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

Dr. Glicklich, my primary physician brought up WLS to me in May of 1998. I ignored it at the time, stating it was way too drastic. He continued to bring it up to me, always saying..."you're a perfect candidate for weight loss surgery". I wasn't well-read on the subject, and continued to just think it was way too drastic, and not something I would ever even entertain doing.

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

My insurance approval was a breeze! My primary doctor, Dr. Glicklich wrote a letter to my insurance carrier before I ever saw a surgeon, and explained my situation, along with the dieting he had supervised over the years. My insurance approved gastric bypass surgery off of his letter before I ever even saw a surgeon.

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

I was nervous when I went to the surgeon. Dr. Chua is a kind man, and asked many questions. I should have written down my questions, but did not. That is the best advise I can give to others....take a written list of questions with you. My visit centered around Dr. Chua understanding my eating habits. He did this so he could identify the best surgical solution. After doing so, he explained the procedure, and answered all of the questions I had.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My PCP continued to suggest surgery to me at almost every visit. My health was getting worse, and physically I just couldn't do very much. I found information on the web, and after reading the profiles on this website, realized that lots of people were having this surgery. As I read and read and read, I realized that my initial impressions of what WLS was were very antiquated. In the end, this website was very instrumental in my decision to have surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The surgeon suggested I have a distal Open RNY. I believed that was also the best solution for me, based on the research I conducted. I was especially interested in achieving the malabsorption the distal bypass provided.

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 had never had anything done surgically prior to this surgery, nor had I spent anytime in a hospital. On a scale from 1-10, I was about a 9 with fear up until a couple of days before the surgery. I was certain I would die on the table...but as I researched I learned that very very few die on the table. I then focused on complications, and went through those one by one. I corresponded by email with lots of people that had had the same surgery, and even the same doctor. That helped to calm my fears. In the end, I had what I can only refer to as a religious experience a couple of days prior to surgery. I just had an overwhelming calm come over me, and I knew I would be fine, and that this was the best thing I could be doing for myself. So...I ended up walking into the hospital about as calm as anyone who is just there to visit a friend. I think the most important thing is to just keep reminding oneself that not having the surgery and remaining morbidly obese is like playing russian roulette!

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 had great concern about telling others about the surgery. I expected people to tell me I was nuts for doing this. However...I received overwhelming support from family, friends and co-workers. I think everyone, but me, realized how difficult life had become for me. During my recovery, everyone has continued to be supportive. I feel so blessed for the loving support I have received from everyone.

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 excellent! I told my boss exactly what I was going to have done, and the amount of time I expected to be off, and what the worse case scneario might be. Right from the start, I received overwhelming support. I was out of work for three weeks, and retuned on a part-time basis for the next month. They have done everything imaginable to support and accomodate me. My boss has been tremendous, and I think he is fully aware that a healthy worker is going to be a better contributor in the long run. It brought tears to my eyes to see how happy my Boss was for me that I was going to do this for myself. I truly am lucky in the employment aspect!

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

I checked into the hospital around noon on Monday, and left about Noon on Friday. I chose a hospital with private rooms, and I was very glad I did that. Overall, my hospital stay was good. I found that there is a general lack of understanding about this type of surgery, and used every opportunity I had to educate the care givers. The constant problem I had in the hospital was being delivered food trays that were not within my diet plan. For example, a chicken dinner when I was on liquids. I took a bag packed with lots of toiletries to the hospital, but didn't use any of them. Everything was provided. I also took books and magazines, but found that I had no desire to read. In retrospect, I think it would have been best if I had brought nothing along with me. I used the hospital gowns and robes the entire length of my stay, and even used the footie slippers they provided.

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

No complications at all. When I awoke from surgery, I had not catheter, no NG tube, no drains. I bypassed ICU, and went directly from recovery to my room.

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 consumed with thinking about the surgery. Would I die, would I be the small percentage that had complications. I was on an anti-anxiety medication already, and obtained a prescription for a breakthrough anxiety med from my physician. I only needed to take it once....but I think just having that available to me helped. I spent lots of time preparing...cleaning the living areas I would be recuperating in, organizing papers in case the worst happened....generally just getting everything cleaned up.

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

I was home for two weeks prior to returning to work. I felt much better than I had anticipated. Absolutely no pain, and for the most part I had good energy. The first week, I was able to get up and move around for about 5-6 hours and then would need a nap for a couple of hours. As time went on, the nap time has decreased, and the "awake" periods have increased to where I am not napping everyday at this point of being three weeks post-op. I did rent a hospital bed, as I have a water bed. This was a life-saver as it would have been impossible to get out of the waterbed. I think people should expect to feel okay, but to feel tired when they first get home. If you can get some help in preparing your meals, do it! Let yourself be pampered and listen to your body. When you feel tired, sleep!

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

My surgeon is less than a mile away, and the hospital was less than five miles from home.

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?

THe major side effect I have had is vomiting. I have had several episodes where I've vomited 60 times over the course of a day. Not pleasant, and very very tiring. One incident occurred while I was golfing. Right or wrong, I try to continue normal activities when this occurs. The vomiting began about 6 weeks post-op, and intensified in frequency through 3 months post-op. It started to wind down to only a couple of times a week or so at 3 months, and now at 4 months post-op it occurs about once a week. At 3 months post-op, my hair began to fall out.

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

The worst part for me was the 24 hours after surgery. I didn't have good nursing care, hadn't been cleaned up, my pain pump had become disconnected, and I was stuck in a chair that I could not get out of for hours. I had incredible itching from the iodine they put on you during surgery, and was generally just miserable. Nothing has compared to that day since, thankfully!

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

My doctor has a support group that meets monthly. It is run by his office assistant, and quite honestly, she doesn't always give accurate information at the meetings. I don't find much benefit from these meetings, but will continue to go. They meet monthly. The better support I find from the OSSG groups. I subscribe to two of these groups, and have connected with a network of people that have gone through the same surgery. They are there 24/7 to assist with questions, problem solving, and just good old moral support.

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

My scar begins a few inches below my bustline, and goes to my navel. The incision line is quite straight, and not so bad. Suprising to me, is the scarring from the staple holes. I hope, with time, the scar will fade. It is about what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At four weeks post-op, I had lost 40 lbs. I hit a plateau and for the next four weeks did not lose anything, in fact I was 3 #'s heavier. I learned that I was not eating enough, and upped my protein, water and reduced carbs. That seemed to kick things into gear and I lost 28 pounds the following week. Since then, I find that I am losing about 4-5 pounds a week.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People seem to be friendlier to me, but my theory is that I am friendlier. I feel so much better, that it shows to everyone. When you're happy, you receive happiness in return. I read so many times where morbidly obese individuals find that after WLS people treat them better. I can't help but wonder if it isn't just the confidence, health and happiness we exude that makes others interact with us differently....in other words, we are treating others differently.