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

I was looking up information on 'Body Solutions' and stumbled across a post about Bariatric Surgery. I read about it and got more info. on the internet. Once I'd read and read and read, and bought Carnie Wilson's book, "Gut Feelings" I knew WLS was the way to go.

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

So far, it's been tough. Not because I've been denied (yet) but because I hate waiting. My info was mailed in to Cigna on March 7, 2002 - and it's now only March 20, 2002 and I'm already frustrated. Even though it could be another 10 days before I hear anything - I still feel frustrated.

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

Haven't met with my surgeon yet. Dr. Mitchell was supposed to be my surgeon, but he has stopped doing the surgery for a while. Now I've been moved to Dr. Gaskin - who also works with Dr. Mitchell. I've only heard good things about him! I'll let you know when I meet with him.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I'm only 21 yrs. old. I don't want to life my life like this forever. I only see myself getting worse.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr. Gaskin only does OPEN RNY, but I'll take what I can get. I knew I didn't want to have a doudenal switch or a banding because I was told there is more risk associated with those types of WLS.

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 parents were shocked and concerned at first. They kept saying, "Try one more time..." Well, that's not the answer here... I know that one more time isn't going to be successful for me.

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

I haven't told anyone at work. I don't know if I will.

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

It was long... I was in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights. It really wasn't that bad - the nurses were kinda dumb. I'd say bring your pillow, chapstick, your own shampoo and soap, underware and tampon/pads.

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

None :) Everything went great!

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

At first, I was very tired and drained. The second day I was home I had a bit of a panic attack. I started thinking, 'What have I done...' but not once did I regret my decision. I think I was just scared because there was NO going back. What was done was done and that's it. But, everything turned out ok and I'm still doing wonderful.

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

The first 10 days are the hardest as far as pain is concerned. It drops off greatly once you're home though, even the first day. I had this surgery done OPEN so I had a lot of muscle soreness and a few muscle spasmns that hurt pretty bad. Eating is a pain - but I didn't really even care about eating at this point. My diet consisted of liquids and s/f jell-o and s/f pudding, broth, milk, etc.

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

Southpointe is about 10 miles from my house. It was very close compared to how far some folks drive.

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.

The first 10 days were liquids that consisted of: Malt-O-Meal, Water, Jell-O, Pudding, Broth, etc. After the first 10 days I moved up to pureed foods which consisted of anything I could put in the blender and puree. They recommended pureed turkey/chicken, macaroni & cheese, etc. Of course, I was not about to puree meat and drink it, so I stuck with liquids and some pureed macaroni and cheese. Anything soft - mashed potatopes were my favorite... with some fat free gravy. YUM.

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

Very minimal... of course I did walk as much as possible. I was really worn out though physically and mentally. Walking helps and I was so afrade of getting a blood clot, I walked a lot.

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

I drank about 12 oz. of my protein shake every day, and had 2 chewable vitamins. Now, I take 1 adult size dose of Centrum vitamins and drink 9oz. Protein Shake from Carb Solutions twice a day. I also get the rest of my protein through the food I eat.

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?

So far, I havn't had anything except MINIMAL hair loss. To tell you the truth, I'm 3 months out and havn't really lost that much hair. Sometimes when I eat too much I will vomit - but it's just because I've eaten too much. I havn't dumped hard core, but there have been times when I'll have a little too much sugar and feel really flu-like.

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

The pain waking up in the hospital. Everything else is no problem or takes a little getting used to.

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

Once a month SouthPointe (New Start) has a support group meeting for post-ops and pre-ops. It is very helpful, though I havn't been in the last 2 months because I'm busy. They are always the 3rd Wednesday of the month. They are about an hour to an hour and 1/2 long but always very helpful. Everyone there is really nice and supportive. This is very helpful because I can express my emotions and get support.

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

It is about 10 inches long and puffy/red. It has gone down a lot and I expect it will continue to fade with time. The scar was the least of my concern.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've already had 1 plateau... that lasted about 2 weeks but it seemed like forever. Finally it broke but I don't know why or how it broke. I didn't really do anything to provoke the weight loss starting again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet.