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

I saw a commercial on TV about a specific center in PA. I thought "that is some desperation to have to have someone cut you open to teach you how to deal with food". I thought I could never do something like that...

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

I have Carefirst Bluechoice which is a division of Blue Cross Blue Shield and the process was relatively painless. I followed my doctors encouragement and called the Insurance Company after my paperwork was submitted and they told me it had been sent to a caseworker and would be reviewed in the following week. Two weeks later I had my approval. I advise people to take your doctor's advice and do what he suggests in dealing with the insurance company. Call your insurance company before you do all the work leading up to surgery and ask what they require.

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

When I first met with Doctor Magnuson I was really impressed. I had already met with 3 surgeons before him and had varying opinions about where to go for my surgery. He was very confident and made me feel comfortable that he had his end under control and I had to meet my requirements for this to work. The best way to handle this meeting is to bring a pad and pencil and write everything the doctor says that answers a question you had...you won't remember everything and doctors are hard to get on the phone just to ask a question some times. Also, have some questions written out that you need to ask the doctor about what you are most afraid of.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The pain that had in my feet due to diabetic neuropathy finally convinced me to go ahead with the surgery. I was in pain and there was nothing they could really do to help me. I was allergic to the medicine they tried to help me with. Anyway, I know that I wanted to have a better quality of life and if this was a tool I could use for this I needed to take advantage of it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor advised me that with my other medical problems the Open RNY was the best choice for me. I trusted his judgment and went with that recommendation.

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 was so afraid because I had never really had surgery before. I am also a Jehovah's Witness and needed to have the surgery without the use of a blood transfusion. For many surgeries this might make it a little harder for surgeon to perform. I worried a little but with the knowledge that the doctor respected my wishes I was able to go on with the surgery. That is something you must find out ahead of time. If you are afraid to have the surgery just ask yourself if the complications related to any of your illnesses could lead to death? If the answer is yes, then your decision has to include the possibility of helping yourself out of a sometimes slow death. Living with morbid obesity the way I did for 30+ years of my life has taught me that we owe ourselves a try at being healthy. If it is within our means to do so, do so.

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 family and friends tried to convince me not to do the surgery because of all of my medical conditions. They had the same fears I did. I think I did a good job of painting the picture of my future to them if I kept on my previous path and the unhappiness it was bringing to my life. They really got it after a while. After surgery they saw how immediate the changes began and started to jump on board full swing ahead.

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

My supervisors both were unbelievably supportive. Another group that I would not have been able to make this step without. They were also worried for my welfare, but were confident in the research I put into my decision to go forward. I told them everything. They saw everything anyway including how my illnesses affected my ability to come to work regulary. How unhappy I was at times due to the pain I was in. They were happy to see me make this step. I was out of work for 6 weeks.

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

My hospital stay was very pleasant. I hope this isn't sounding crazy, but I used my pain medicine regularly and I left the ICU after 24 hours and went to the regular surgery recovery ward because as they said in ICU - "you look too good to be an ICU patient". I was up and walking the next day after my surgery. I walked the length of the hallway and sat up for a while. It was painful but not unbearable. In the regular surgery unit I was first introduced to my liquid diet. I was so happy to be eating again. I felt that having my personal supplies made me feel more at home. If your insurance or hospital allows a private room is much better. I remember being placed in a room with a surgery patient (not WLS) and they were given a regular diet of food and the smell was so awesome that I thought I can't endure 4 days of this. The other patient and I had different ideas about what a comfortable room temperature was so they split us up before nightfall. My stay turned out to be 4 of the 5 days my doctor originally projected.

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

I had two complications to speak of. First, I had pain in one leg and I called the doctor because that's what they told me to do. They told me to go to the ER because they were afraid of a possible blood clot. I had a scan and it turned out not to be a clot but could have been from me laying in certain positions for too long. Second, I passed out on my bathroom floor and screamed for help. The Paramedics (one of whom was a WLS patient as well) thought it might be dehydration. Went to the ER and it was. I had been having stomach problems and had not increased my liquid intake to compensate. I never repeated that trip...It landed me two days in the hospital about 2 weeks after my release. Since then, I have had no other 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 was so nervous. I kept going back and forth over whether or not I should take this big a step. Although my blood pressure remained uncontrolled even with 4 medicines and a patch and my diabetes was uncontrolled with 2 strong dosages of medication, I had neuropathy in both of my feet from diabetes and could have possibly lost them. It still seemed like a big step. But I coped with the anxiety I felt by asking myself if I wanted to live the life I lived this past year for the next 10 years, or do I see myself as an amputee? It caused me to go full speed ahead with my decision for WLS

