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

I first heard about bariatric surgery after a few friends of mine had it done. My first impressions were that it seemed like a very major surgery and it seemed scary for me, but I reasearched it fully and met with several surgeons and made my decision for what I felt was best for me. To me the benefits and pros outweighed the risks & cons.

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

I have Anthem Blue Cross Medi-Cal & i'm not going to lie getting insurance approval for me was HELL. But I think that some of the issues had to do with me being younger than most WLS candidates. I was 18 when I started asking for approval for surgery. My insurance ran me around in circles basically for a long time. It took me 2 years to get approved. If I could give someone advice in getting approval I would first suggest talking to your dr, and letting them know so that they can be an advocate for you. Then calling your insurance yourself & asking what requirements you need to meet in order to be approved to see a surgeon & then once you meet with your surgeon they are usually able to tell you what other requirements you may need to meet in order to get approval for the actual surgery if there is anything else needed.

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

My first visit with my surgeon was a bit scary in the beginning but overall went very well. He was very blunt & to the point about the surgery and the lifestyle changes I would have to make, but I liked that because he didnt sugar coat anything. He answered all of my questions and made me feel very at ease. You could get the most out of this meeting by researching WLS prior to your appt with your surgeon & then coming prepared with questions and anything else you might want to know.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

What ultimately made me decide that I wanted surgery was the fact that I wanted a better quality of life than what I currently had. I was young and wanted my future to be brighter than what I felt it currently was. I wanted to be able to sit in a desk in college comfortably and actually be able to sit therough my lectures without being uncomfortable. I also was so scared of becoming diabetic because I have seen the effects it can have on people. And I was tired of being on so many medications for my health issues that stemmed from my obesity.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Before I saw my surgeon I had reasearched all of the current WLS thatwere being done. I researched the differences between each sperate surgery & I decided that I felt that RNY Gastric Bypass was the best one for me. It taught me how to eat correctly and prepare my meals and portion sizes especially. I also liked the fact that if you eat something you arent supposed to you then run the risk of getting dumping syndrome. Its kind of like that little"kick in the butt" from your body telling you that you know better than to eat something youre not supposed to ;)

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 did have my fears about surgery. I had never ever been hospitalized or even had an IV prior to having my WLS. I did fear maybe having complications or even death while on the operating table, but then I thought to myself that if I continue on with being obese I would possibly die an early death anyways lol I would tell other people who have fears such as mine to just trust themself & have faith, If they took the time to research their surgeon and get the approval then they are obviously serious about the life changes it takes. I would just really push for them to follow procedure before surgery & do exactly as their surgeon says. They have to take care of themselves.

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?

Most of my family was very supportive of me and my decision. I had a few family members who were a bit sceptical about the surgery and worried about the complications, but once my decision was made & I went through with the surgery my family was very supportive. They helped me while in the hospital & also during my recovery. They still continue to be very supportive as well.

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

Before I had my surgery I was unemployed & I applied at many places and never got hired, Since having surgery I have resubmitted applications to some of the same places and been called in for interviews and gotten more calls back. Im currently waiting on a call back from one employer. As far as my recovery I was down for about 2 weeks. I was not allowed to do vigorous exercise and was not allowed to lift anything over 5 pounds for 4-6 weeks

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

Attending my information seminar on WLS was very helpful to me. It answered a lot of my questions I had and allowed me to also get to know my surgeon and his background and his practice.

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

My stay in the hospital was actually not bad at all. The hospital staff was very helpful and good to me as well as my dad when he stayed with me. I was in the hospital for a little under 3 days. I would say the most important thing to bring would be things that make you feel more comfortable. i took my own pillow and blanket, socks and slippers and definately some chapstick & a hairbrush.

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

I've had no complications from my surgery thus far.

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

After I got my surgery date I was extremely excited & I couldnt wait. It seemed like the month couldnt go by fast enugh. lol But when the day finally did come I was very nervous & had butterflies in my stomach, but I told myself that this is what I wanted & had fought for & that things were going to be great & my life would change.

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

The first few days were difficult for me I didnt take any pain medication after going home. I was very sore and it hurt to move almost at all lol, I slept a lot. After about 4 days the pain got better but my incision was still sore & I was still getting around slowly. My incision contin ued to be sore for about a week & within 2 weeks after being home I felt myself getting back to normal & my energy came back.

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

I had to travel about 45 minutes to have my surgery. It wasnt too bad, except for the car ride home lol.

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.

For the first 2 weeks it was nothing but liquids. It was hard to get the protein shakes down in the beginning because of having to sip so slowly & they are a bit thick. I then was able to move on to pureed foods for 2-4 weeks & then onto soft foods for another 2-4 weeks, Then after that I slowly worked my way back to solids. I dont really have any foods that I cant currently eat, but I dont do well with grease.

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

My activity level was moderately low for about the first 6 weeks after surgery. Shortly after that I was able to begin fully exercising and engaging in vigorous workouts.

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

I have been taking a complex multivitamin & calcium chews since my surgery.

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 havent had to many side effects besides occasional nausea and hair loss. I started losing my hair about 7 months post op & it has recently started growing back in. The nausea usually doesnt last too long, I usually just sit down for a bit & take it easy until it subsides. As for my hair loss it hasnt really bothered me too much besides all my baby hairs growing back in lol.

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

I didnt really find any part to be horrible, just difficult. I think the most difficult part would have to be the first week of recovery.

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

There are many different groups. I happen to confide in my friends and family that have had the surgery and I use this site a lot as well. It is very helpful to me

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

My scar actually isnt that bad. My surgery was done open instead of laparascopic so I thought I would have a huge scar and its really not that bad. It has shrunk since surgery as well.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have been having trouble with a plateau in my weight lately. I was losing weight constantly every week & I would weigh myself. I have now noticed that it started slowing & im not really losing as much weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People treat me very differently now. I get a lot more attention from guys than I used to. People seem to be nicer to me than they used to be as well or more apt to approach me. I notice this a lot when im out in public.