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

I heard about it on TV and from the stories about Carnie Wilson. I wanted it and I was ready to do ANYTHING to get it. I wouldn't have cared if there was a 50% percent chance of dying. That would have been good enough for me.

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

I had horrible insurance but I managed to get approved because they considered it medically necessary. It took 2 months to get approved.

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

My surgeon was very informative and spent plenty of time with me. I would suggest reading all the info they can on this website. It was invaluable to me.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The moment I heard about it I wanted it. I could not deal with the pain anymore.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

There wasn't a choice. The "open" was the only available option from 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 had no fears. I figured that whatever happened, it would be better than the place I was in before the surgery.

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. Some I didn't tell until after the fact but no one would have stopped me and I mean NO ONE!

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

My employer knew but wasn't happy about me missing work. I was out ten days!

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

ANOTHER PERSON! I'm sure things have improved since I had surgery but there was a very serious mix up with pain medicine and the standard of care just wasn't there. There were times when I needed to get up to go to the bathroom and if someone hadn't been there, I couldn't have gotten up. It was unfortunate but it didn't stop me. I was there for 5 days.

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

Hernia. Self paid because of insurance mix up.

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 didn't feel an anxiety because I was on my way to a better life. It was all downhill from there.

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

Since I had it so long ago, it was more serious since I had an open RNY. Make sure you have a recliner. It literally saved my life.

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

I was local but I didn't have aftercare. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise I believe.

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 was a poster child. At each phase as I introduced new food, I had no problems at all. I have only dumped about three times in 6 years.

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

As the weight came off, I got busy. The more I lost the more I moved.

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

I take regular vitamins with added calcium and iron. I drink Met RX for a protein shake every morning.

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 had slight hair loss from exactly 3 months to 6 months after surgery. It wasn't enough to be a problem.

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

When they removed the epidural at the hospital, they had not gotten the PCA pump from the warehouse. I was without pain medicine for 8 hours.

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

I was on a Yahoo group for a while on the internet that were all patients of the same doctor. I think I was more helpful to them than the other way around because there were several that hadn't had the surgery yet. The aftercare or current care is ObesityHelp. It has been my salvation. It is sad when some people lose the weight then go away. I think it is part of getting past your obesity...stay around and help.

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

My scar was pretty bad but I didn't care. I have since had a plastic surgeon fix it and it looks great now. I wear two piece bathing suits!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I try to warn others that I have seen many WLS patients plateau at 2 months. I weighed the same for 6 weeks when I was about 2 months out. Even though I've told many people that it will happen to them, they still seem very surprised.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES!!! There are people that treat me like a normal person that would never have talked to me at all before. It's really sort of sad but it's human nature.