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

I am an RN by profession, so I learned about it years ago while in Nursing school. Although at that time, not as much was known about it and it wasn't as prevalent. At first, I was against it. I had heard the horror stories of people becoming worse off or even dying after WLS. I didn't want to do it. I always thought that I could lose the weight if I could gain more willpower, so getting the surgery was ot for me, or so I thought.

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

My insurance was Medicare. In order for a surgeon to be able to accept Medicare as a payment, they have to be certified as a Center of Excellence. Apparently this is a lenghty procedure and can take many years to get. The nearest surgeon that had this certification was 3 hours from me and I wasn't able to go back and forth, etc. As a result, I had to pay for the surgery on my own.

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

Since I went out of the country for my surgery, I didn't have the luxury of meeting with my surgeon until I arrived on the day of my surgery. I would have preferred to meet beforehand, ask questions, speak to him, etc... Thank goodness for the Internet and ObesityHelp.com. These avenues provided the much needed information that I needed.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My health was declining fast. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live to see my children grow up, get married, ect. I was tired of being fat and not being able to do anything.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I researched all of the available surgical procedures and chose the one that I felt most comfortable with.

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 really scared to have surgery, but I was more fearful for my life as I had been lving it. My health was getting worse, it would not have gotten better without the surgery. I was at such a high risk from dying of my existing health problems, I figured the risk of surgery was not as bad. I didn't see that I had any choice, really. I wanted to live, not die as a fat person who was sitting around being afraid of having a life-saving surgery. There are risks in every aspect of life.. but you have to give yourself a chance to live..life will only get worse.

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 was very supportive of my decision to have surgery. At first, they were hesitant, but they had seen my struggles for years and knew that something had to be done in order to save my life. I couldn't have done this without the help of my family.

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

I have not worked in many years, so this wasn't a factor.

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

I had a very painful hospital stay. I was in a foreign country, I didn't speak the language, so it was very hard. I had really good care though. Everyone was nice. But I did experience alot of post-op pain. I was there for 2 1/2 days then discharged, where I went to a hotel for 3 more days. The doctors visited me there to check on me. The one thing that I am so thankful that I brought with me was my heating pad. This provided alot of comfort so that I could rest.

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

I had an enlarged liver which was accidentally lacerated. It caused a little more time in the OR and a little more pain afterward. I also had to receive 2 blood transfusions because of the blood loss during surgery. It didn't cause any additional hospital days or more time in Mexico. It did cost a bit more money though.

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

After I got my date, I had to wait for 3 months. During this time, I had many second thoughts. I was really scared and nervous. I used this time to learn even more about the surgery, the post-op, and the diet that I needed to follow afterward.

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

For some of us, recovery is very hard. I experienced alot of pain (gas pain and incisional pain). I had 20 stitches, but this isn't the average. My incisions drained alot and healing was extremely slow. I had to get used to eating and drinking differently. I had to get used to a new way of doing that. It was hard giving up some foods and drinks (I really miss diet cokes, but we can't drink carbonated sodas). I was lucky that I didn't have the nausea and vomiting that many have. It takes time to get used to the new way of life that this surgery provides.

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

I traveled from Arkansas (US) to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I didn't really need or have any aftercare support. I visited my PCP once I returned and he agreed to treat me if I needed it. I never needed much except my regular doctor visits and lab work. However, I never had any nutritional support. I would have to seek that on my own, which I haven't done. As a nurse, I have tried to rely on my own knowledge and background. I also learn from others and nutritional websites on the internet.

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.

The only thing that I have found that I couldn't eat/drink is carbonated sodas. I really miss those. I mostly drink water now. All other foods have always gone down fine. Some foods don't have the same taste as before. But as time goes by, even those foods have come back into my life and taste good again.

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

Every day, my energy increased. I was able to do more and more things that had been a distant memory. I found myself wanting to go shopping again because I felt like walking around again. It's been incredible so far and it gets better each day.

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

I take a regimen of vitamins on a daily basis, but I also took these before sugery: Multivitamins, Iron, Calcium, B-complex.

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?

Ive experienced reflux since surgery. There was only one time when it was really bad. Since then, I've relied on my Prilosec OTC. But I can feel some of the symtoms every now and then, especially when I eat a little too much. At 3 1/2 months now, I am beginning to see hair loss. This is very upsetting. My hair has been thinning for about 10 yrs anyway. I was hoping that I wouldn't lose anymore, since I don't have too much more to lose. I hope it stops soon.

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

The worst part is the mourning of food. Although I don't really abstain from any food, I do limit them. I also can't eat quite as much as before (although I can eat alot more than others) and sometimes that is upsetting because I want to finish what is on my plate or be able to try various things at once.

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

My aftercare support is on ObesityHelp.com. I don't attend any local support groups. OH has been the best place I could go. I've made so many new friends....friends who know what I'm going through.

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

I have 8 small scars. Some are still quite large and brighter red. some have faded quite a bit. No they aren't what I expected, but I really wasn't sure what they would look like or where exactly they would be located. I'm not conerned with them though. I don't plan on wearing a bikini any time soon.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I haven't had any yet, but its only been 4 months since my surgery.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not at this point. I have alot of people who ask about me and ask how I'm doing. They all express how proud they are of me. But no one actually treats me different.