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

I first saw an educational TV program about MO and it followed two people after their surgery. Initially I didn't think too much more about it. I figured it would only be at big teaching hospitals and not something the average person could gain access to. I saw two more programs in quick succession and then discovered AMOS here. That was when I realized it might be something I could also do.

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

The only thing I needed was my diet history. The physician's office took care of everything else for me.

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

Relax!!!! I was so nervous I could hardly focus on what he had to say. I think part of it was being so ashamed that I have completely failed at weight control. I think I projected my feelings about it on him. Prior to meeting him, I expected his attitude to be "well here's another fatty who can't figure out the simple equation of eating less and exercising more will decrease weight". In fact he was nothing like that. He worked hard to put me at ease, didn't talk down, was very upbeat and sure that he could help me in my battle, as well as assuring me that he would be there both for the surgery and aftercare for many years to come. So RELAX, have a list of your questions, and definitely make sure there is strong support afterward.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Two things made up my mind. First was my own weight history. I've been battling this for twenty years with only minimal success and I didn't see how any new diet could do anymore than all the diets I had already tried. Secondly, I took a look at my family at the last reunion. There was my father, my aunt, my sister and my cousin, and we looked like peas in a pod. The exact same body type, the exact same body size. It made me think maybe the failure wasn't entirely me, and that it was going to take something new from outside myself to finally win the battle.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I felt the decision should be up to my physician. I talked to both my PCP and my pulmonologist about whether lap band or gastric bypass would be betther. Both felt gastric bypass was more appropriate for me. Then I talked to my surgeon, who explained why he chose the particular approach he used rather than duodenal switch or gastric banding.

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 a little concerned, but I had been to the support group many times and talked to everyone I could there about their experience with the surgery. A couple of people had complications from previous surgery which Dr. Crum had repaired. I couldn't find anyone who had any horror stories of problems met by themselves or others they knew.

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?

I was surprised by the amount of support I recieved from both friends and family. I really expected to get a lot of flack about the decision, but if anyone disagreed they kept it to themselves.

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

Most people at work reacted with surprise that I would choose this surgery as a method to combat my weight problems. My supervisor & clinical manager both made no comment what so ever when I told them I would be missing time for surgery. I didn't discuss which surgery. I have been out 5 wks. Originally I was told I would only miss 2 wks, but because of the heavy lifting and the hectic pace at times my surgeon changed that to 4wks. At my last office visit I was having some difficulty with stomach pain and getting food down so he has kept me out an extra week to allow more time for my stomach to heal.

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

The hospital stay was very short, just 48 hours. I slept most of the time I was there. The only things I really needed were my toothbrush and comb. I used their pj's. I was too sleepy to read. The other important thing was comfortable clothes for the ride home.

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

My only complication was an abcess in one of the incision sites that developed about a week after the surgery. I just needed antibiotics for 10 days and that cleared it up. Unfortunately, the antibiotics gave me a fungal infection in my mouth, so I then needed an antifungal as well.

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 was excited about my date, but wished it wasn't quite so far away. I went to the support group meetings, did lots of journaling, contacted others through this site, but also went on with my normal life. I did not feel really anxious about the surgery. I had a lot of faith in my physicians, and I knew there was no other way for me to succeed at weight loss.

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

My first week I was pretty tired. I did try to stay up awhile each day and get a small something done around the house. The second week I was having a lot of pain from an abcess along one of the incisions and actually did very little. Starting the third week I was able to be up and around more. The first week was clear liquids, the second was full liquids; both were much easier on the stomach than food. The third week was pureed, not too bad. This week has been soft solids; ow! I have been borrowing alot from the earlier weeks.

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

It's a two hour trip to my surgeon's office and to the hospital that he practices at. I promised myself presurgery that if I chose this surgeon, I couldn't make excuses later about the trip down. I plan to to make all the support meetings, (twice a month). I needed someone to drive down with me to the first post-op visit, but since have made my own way.

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.

wk 1: clear liquids only. wk 2: full liquids, no eggs, no dietary supplements wk 3: pureed foods 2oz. 3x per day, no red meats, no fats, no raw fruits or vegetables, started protein powder supplement in milk, multivitamins & calcuim supplement - things went down ok, slight stomach discomfort at times - pureed tunafish was a mistake wk 4: soft solids 2oz. 3x per day, (chicken, fish, eggs, soft cooked non-gassy vegetables, canned fruit) The eggs & cottage cheese went down well. Chicken is more difficult; at the end of the week I can get down an ounce over 20 minutes.

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

I was back to normal light activities within 2 weeks, would have been sooner if I didn't end up with an incisional infection. I tried walking after about 3wks, but stopped after talking to the MD. He prefers we wait because we are taking in so little protein at that time. Certainly by 5months I was back to doing all the things I usually do and then some. As the weight has come off it's just easier to do everything.

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

I take a chewable multivitamin and a calcuim supplement each day. I will start monthly vitamin B12 shots in two weeks.

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?

4wks post-op: Whenever I eat I feel faintly nauseous. I have not actually vomited yet.

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

I guess the worst part was the initial office visit. I think that was when I finally hit rock bottom. It just hit me that I was such a failure at losing weight that I needed someone to surgically alter my stomach in order to achieve it. Worse yet, if this failed there were no more options. It was a very difficult day.

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

My surgeon runs support groups twice a month, one pre-op, one post-op. Post ops are encouraged to attend both to give pre-ops someone to talk to about the future. In addition he sees his patients frequently for the first 6 months. He also requires that you see a nutritionist post-op preferably for a minimum of 6 months. I think all these things have helped. Support group is invaluable both for the information from others, and the chance to give and receive help to others in the group. Office visits were incredibly important. The MD addressed food, coping, family, and social issues on a one to one basis. He was very caring and supportive. The nutritionist has become more important the further out I get. He has helped address the food issues.

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

My scars are insignificant. I have 5 small (less than an inch) incisional scars across my belly. It's about what I expected, probably better than expected actually.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Three weeks at the same weight. Almost drove me crazy. It turned out I needed to eat a little more.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice that people will talk about other people that are experiencing weight problems in front of me, as if they don't think it will bother me. I still identify myself as a heavy person. I feel offended that they would speak this way at all, but also embarrassed because I feel they're talking about me.