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

I saw an advertisement on TV. I thought "I HAVE to do that!!"

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

Insurance approval was a peice of cake thanks to Ginny at Weight for Life. Before even contacting her I called my insurance company to see if it was a covered benefit. I was told that if it was deemed medically necessary that it would be covered 100%. After filling out the information on diet history and my co-morbid diseases/conditions Ginny wrote my letter or the insurance company. I was approved in less than 48hours!

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

My first visit with Dr. Rantis was wonderful. He took the time to answer all of my and my husbands questions. In order to get the most out of your first visit, I recommended that you read up on the surgery and have some idea of what it all about. Then have a written list of all your questions. I also suggest bringing your significant other with you so they (s)he can ask all the questions they have as well.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I am sooooooo fat & have such a hard time with everyday activities. I get short of breath walking form one room to another at home. I feel lazy. I have a C-Pap machine at home. I know the diseases that are common in my family and I am at high risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, congestive heart failure and other diseases. The risks would be greatly reduced if I were to lose weight. I have tried all sorts of diets -- no of which have worked. This is my last hope!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted to have a RNY vs gastric banding or the other types available becuase it appeared to be the most reliable procedure. It also is the rocommended by my surgeon.

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 really have no fears. I know that I will die, as will every person, some day. If I die on the table then it was meant to be. I am just focusing on the positive and not letting any negative thoughts or feelings in.

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 hsuband is very supportative of the decision. He encouraged me to get the consultation. I did not tell my parents and sister until I was scheduled for surgery. They are a little apprehensive about it being "surgery" , but state that they have been worried about me & my ever-increasing weight. They are glad that I am doing something about it. My sister-in-law found out through a slip of the tongue by my hubbie. Otherwise I would not have told her. She is skeptical. I have not told any extended family. They will find out when they see the poounds melt off!!

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

My employer is wonderful. She is very supportative of they idea of taking care of yourself first. Since I am in a healthcare field that deals with death everyday & is very demanding, it is important to be able to care for yourself first & foremost, so that you are able to give to your patients. She has encouraged me every step of the way. I told her straight out what I was having done. It has been deemed medically necessary .... so it is not like it is some elective procedure like a facelift... LOL I have saved enough time to cover 5 weeks with full pay between my vacation and sick time. I will have as much time as I need to get back to work and will also be able to start back as slowly or quickly as I want -- even if it means just working for 2-3hrs a day at first.

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

My hospital stay was not bad at all. My original stay was from Tues thru Fri. I was doing great and they released me. I was back in the ER and admitted on Sat, though, and got to go home on Mon. I had all good nurses except for 1. Her name was Joan and she was my ICU nurse for 3-4hours before I got transferred to the surgical floor. I have notified the hospital of my displeasure. I brought my own fuzzy slippers and my robe. They were the most important things. The next important was a card game for my family & friends to play with me while I was getting stir-crazy.

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

I have had 2 complications, I guess you could call them that. The first is that I was doing so well that the doctor released me 3 days post-op. That night I dry-heaved and had massive diarrhea and threw up all night long. I was misserable and became pretty dehydrated. We called the doctor at 3am and by 7am he said to get to the ER. They readmitted me (less than 24hours after releasing me) for dehydration and nausea. After a couple of bags of IVF and some well-needed sleep I was good to go and ready to fly the coop. THey were extra-careful thus time and kept me one extra day to be sure I was tolerating everything before sending me home. The second "complication" is that I sprung a leak on day 13 post-op. I was in the shower and leaned over a certain way & my incision oozed some bloody drainage. Luckily I had an appointment that day with Dr Rantis. He took a scapel to me and opened up one inch of my incision. He cleaned out the pocket of fluid that had formed and dressed it. I go back to see him in a week. He says it is not infected, so I will just pray it stays that way!! To update this: on May 14th Dr Rantis had to cut open the area that was draining becuase it had not gotten any better. It was about 2" long and 3" deep in what looked like an "arrow" pointing up. I packed it with wet-to-dry normal saline for a week, then changed to dry gauze three times a day for a week and now am packing it three to four times a day with 1/4 strength dakins solution. Now it is about 0.5" long, but still 2.5" deep. I go back to see Dr Rantis in 2 weeks, unless it gets worse - then I go right away & will probably be back in the OR to debrid the tunnel.

