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

I am a nurse, so I was on the inner loop about the surgical aspect. I thought it would be a really neat "fix" for my problem.

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

I found out real quick that the insurance companies wanted to reap the rewards ( less medicines better health, etc) but they don't want to be the ones who pay for the procedure.

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

Investigate the first three years of follow-up care and how long the patients kept the weight off. Be prepared to ask as many questions as possible.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had become sick and tired of being sick and tired. I had tried everything else......

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I felt that I would just " eat around" the band. Gastric bypass was the only recource for me.

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 didn't fear dying and I didn't know enough to be afraid of the complications. Luckily, I had none of the complications after the initial nausea.

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 3 days. I got a concussion due to a nurse flipping me backwards into the headboard of the bed on my first ambulation.

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

Just a few weeks of nausea and one dumping syndrome episode from eating pork that was fried. I still can't eat pork.

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 only had a few days after I found out my insurance ok was in. Didn't have time to get nervous.

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

I couldn't sleep in my bed. I had to sleep in a recliner. Could only drink 5 to 10 mls at a time.

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

I only had to go into Austin, about 25 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.

Pork is the only food that is still off limits for me. I was on liquids for the first month and then progressed to full liquids and soft foods. y god, the first tomatoes and tuna tasted like heaven. I no longer liked the taste of steak, which had been a staple all my life.

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

I couldn't walk very much the first two to three weeks. I got dizzy very easily. I worked up to 5 miles a day within the first 6 - 8 weeks and that s wher I still am.

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

I take fish oil and a mature vitamin each day. I have never been anemic or lacking in 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 only had one episode of dumping ( with the pork chop). I lost aproximately half my hair...it is still so thin that I can see my scalp.

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

The fact that I started gaining wt back and continue to do so today. It will be five years next month and I am back up to 234 lbs. My lowest weight was 198.

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

Ther was no available program for me. My schedule of working 12 hr nights ruined all my chances of attending support groups. Obesityhelp.com was my only support.

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

I only have five little scars due to having the laproscopic procedure. I don't mind having them at all.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I went down to 198 and stopped. I started regaining my wt about 1 and 1/2 years after the procedure.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, in fact they are shocked to know that I had bariatric surgery. They expect it to work for everyone. HA HA