet and read about it, but I was too scared to have it done. I also thought that I would be able to lose the weight on my own, because I was on the Atkins diet at the time. However, I was really amazed how many people had the surgery and lost so much weight though.

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

I really began putting my heart into getting approved for this surgery in March of 2005, and by July of 2005, I was approved for the surgery. My insurance I had was Medical Assistance, Maryland Physicians Care. I guess another part was because of how obese I was, and my medical condition, and all of my doctors were behind me 100% to have this surgery done. My advice to anyone wanting to get this done, is to keep a log of all of the diets you've tried, and what the results were for that particular diet. Also make sure your primary care doctor is backing you on this surgery, because without him, it may be a difficult battle to overcome.

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

The first visit with my surgeon was fasinating. Dr. Harrington is a wonderful doctor, and he explained everything to me in detail, making sure that I did not have any questions. He was very compassionate, and respectful. He also listened, and did not rush the visit, which I have to say, some doctors, unfortunately do this, and maybe without even knowing that they are. The first visit should leave you with a lot of information, and confidence about the surgery, and the aftermath of it.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I think I finally got enough courage from all of my doctors, and I did so much research on it, that I knew everything there was to know about the surgery. Also, if I would have kept going the way that I was, I would have probably had a heart attack, or acquired other health problems.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted to have something that was going to be permanent, because I've always had problems with my weight. I needed to have the surgery that would have negative results if I strayed off the right path, if you know what I mean.

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?

Honestly, I had no worries, because I had complete trust and faith in my surgeons abilities. The morning I went into have surgery, I was a little nervous, but I knew that I would wake up and be perfectly fine, that is how much I trusted Dr. Harrington. I would tell people to have positive thoughts about the procedure, and to not worry about it, because positive thoughts, creates positive things. At least, that is what I've always tried to remember, and so far, it has been very helpful and true.

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?

Some of my family were a little worried, like my kids. However, I tried to reassure them that everything would be okay, and to have faith in God. I am not a person who attends church, but I do believe in God, and I think that everything happens for a reason, and I just had a feeling that it wasn't my time to leave this earth. I know that is pretty intense, but that is how I feel and felt about the surgery. Afterwards, my family was very supportive of my surgery, and doing whatever I needed to do to be healthy.

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

Since I was not working, I did not have this issue to worry about, but my supervisor had this surgery done, when I did work, and her boss was okay with it. Matter of fact, her boss even encouraged her to have the surgery, because it was something that she felt she needed to do, to live a normal and healthy long life. I believe she was out of work for about 6-8 weeks.

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

My stay at the hospital was good, I was at Holy Cross Hospital, in Silver Spring, MD. The nurses were great, and extremely helpful with whatever I needed. I was in a lot of pain, because I was one of the few that retained gas in their abdomen, and believe me, that is truly uncomfortable. However, once I was able to get up and walk around, which was also difficult to do at first, the pain got less and less severe. The most important things that I found to bring was, very loose clothing, because of the way my stomach felt afterwards.

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

No, just the pain in my abdomen.

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 very excited! I was pleased, and I felt like I was high-on-life, and that nothing could distrupt my mood. I actually did not have any type of anxiety.

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

After I got home from the hospital I slept a lot, only because those hospital beds are just not for me, and with my spinal disease, I could not get any sleep. I also moved around rather slowly for the first week, and going up and down stairs is another obstacle, which you have to take slowly, because of the incisions.

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

I traveled about 65 miles, I was lucky, because some people have traveled over several states to have the surgery.

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.

The first two weeks I was on a liquid diet, I drank my protein shakes three times a day, and lots of water. I think went to soft foods, like baked potatoes, oatmeal, etc. Still drinking my protein shakes, and lots of water. After the first 2 weeks, my diet changed, or increased on the new things I could try, about every 6-8 weeks. When I began eating canned fruit, the one thing that I could not eat at first was, pineapple, which I loved, because of the acid in the fruit. However, after about a month, I tried it again, and I was able to eat it with no problem. Another food that you should wait until about 1 year is corn, because of how the digestive system digests corn, basically it doesn't digest, and corn will really make your stomach go crazy!

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

During the first week, I walked twice a day, and I only walked down to the stop sign from my house, which was about 65 feet, round trip. Then during the 2nd week, I tried to walk up to the general store, which was about, half of a block, and I did this twice a day also. After the fourth week I was about to walk about a mile a day, and then after the 6th week, I could walk as much as I wanted, but because of my disability, I wasn't able to go much further than 1-1/2 miles a day. Sometimes, I could not walk at all that day, and I'm still in that situation, because of my spinal disease effects my legs.

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

The vitamins I take are the following: Multi-Vitamins (2 x daily), Vitamin B-12 (once a day), Cod Liver Oil aka Vitamin A&D (once a day), Biotin (once a day), and Calcium tablets (twice a day).

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 only felt nausea when I ate too fast, and I did have a little hair loss, but not much. The Biotin vitamin really helps with the hair loss, your fingernails, and your skin. Sometimes when I took my multi-vitamin, because it was so big and chalky, I would feel like I was going to vomit, so I tried breaking it in half, but that still did not work, so I then switched to taking chewables instead, and that seemed to cure the problem.

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

I guess the worst thing about the entire surgery would have to be the discomfort that I had in my abdomen. Everything else wasn't as bad as what I expected, because I watched carefully what I ate, how much I ate, and how fast I ate. I would do it all over again, if I had to, in a heart beat without thinking twice about it. As long as you follow your doctor's guidelines, you should not have any problems.

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

After the surgery I particpated in the support groups, but then I stopped, and I think that was a bad decision on my part, because I have gained back about 50lbs. That is because I let tempting foods get the best of me, because I was weak, and now I'm trying to lose the weight I gained, and get back on track. However, my husband supports what ever I decide to do, so he is a huge help.

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

My scars are barely visible, they blend into my skin color. I actually thought that they would have been darker, but I'm very happy with what they look like.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Again, like I said before, I have gained back about 50lbs, and I'm not happy with this at ALL! I do not intend on being big like I was, because I did not like myself at all when I was like this.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Most definitely! I have found that particulary men are more willing to carry items to my car, and before I would have never got this from anyone. Also, women treat me differently, they are much nicer, and do not look at me like I have a disease. It's almost like being accepted easier into the community, which I feel is terrible. Just because someone is big, they are the same person on the inside.