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

I had a co-worker about 10 years ago who had the surgery several years prior to my knowing her. I was very impressed and looked into it at the time. I was expensive and not covered by insurance. And the doctor would take my gallbladder... which kinda turned me off since i did not have gallbladder problems back then. A co-worker had her surgery two Thanksgivings ago. When I saw how she looked after one month, I couldn't get to the doctor quick enough. It was amazing. And...another coworker scheduled hers as did a friend of mine. By the time I had mine, this first co-worker had already lost a lot of weight. She was my guru through the process.

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

First of all, I had an edge since I worked for the insurance company. I knew exactly what they needed. If you are lucky when you call your insurance company, you can coax the information out of the customer service rep. Just call and ask. In researching this website, I learned a lot. I gathered all my medical records. Had the doctors write brief notes saying that it would benefit me. Sent a long detailed note regarding my illnesses and conditions and how the surgery would make them better. I got approved on the first try.

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

Use this site to the fullest. Be prepared. Have questions ready for him or her. I found the surgeon a little impersonal....but my experience with almost all specialists is that they generally lack bedside manner....so I wasn't taken back by it. He explained the procedure. I asked questions and he answered all of them. He made sure I had no other questions before he left the room.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Seeing my co-worker's progress. I'd considered it before but never really looked into it. I was scared. Had I known about AMOS earlier, I probably would have had it done years ago. I was terrified that I was about to weigh 300 pounds!!! I was afraid of major surgery....I'd had foot surgery but this was different. My fears were calmed after reading other peoples stories.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I didn't. The doctor did. I had no reason to think I would have anything other than a lap RNY.

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?

One thing that others on the website showed me was that I had a greater risk of dying due to my obesity than I did from the surgery itself. My co-worker had some problems at first. Her immediate post-op story is much differnt than mine. I remembered the Oprah show with ladies who had the surgery and can't eat anything but baby food. But, I still felt the odds were with me that I wouldn't have problems. My co-worker is a poster child for WLS. She lost 140 pounds, already had her tummy tuck, and looks unbelievable.

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 younger son was apprehensive. And as long as he had fears, I wasn't going to do it. But the more we discussed it and the more he saw how my weight affected my every day life, he finally agreed that it was a good choice. My family has been great. They understood when I didn't feel well or needed to be as far away from the kitchen as possible. My family is proud of the progress I have made.

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

My manager actually thought I was having yet another foot surgery. I probably could have avoided some of the surgeries had I had the WLS sooner!!! My co-workers were supportive. I was out three weeks and then only worked two weeks half-days. It took a lot of pushing my doctor to do this but I felt I wasn't ready to go back to work fulltime. Besides, I was having trouble wearing a bra!!

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

Let's see. I had the surgery Monday afternoon and left Wednesday morning. Had the surgeon come in to see me Tuesday night, I may have been able to leave then. Make sure your spouse brings back your eyeglasses. I spent most of the time squinting!! The nurses were good. He does most of his surgery there, so they knew the routine. The only thing I didn't like was these things they put on my feet to keep the circulation going. They expanded and retracted and were very uncomfortable.

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

I had no immediate complications. As a matter of fact, he was able to remove the drainage tube before I left the hospital. I was very concerned about having to go home with it.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

You have to be patient with your body. I was tired. Really tired. I was up and around but didn't have much energy. Most of my anxiety was from worrying about eating too much or not getting enough nutrition. And getting enough fluids in me. That was the hardest.

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

Before I saw anything else, this website really helped me be prepared for the road I was taking. Other people experienced it first, so there was comfort in knowing that it wasn't just me and encouraging to hear how they dealt with it. My doctor wasn't really specific about what I could and couldn't eat. Another co-worker who had the surgery with a different doctor was given very specific instructions as to what she could and couldn't eat. Are her results better than mine? She lost more weight than I have but we are built very differently. You're going to throw up...possibly alot. It worried my family a lot. CHEW your food, SIP your liquids. LISTEN to your body. Be patient with yourself. And always remember that the end result of any discomfort is well worth it.

