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

I found out about wls from Dr. Flagg, my gyno, she was concerned because she had met me for an appointment and had thought that I was a wonderful person, and wanted me to be healthy. When I first found out about it, I wasn't sure if it was for me or not. I didn't want people to think that I had cheated to lose weight, but I wanted to lose the weight, doesn't pretty much everyone? I had found out about the surgery at the end of May 2001, and on June 5th, my 20th birthday, I finally decided that I was going to go through with it. It was one of those, oh wow, I'm twenty, and my doctor says that if I don't have it, I'll most likely die by the time I'm thirty. Plus, I was twenty years old, and had never had a boyfriend, never been kissed, and all that good stuff, and I didnt have the confidence to even go out and date.

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

Due to the fact that I had to rush my surgery because of the ovarian cysts, my surgery was approved within two months, which is very unheard of. So unfortunately, I have no advice for other people. Just stick with it, it's worth the wait in the end.

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

The first visit with my surgeon was very informative. I would recommend Dr. Aranow to anyone who is looking into WLS, and to get the most out of the meeting, keep your ears open and really read all the information he gives you. He told me about this site, and I thank him for that.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My 20th birthday, and knowing that if I didnt lose the weight I would die in ten years.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I didnt have much of a choice because of my ovarian cysts.

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 had a lot of fears about dying during surgery, and I had a hard time sleeping. I went to my PCP and they prescribed me a sleep aid. I also had long visits with my pastor, he helped me through a lot. I would tell people with the same fears to find peace with God (it really works) and not to let their fears overwhelm them.

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 family and friends were awesome about my decision. My mom even wanted to have the surgery for herself, but unfortunately she had health problems that prevented her from being able to have the surgery. I've said before, sometimes I am afraid to tell people who had asked me about how I lost the weight because they would think I cheated to lose weight or took the easy way out, and in the almost six years since my surgery, I have only ever had one person with a negative attitude towards me, and she was in the health care field. I convinced myself she was just upset because she probably couldn't have the surgery.

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

My employer was really great about it, he gave me time off, which was six weeks, and never complained about it. Im not employed there anymore, but he continues to tell me how great I look.

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

My hospital stay was ok. I mean, who like's hospital stays anyway? There was one nurse there who was a complete jerk. She lied to my doctor and told him that I had refused to get up and walk, when in reality, she had me sit up, and left me there for something like a half hour, and of course, having been cut open two days earlier, i was a little tired of sitting, so I lay back down, then when she came back, she got mad, and told him that I had refused. When I had my surgery they had to cut me open all the way down my stomach because I had to also have the cysts removed, so it wasnt like other WLS patients. I was in the hospital for five days, and I mainly watched tv, or colored. I was only twenty, and I couldn't concentrate on reading, so coloring occupied most of my time.

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

The only real complications I had were that the tube that came out of my stomach to drain fluids leaked out the side and gave me a rash, so I had to go get it changed, or fixed or something. After that it was fine.

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

The hardest part of the post-op was the fact that most of my friends relied on me to drive everywhere usually, and because I was on pain medications, I wasn't able to drive, so I didn't do much. I hung out with my dad a lot, and watched the Yankees on television. That was a good thing, because my dad and I never got along when I was younger, and for some reason, that helped bring us together a little more.

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

My first weeks home from the hospital I mainly slept and ate tomato soup. I cant eat it anymore, its gross.

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

I had about a 45 minute drive and it did not affect my aftercare because my mom was able to take time off whenever I needed to be driven somewhere.

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 ate mostly jello, puddng, tomato soup, protein shakes, eventually scrambled eggs, and tuna, and chicken salad. I have a hard time eating pork products, and corn, other than that I am pretty much up for anything.

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

At first I was too sore to do anything. Eventually I was able to walk around the neighborhood, and even more eventually able to jog with my dog.

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

B-12 spray, and Iron suppliments. Also, for a while I was on prenatal vitamins.

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 lost a lot of my hair. I can remember sitting in class and running my hands through my hair and clumps coming out. I had expected this, so it was ok. My hair is a lot thinner now than it was, but I deal with it ok. I learned to eat more protein and I had hair growth. I had a little bit of dumping syndrome, and a lot of times I have loose stools.

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

The worst part is the extra skin and the scar. I have a railroad track going down my stomach. But its nothing that can't be taken care of in the future, so I deal.

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

I have never attended a support group because I am a full time student, and I work two jobs. I think that because I have fallen a little behind, I might start going to one. I hope it will be helpful.

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

My scar is hideous. But it's not what most patients will end up with. I knew in the beginning that because of my cysts, they would have to open me up completely, so I expected it. I guess it's probably not as bad as I think it is, but I hope that in a few months, I will be able to have cosmetic surgery, and that will help a little bit.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued about two years after WLS, and stayed there even after five years. I have recently started (five and a half years later) to lose again, and I am looking forward to finally meeting my goal weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People absolutely treat me differently now. I've actually had a boyfriend, and other men talk to me, where five years ago they would have looked the other way. My friends treat me the same, people I went to school with that weren't my friends don't recognize me, but that's ok.