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

About 10 years ago, a good friend of mine had heard of the surgery and wanted us both to get it. At the time I had no insurance and we would both have been self-paying clients. I was always interested, but always a litlle scared because of it's "last-resort" kinda thing.

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

I was ready to get denied and was fueling up for an appeal. I had all the qualifications, but I was on pins and needles due to my less than perfect psych test results. Any advice I would give is just to keep good records of whom you speak to and what they had to say all along the way.

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

I met him at a WLS info seminar he does and he blew me away.. I was so pleased with the honest/brutal info he gave us regarding the surgeries they performed (lap RNY or lap-band). At my initial consult, he was awesome, he answered all my questions and then some.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I did not want to become home-bound and having to depend on my teenage daughter to take care of me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The "consequences".. dumping syndrome, via the RNY. I needed a "physical" pain to stop me when and if I ever went overboard or wasn't being compliant.

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 death. I feared also being one of those who lost too much.. whose body couldn't stop at a healthy-weight kinda patient. What I would say to someone having any fears is to DO YOUR RESEARCH. I know I could have died on that table.. but that was a risk I was willing to take, because I was already slowly dying.

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 select friends were shocked, but supportive. I would not have changed anything. They are still somewhat supportive, but their support wasn't why I had this surgery in the first place.. yes the support helps, but it's all ME.

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 so-so.. we've had a few co-workers have WLS and it's been rather positive. I was out for 1 mth.. paid sick/vacation time :)

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

My stay was OK... four days instead of the normal three my surgeon averages. I got a fever and a horendous sore throat from the tubing. Things to bring... chapstick! And socks.

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

Fever abd sore throat. The nurses helped as much as they could, but it was ultimately the wait for the antibiotics to work their magic.

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

ELATED and scared shitless. I made home videos to help with the anxiety.. of dying and leaving my daughter alone in this world.

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

Um.. the first few days were hell. My sugar plumetted, I got the shakes and thought I was going to die. The nurse advised some juice and fixed me up a little. I did question WHY THE HELL DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF.. but that was short-lived. People should expect a complete mind-fuck. This tool deals with the physical, not emotional.

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

It was in the same city, thank God. Maybe a 30 minute drive to the medical center.

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.

Could eat.. watermelon, oranges (spit out the pulp), baby foods, yogurt, soups, milk, teas and juices. Couldn't eat... solids. They made me feel like lead in the tummy. Off limit foods would be anything greasy... feels nasty and hurtful. Food tolerance is still iffy, sometimes tuna and chicken are my best friends, other weeks it hurts. Now that I am 14 mths post-op I can tolerate foods better, so now it's quantity that I watch.

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

Days after, I couldn't stand.. would be shaky and needed a stoll in the shower to help me. Weeks after surgery I was able to start walking 1-2 laps around the track at my daughter's school.

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

Daily... multivitamin, vit C, vit A, and iron. Some days.. biotin and 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?

HAIR LOSS! I've always had thin hair, but 3-4 mths after surgery I noticed that it got worse and it's stayed kinda bad :( I still don;t know how to cope.. I try to not look at myself too much in the mirror and wear head gear.

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

Hmm.. that I didn't do it sooner ;)

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

I used to attend my surgeon's monthly support meetings, but even there I saw the "division" of post-op life of RNY vs. lap-banders. It is important to have support, but it wasn't my medium. I go to online forums for "support" and as always, continue my research.

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

I had lap RNY.. so I have 6 little incisions. All healed well except for 2. One is still tender and the other formed a thick keloid. A small, small price for where I am today.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I will plateau once in awhile, I can't say how often for sure or how long it lasts because it's always different. Those are the times when you go back to the basics for a few days and focus on water, protein and exercise and then it'll break.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, all the time. Sometimes it's flattering and sometimes it's annoying and hurtful because the nice treatment makes me feel human, but when one is used to feeling invisible... feeling "human" can be overwhelming.