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

My doctor is about 10-15 miles from home. There was another lady who had her surgery the same day by the same doctor and he was quite a distance from her 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 was very impatient with the soups. I lived on mostly tomato soup the first week or two. Then I found myself straining all the good stuff out of the heavier soups like lentil or split pea. It was frustrating. But sure enough, if I ate something that was questionable, I went straight to the toilet. The first month or so, I found that I threw up almost immediately if something didn't agree with me. Once or twice I bearly made it. Strawberries gave me problems as did other fruits. Still do. Remembering to chew the food was a hard but important lesson to learn. And, as soon as your stomach says it's full, spit out whatever is in your mouth. ALSO I couldn't eat and drink at the same time. Matter of fact, I couldn't drink coffee and then have breakfast right after. Only now can I sip a little when I eat. It's a work in progress. Trial and error. But the two main things that can't be stressed enough is CHEW and SIP. I does get easier. There are very few things that really bother me one year post op. Hamburgers, steak and sausage are things that I often have difficulty with still.

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

My mind was more active and than my body was ready for. I think I went to Walmart a few days after surgery and found myself having to sit down for a while because my energy went crashing. Day by day it got better tho. You have to listen to your body. I did no lifting or bending at all for the first week or so. I let my husband and sons do it. When I went back to work half days (3 weeks post op), it was really all I could handle. Two weeks later when I went back fulltime, I was ready. I had concerns about going back to work because we all had the habit of eating at our desks and I wasn't sure how I would handle the smells. Truthfully, food wasn't all that attractive. At work, I had oatmeal from the cafeteria mostly at first or soup. Gradually, I worked my way to eggs and vegetables. I was lucky to have the cafeteria.

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

My doctor has me taking, of all things, Flintsones Complete chewables, one twice a day. I found that I had to buy the smaller quantity bottle. Seemed like when I got towards the bottom of the bottle, they didn't taste as good.

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 vomiting was tough. It gradually got better and I'd say after the six month mark or so, it happened rarely. Now it is very rare and very hard to throw up even when I feel like I need to. Regarding dumping, I had and still have a problem with sugar. While there are times it doesn't seem to bother me, other times a yogurt would send me into the sweats and feeling really lousy. It seems selective because I have actually eaten a whole candy bar and had no problem. Yet another day, I would start sweating and needing to sit down. My husband says my snoring isn't much better. And the quality of sleep unfortunatley did not get better either. Then there is HAIR LOSS. Just as it did when I lost weight on the famous Phen Fen, my hair began to fall out around 3 months post op. I expected it but cried anyway. After reveiwing the AMOS website, I stared taking a product I bought at GNC. It seemed to slow it down but I don't know for sure. The one good thing about my big plateau was that the hair stopped falling out. I got a perm, then got it cut shorter. It has just now begun to fall out again. If my jair doesn't look better by the time I return to work, I may consider a wig....aren't I vain!!!

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

Maybe not the worst but surely the hardest was learning how much and what I could eat. After about 2 months, I couldn't stand the sight, much less the taste, of eggs. I still have a slight aversion to them, except hard boiled. Eggs were a mainstay in my diet before, so this was tough. The vomiting was the worst. Partially because it scared my family or whoever was with me at the time. You have to keep telling yourself, it will get BETTER and it is WORTH IT!!!

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

This website was my mainstay and still is.

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

I have two small knot-like scars and one 1/2 scar where the drainage tube was. Two of the ladies that had the surgery just before me had the open cutting type and regretted it after seeing my scars. Matter of fact, the surgeon used the one 1/2 inch scar for the laproscopic gallbladder-ectomy that I had two weeks ago. And, now have two small knots on the right side that almost exactly match the two on the left side.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a plateau about every ten pounds after the first 35-40 I think. The longest being at 9 months where I stayed at 75 pounds for nearly 3 months. BUT I was under a lot of stress at work and wasn't exercising. Most likely, my fault. After the new year, I lost 5 more and sat there for a while too. Now, I am home, eating better and exercising. I think I lost 3 pounds in the first 5 days I was home. Again, this website helped me realize that everyone goes through this.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I don't know that they are treating me differently other than the compliments but I know I feel differently toward them. I have returned to being the outgoing, gregarious person that I used to be. Of course, I love telling my WLS story to anyone who'll listen.