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 have not had any anxiety since my surgery. Today is 2 weeks post-op. I have gotten more energy, I think. Simple things still tucker me out rather quickly. Like going to the doctor yesterday -- it took me an hour to get showered and dressed. That is without doing anything to my hair or any makeup. Just showering, drying off and putting clothes on! After the doctor appt I walked about a block to the hospital cafeteria, ate some fat-free yogurt for lunch. My husband picked me up and I came home and took a 3 hour nap. I was plum exhausted!! Today I was able to load the dishwasher after sleeping in until 11am. I am getting about 10-12 hours of sleep a night on average. My body must really need it to heal, since I usually only got 6 hours pre-op. Week four post-op I was stir crazy. I made appointments for every day and went out to visit friends at work and whatnot. Week 5 post-op I went back to work, nd boy, was I exhausted after each day. By Friday I was completely wiped out and spent the weekine recouperating! Now it is week 7 and I notice that I still require more sleep on a nightly basis. I am falling alseep by 11pm at the latest and get up at 6:45am. More often than not I am in bed by 10pm and just watch tv to relax before falling asleep.

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

I slept most of the time the first 3 weeks. I would get up for 3 or 4 hour periods of time and then nap again. I was never hungry.

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

Alexian Brothers Medica Center is about 10-15miles from my home. On a good day I can get there in 15min, but with traffic it can take up to 30min. The average is 20min.

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.

First week: clear liquids only-- broth, strained chicken noodle soup, sugar-free jello, sugar-free popsicles, apple juice & cherry sensation juice by juicy juice. Second week: full liquids-- added skim milk, sugar/fat-free pudding, yogurt, sugar-free fudgesicles, cooked cereal (farina and cream of wheat) & strained cream soups. Third week through seventh week: pureed-- added string cheese, scrambled eggs, other cheeses, mac & cheese, peanut butter, tuna, chicken salad, egg salad, cottage cheese with peaches, refried beans & chili (both with fat free sour cream and cheese) -- almost any form of protein you could get into a blender! I alo ate soy nuts chewed to a paste in my mouth before swallowing. Things I cannot tolerate: bread (which is really good, since I LOVE bread) -- it feels too dense in my tummy and makes me feel bloated and heavy; gerber baby cereals -- made me puke; hamburger -- made me puke; The only veggies I have tried have been cooked in chinese food: carrots, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts and broccoli. I have eaten rice once, it felt too dense in my tummy.

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

First three weeks: I walked to the bathroom and the kitchen a few times a day. Once or twice walked to the house next door. Lots of naps and slept an average of 10-14 hours a night. Weeks 4 & 5: up before 9am, fairly active day with appointments or work; nap in afternoon; bed by 8pm. Weeks 5-7: up by 7am, bed by 10pm. No exercise yet.

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

Starting week 3: 1 bugs bunny sugar-free chewable children's vitamin a day 2 viactive carmel chews a day 1 trinsicon iron supplement a day 1/3 cup SciFit whey protein each morning in 4oz of skim milk

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?

Nausea is only when I eat too much or something my tummy doesn't agree with, same for vomiting. No dumping yet. Hair loss started in week 3 and continues.

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

The waiting!

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

Weight for Life has a progessionally-run after care group that meets approx every 2-3 weeks. It is very helpful, although I think that the facilitator is not the best.

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

My scar is 8" long, from under my breasts to 3.5" above my belly button. It is less thick than I amticipated at this point.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued at my fourth week that lasted until week six. Then I dropped 6#. I plateaued in June of 2002 that has lasted through March of 2003.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes -- strangers don't stare as much.