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

A coworker who was as big as I was, had the surgery and I watched her lose. I was jealous of her and felt unmotivated and yet scared to think of having it done.

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

Insurance denied me the first time and I had to appeal it. Advice is to ask questions, research and learn all you can.

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

My first visit was great. He put me at ease and was wonderful to work with. Take notes prior to first appt., take notebook and ask all the questions you have. Nothing is silly and if the Dr acts that way, he's not the right Dr for you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Couldn't walk more than 5-10 feet without being out of breath. My life was out of control.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Lap banding wasn't an option at the time I had Lap RNY, didn't even consider any other options.

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 over 344 pounds and afraid I would die on the operating table from anesthesia or length of operation. These fears are normal. Write letters to your loved ones, take time to be with them and pray.

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 supportive. Post op they're still very supportive and two of three sons have recently had Lap RNYs.

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

Happy for me. I took 6 weeks off, though could have gone back to work at 2-3 weeks post op, but had a lot of accured vacation/sick leave.

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

Stanford Medical Hospital in Palo Alto, California is absolutely the best hospital in California!! From the admissions area, to pre-op waiting, to recovery, to my room, I was treated with kindness. Staff explain everything they're doing and constantly asked if I had any questions. Once I was in my room, the nurses and nurses aides were extremely helpful and kind to me. I am the type of patient who doesn't complain and ask for much, so they all treated me very well. However, I do feel they were understaffed on nurses. I was in the hospital 4 days from Monday to Thursday. I only took slippers for walking, 1 nightgown (I did wear my own 1 day), bathrobe, brush, deodorant, lotion, but forgot chapstick. The night I was taken to my room, my son gave me his and CHAPSTICK is a MUST!! Stanford supplied me with toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, lotion, soapy wipes (for cleaning up).

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

No, not so far. Only problem at 1 month post-op was pain after I ate. I was informed that I wasn't chewing the food enough and started chewing it till there was nothing left and the pain stopped. I no longer watch TV while I eat, since it tends to distract me and I have reverted to my usual pattern a few times (and then had pain again) At 3 years post op, I still tend to forget and swallow and food either hurts or comes back up. CHEW, CHEW, CHEW!!

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

Mixed emotions: happy, anxious, worried, sad, depressed..mostly knowing how I hurt my body and having to go to this extreme to correct a problem. I didn't eat as I usually do, since I had to lose 10% of my current weight. Usually, I just cried.

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

First 2 weeks were very good. Happy, doing well, slept well, ate only what I can have, but have had a few crying bouts. Some minimal pain when I eat breakfast but the pain can be intense for up to 15 minutes. I can now walk up to 1/4 mile, before I couldn't walk from the house to the driveway.

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

300 miles round trip. I am somewhat concerned if complications arise, but my doctor is absolutely the best in Sacramento and I have faith that there will be no complications. I have no regrets about choosing quality over distance. I'd choose Stanford again.

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.

At 3 years post op, I still have problems with some foods. I'm now lactose intolerant and cannot tolerate more than 7 grams of sugar at one time. I like spicy foods now and absolutely love sushi (never liked it pre-op!)

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

Extremely active and within 1 week I was able to walk a city block without any problems.

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

One time per day-AM: 1. Vitamin B12, 500 mcg, Sublingual 2. 1 multivitamin 3. 1 cramberry extract capsule 4. 1 B Complete 5. 1 Colace 6. 1 fiber capsule 7. 1 osteo-flex After 12 noon and every hour 1. 1 calcium citrate 2. 1 fiber capsule At bed 1. 1 colace 2. 1 osteo-flex

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?

Hair loss around 4-6 months, minimal, though I still experience some hair loss now, especially if I don't get in enough protein. Vomiting continues to plague me, though it's due to what I've eaten (too much, not chewed enough, type of food, etc). Only dumped 3 times.

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

Nothing...not a bad surgery or process.

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

I attend a monthly support meeting in Sacramento, WOW Salsa (Sacramento Area Laproscopic Surgeons Assoc) and am a member of the website. These meetings are helpful and give me hope to go on. At 3 years post op I still attend the monthly meetings.

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

I have 7 scars. Five scars are 1 inch and the other 2 scars are 1/4 inch in length. One was infected but now they're all doing well, still red and itch from time to time, but overall, I forget they're there. Scars are hard to locate now. My tummy tuck scars are more visible (had tummy tuck on 3/22/06)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None yet. My weight isn't coming off fast or easy-seems that's how my life goes. One friend who had surgery the same day, eats everything and anything and loses. Guess that's life. Some plateaus. Have lasted from 5 days to 3 weeks and then I start losing again. Although, whenever I experience more than 3-6 hours of vomiting due to a particular food, then I lose 1-5 pounds within 2-3 days. Not a good way to lose but it happens. At 3 years post, I still continue to lose about a pound every 2 months. I did gain 7 pounds around this last Christmas 2005, and worked to get the weight off. It was due to what I was eating.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, not really. I went to work for the first time this past week and did find most coworkers were curious and blunt (like asking "how much did you weigh and what have you lost"), but I really don't mind sharing that info. It's not how differently people are treating me, it's more how I am around them. I'm more confident and finally a fter 30 years of obesity I love myself and what I'm doing. Hubby acts differently towards me, more affectionate and we do alot of things together now. As for coworkers, they do treat me with more respect. What offends me most is comments like "hi skinny". I do not like being called skinny, even if I was. I know that's how some people get across their feelings but it stinks. I am more confident and have no problem approaching problems or stating what I think. I feel I'm more assertive now also. People don't recognize me any longer and walk right by me. I've learned to not get upset and laugh. Once they hear my voice then they know it's me!