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

Several years ago my physician mentioned that surgery might be a good option for me - at the time I felt like someone had thrown me a life preserver. However, my insurance at the time wouldn't cover the procedure so I couldn't have it done. I felt like I was drowning yet again.

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

I was very fortunate to have such an awesome medical practice process my inusrance paperwork, once I made the decision to have Bariatric surgery in 2007. I would suggest though that you keep records of every weight loss program you participate in (WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, etc) as it was beneficial to me to have maintained all that information - it made the approval process so much easier.

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

I met Dr. Myers first at an informational meeting and it was love at first sight! He was a very compassionate person, but he also told it like it is and made sure that all our questions were answered. Ask questions and learn as much as you can about the procedure and what you need to do to be sucessful long term.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My heath continued to decline. My PCP was threatening to put me on insulin for my Type II diabetes as I couldn't control it with other medications. I then had a scare where I thought I was having a heart attack and it made me realize I was too young to be struggling this way with my health.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew from the beginning I would have the RNY sugery - I am very goal oriented and not a very patient person, so I knew I needed to do something drastic to see results quickly.

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?

Actaully I felt that my physician had been so upfront with me, that I really didn't have any fears to this extreme. I felt it was no more dangerous than any other type of surgery.

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 husband and daughter were very supportive from the beginning. My mom was very hesitant at first; however, once she realized how informed I was about the surgery and we talked about it, she became my biggest supporter.

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 also very supportive. I was very up front about the procedure. We did have another employee have the surgery about 18 months prior to mine, so they were already aware of the benefits the surgery would provide me. I was off work for 6 weeks, although it was not due to pain as it was to adjusting to the eating changes post-surgery.

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

My stay in the hospital was just fine. I had been educated prior to my stay on what to expect -so no surprises there. I had no complications and I was in the hospital for about 2 days.

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

I had no complications.

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 did have some anxiety, but basically I was so excited that I wasn't all that worried about the actual surgery.

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

This was a rough time for me - I felt physically fine - I had no pain; however, I did struggle with the eating portion during this period. It felt like I was either eating or drinking constantly and I struggled with finding things I could eat or that tasted somewhat good.

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

I was able to have my surgery at the local hospital within 15 miutes of my home.

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 am one of those who always follows "the rules", so I was very cognizant of that during those first few weeeks after my surgery. I think the hardest thing for me was the drinking throughout the day and then remembering to stop 30 minutes before eating and then remembering to resume drinking water 30 minutes after eating. Incorporating protein was also a problem at the very beginning and I found I continued to use the protien packs supplied by my physician prior to my surgery to boost my protein intake. Once I got to the soft-food stage I realized that the "rules" were just guidelines and I had to do what worked best for me. So instead of blending everything, I just took my time and chewed and chewed my food until it was mush.

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

At the hospital, they had us walking within hours of surgery and insisted we keep walking. Once I was home, I kept walking and when I was released to start working out I started that, too. I feel that exercise is such an important aspect to the success of this surgery.

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

I take a multi-vitamin daily as well as calcium and try to watch my protein intake.

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 think dumping was the worse, even though I tried my hardest to ensure it didn't happen. I still occasionally dump and I just deal with it as it happens. I find if I lay down for about 20 minutes, it is manageable.

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

There really wasn't a worse part. Now, if you ask my husband, he maight say me buying new clothes as I was losing weight was the worst part.

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

I did start to attend my bariatric group's monthly support group meetings. I think in the beginning it was helpful and at times it still is; however, sometimes members of the group get "whiney" and it turns me off.

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

My surgery was done laproscopically so my scars are minimal.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I never really plateaued - my weight loss was fairly steady as I lost 150 pounds in the first year.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh certainly, I am constantly amazed at how differently I am treated.