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

I found about bariatric surgery on the internet in 1997 before it went mainstream. I wanted it then but I'm glad I didn't, my Dr. from then warned me about the malabsorbtion and "lower intestinal" problems. Also I was only covered by Indian Health Service in SE Alaska and at that time they didn't cover any kind of weight loss help.

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

It was very easy for me to get Great-West to cover the surgery. 1)Must be medically necessary 2)BMI of 40 or 35 with co-morbidities 3)Psych evaluation 4)6 months Dr. mandated dieting. I used a certified dietition and had my regular Dr. sign off on it.

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

My first visit was pretty good. I had been researching the surgery for almost 2 years so I really knew what I was getting into. I did bring in a list to the first visit and the Dr. answered all of them without any problems. I also researched several Dr's on the obesityhelp.com web site which helped me pick my surgeon.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It was the only choice left. I didn't want to use drugs.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I deciced on the Laprascopic RNY Gastric Bypass because it is the one most used. I thought about having more bypassed (I had 100cm bypassed or a proximal with a 1oz pouch and my new stomach is not connected in any way with the old stomach) but I figured the few extra pounds outweighed the problems with more cm bypassed (distal).

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 this petrifying fear of being put under. I always knew the surgery itself would go well but the fear of not waking up petrified me. I was right. I spent a day and a half in ICU because I wouldn't wake up and my oxygen was down. I also had to have a respirator put in, my throat still hurts 11 days later. There were no complications from the surgery itself and the pain after was very minimal. More like bruising than anything. I only used the take-home medication for 2 days before I didn't need it anymore. I kept expecting pain but it never came.

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?

Everyone was very supportive. My family has known a few people who have had it done so they knew the basics of the surgery. From friends the most reaction I got was from friends wanting to have the surgery and with good humor calling me names because I had had it done before them :o)

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

I didn't tell any of my co-workers except my supervisor. Since in my IT department there are 2 managers, my supervisor and everyone elses supervisor it was very easy. He didn't need to tell any of his superiors so it was just me and him knowing for about 7 months before surgery. He was so supportive, never telling anyone and also not letting on when I had to have so many Dr./lab/nutrition/surgeon visits. I told my other co-workers about a week before and they were so relieved. They were worried and thought I had something seriously wrong with me. If I had to do it again I would have told them a few months before.

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

The hospital stay was good after I got out of ICU. The respirator tube really hurt when I was in there, worse than the surgery itself. Once out of there I was fine. I was up and walking and I was eating the next day. The thing that kept bothering me (and yes I know they have to) was the every 45 min vitals checks 24 hrs a day. Just get to sleep and bam you get woken up again by someone taking your blood pressure.

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

No complications. In fact I felt great and guilty taking time off of work :o)

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 good which I gather is better than most. No anxiety until I had been home for 5 days and caught my daughters chest cold. I was scared I would rip out my stomach and intestine staples. After a call to the surgeon he called back 15 min later and said to not worry about it too much and if it hurt to hold a pillow to my stomach when I coughed. Worked for me so I'm not worried anymore :o) One other thing is that I'm on the depo shot for birth control. Because of it I haven't had a menses in over 6 years and I had one after surgery. Very weird but nothing I'm that worried about.

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

I felt great. First day out of the hospital I went shopping for protien drinks and groceries. 11 days out now and I haven't had any real pain since the 2nd day home, and even that was minimal. From talking to others I think I'm the exception though. I'm still a little tired but nothing I can't deal with.

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

I travelled 100 miles from Bellingham WA, to Bellevue, WA. It won't affect the aftercare as it's only scheduled for a 3wk, 6mo and 1yr visits. I wish we could have had someone watch our kids though so that my spouse could have stayed with me in the hospital. I was very painful to not have anyone there with me for support and to talk to.

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 on a liquid diet now as it's only 11 days since surgery. I can eat anything though as long as it's blended. I eat everything the family does except rice, potatoes, and bread. I also stay away from all odvious sugar. I don't count the sugar in ketchup or tomato sauce for example. I also eat small amounts of pasta.

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

I get tired pretty easy and it's 11 days out. I just need to get off of my rear and start walking. Bending over can make me pretty dizzy still.

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

I take two of my daughters chewable childrens vitamins. I was grinding my multi-pill packages but it became too much of a chore at a half hr a day grinding. I also take levoxyl for hypothyroidism, for that I just throw the pill in with my morning protien shake.

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 only side effect that really bothered me was I would eat too much at once and and get a "peanut butter ball" type of pain in my new pouch. My fault on this one. I also lost almost half of my hair at about 3 months out. The first time it happened I was crying in the shower and my husband came in. I showed him the 2 large handfulls of hair.

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

The worst part was waking up from the anastetic. I was so scared because of the breathing tube, I kept vomiting and no one would understand because I was flailing around scared to death. I thought I was going to choke to death.

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

I'm not doing any at the moment. I'll see the nutritionist if I start to gain again. I do see a trainer 3x a week though.

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

3 little 1/2 inch scars which you can't really see anymore.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've had lots. I haven't lost any weight since about 18 months out but I'm still losing clothing sizes at almost 2 years out. My trainer said it's me still losing fat and gaining muscle from the 2x a wk cardio and 3x a week weight training.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

LOL oh yea. The looks I get from people who didn't know me from before surgery. Even people who I've known 5 years or more can't seem to remember what I looked like before the surgery.