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

Initially a very dear friend/roommate told me about it and i was totally against it. I thought it was the easy way out and way to dangerous to even begin to be healthy/helpful.

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

My approval was pretty quick. I started the process in late October, early November and my surgery date was February 27, 2004. Just a few months to get the pre-surgery work up completed. My advice would be to learn a little patience. The wait is such a thrilling time and at the same time it may seem horrible. Remember the thrill of being pre-op and enjoy it.

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

My surgeon (Dr.Todd) is awesome. I absolutely love him and my first visit was so warm and so informative. Go with lots of questions that you need answers to or even ask the questions you think you already know the answers to. There is NEVER a stupid question when dealing with your health, with your life.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I went to an orthopedic surgeon about my knees and he was very rude and insensitive about my weight. He said i couldnt have knee surgery until i lost weight but my knees hurt too bad to exercise to lose weight. I was stuck in this spiral and i knew i needed help.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I figured..."if i am going to go to this extreme...i am doing it all the way"

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 feared leaving my husband alone and my family. I wanted them all to know how much i loved them and wanted them all to be ok in their lives whether i was with them or not. Make sure you have your relationships as healthy as possible before you go for surgery and most of all you should have absolute trust in your surgeon. Dont go through with it if you have any doubts.

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 very supportive and happy that i was able to have this option available to me. My entire family was there for me before and after, especially my husband.

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

They absolutley respected my decision and were very supportive. I was out of work for 2.5 weeks

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

I was in the hospital for 3 days. It was pretty good most of the time. I think the most valuable thing to bring was my favorite pillow and socks.

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

no

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 got my approval and had a date the next week. It was very fast and the anxiety of just that week was very overwhelming

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

Expect some pain for a few days and some discomfort for a couple of weeks. I slept a lot and actually enjoyed the time i had to relax.

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

2 miles

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 still have a hard time with turkey and chicken and sometimes hamburger. I do really well with seafood and steak and soy foods. Carbs go very well but i limit them.

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

the first few weeks were low energy. By about week 5 i was ready to get moving

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

Multi-prenatal vitamin, B12, calcium

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 get sick sometimes but its usually my own fault from overeating. I lost some hair but nothing to traumatizing. These are all still issues for me

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

that i didnt do it sooner. I have a hard time sometimes with the mental aspects, i still miss food at times and i get mad that i cant have it like i used to. Usually this only lasts a brief amount of time.

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

I go to weekly SGM sponsered by my surgeons office. I think this is vital in the long run. I have made friends that know exactly the same things i experience and they understand and support me 100%

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

Its longer than expected but i dont mind it at all and i am in no way embarrassed of it. Its about 6 inches rather than 3

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none really yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

some of the guys i know are a little more flirty with me but otherwise no. Some of the females i know dont seem as friendly but none of the ones i really care for all that much