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

When I first came home from the hospital I was so weak. I remember it seeming impossible for me to make it up the stairs to the bedroom. As I mentioned my pain from the surgery itself was minimal I used the medication and it worked well for me. I had a nurse who came in and looked at my incision and showed me and my mother-in-law how to change it. I would not have made it through that time without my mother-in-law. She pureed the food for me and made sure I had all the necessities at my fingertips. I exercised by going up and down my stairs and then a took walks around the house. I was afraid of outside (can't explain that one, still don't know why) Oh yeah, that pillow they gave me to take home from the hospital with me was a lifesaver. The coughing hurts like crazy. Use the pillow all the time. Don't make demands of your body until it is ready. Do the walking the doctor recommends, but don't overdo it. Don't obsess over the scales it is so easy to do this but don't it will drive you mad. I lost 27 lbs in one week. I only knew because I was back at the ER with the leg pain, etc.

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

My hospital is 10 minutes from my house. My aftercare was excellent.

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.

As the doctor recommended, I was on pureed foods by the time I left the hospital. It was everything blended up. I found an intolerance to dairy that didn't exist before. I had a hard time with anything with fat in it at all. There was not enough blending to mask the fat in anything. So that was off limits and is really that way still to some degree. As I progressed to solid foods I added foods each week noting what worked and what didn't. I didn't do good with things with a lot of chewing involved so I stuck to soft things maybe even longer than it was suggested. After a few months I began to try new things and now I can tolerate most low fat low sugar items in moderation. My stomach is still much smaller than I recall it ever being (in terms of how much food I can eat) but I can basically have a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

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

I walked around my house and up and down the stairs. After my 6 week check up I started doing latin dance dvds for a workout 3 times a week. I still use those dvd's.

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

Multivitamin ( GNC Woman's Ultra Mega) Calcium 600+D, Iron and Biotin (for hair loss) Vitamin B-12 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 only got nausea when I ate something I shouldn't have eaten. I don't think I have ever dumped, but I have received diarrhea after eating something with too much fat or sugar. (they tell me dumping is far worse than just a case of diarrhea which is what I get. I get this down to this day if something has more fat than I realized or if I would eat too much of it. I try to find the fat and sugar content of everything and that means I practically gave eating the at work potluck stuff cause everyone says they only put a little butter but for some that's a half a stick.

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

Every now and then I start to crave the high fat foods that I can no longer tolerate. I say its the worse but its really the best part of this surgery. My favorite food was fried chicken. I have tried twice to eat it and each time got sick. I see that this is one of things t hat caused my obese condition and I have been working my mind over to believe that I can live without it and sugar sweetened cereals that I loved so much. Some say they may come back into my life but if they are truly the culprits that caused my obesity, I need to learn how to live without them.

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

My doctor has a support group at the hospital for those who are in varying stages of weight loss. It was very helpful to me initially because everything was new and I could hear people talk about going through the same stuff I was. It made me less panicky when things happened to me. You also see where you are headed in some cases. To right away meet people who have already lost over 100 lbs helps you deal with the pureed food one more week.

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

My scar is a six inch cut above the naval. Every doctor I have seen remarks that it was a good cut. (I don't really know what that means) However, I am healing and it appears to be blending in nicely with my skin. They say that process can take a while. I was aware of the incision size, it did bother me at first but as I shrink so is my incision.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had a few plateaus but so far they have only lasted about two weeks. I stopped losing at about 86 lbs and then again right before 100. I am now down 105lbs and may have plateaued again. I usually beef up my excercise program and tone down even my protein snacks when this occurs and I am back on track. I realize it will slow down at some point and I will be as happy when that time comes as I am now seeing all the benefits this decision has brought to my life. It is one of the wisest decisions I have made with the help of course from my skilled doctors and the blessings from Jehovah Himself, the Great Doctor.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, people treat me way differently now. It is hard to understand because on one hand I have people who didn't know I existed before surgery and now they spend a lot of time trying to talk to me. And then there are some who act standoffish since I have had the surgery. I have decided to bask in the greatness of this experience regardless of how any one else treats me.