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

My sister started talking about having WLS in January 2003 and I thought she was crazy!! I thought that she was making an extremely drastic decision just to lose weight, and that I would probably consider it as a last resort, however, a month later, I started having more female problems and my OB/GYN recommended that I have WLS done, I thought he was being cruel!! Than a week later I had another doctor recommend that I consider having the surgery done, I cried, how could they suggest such a thing??? I started giving it alot of thought and started looking for a surgeon and facility in my insurance network to get the surgery done. It took awhile, but I was able to find a surgeon an hour away. The thought of WLS scared me to death at first!!

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

I had a very good experience with my insurance company and getting approval. Only 5 days from the time they received my paperwork from the surgeons office to when it was approved. I would suggest that you make 3 copies of everything you submit to the surgeon's office and keep at least 1 copy of it for yourself, just in case they get "lost" in transmitting.

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

My first visit with the surgeon was pretty routine, but I had researched for 4 months before seeing him about the surgery. I would suggest that you go with every question you want answered written down so you won't forget to ask.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

At the beginning of 2003 I started having more female problems and wanted my OB/GYN to do a hysterectomy on me, he wouldn't do one and said that I should consider having WLS. He thought that if I had the surgery done that alot of my female problems would go away and that the reason I was having all the female problems was because of my weight. I have been with him for many years and he witnessed my ups and downs with my weight and thought that this would be the best answer for me instead of a hysterectomy.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My BMI is 60+ and my surgeon thinks that open RNY is best for me as there are more risks the higher the BMI.

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 fears from time to time, but did not dwell on them, I tried to keep myself occupied so that I wouldn't worry. I wanted to go into my surgery in a positive state of mind.

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 immediate family was all very supportive of me having my surgery before and after. I was very selective as to who I chose to tell about my surgery.

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

My stay in the hospital was very good, I could not have wanted better care. It also helped that my husband was allowed to stay with me the entire time I was there. I was in the hospital 3 full days and released early the 4th day. It would be important to bring a robe and socks or slippers. (My hospital supplied the slippers.) Definately some chapstick and lotion for dry skin.

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

I did not have any complications from my surgery.

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 think that getting a surgery is more stressful than not knowing when the surgery will be. I kept busy reading, arranging my closets, and getting all my legal stuff ready for "just in case" something might happen to me.

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

Expect ot be tired for awhile after your surgery and get plenty of rest, but also be up walking as much as possible. I stayed with the soft foods such as s/f yougart, s/f fudge bars, s/f puddings, Lipton cup of soups. I tried to have a big variety of different soft foods so as not to get bored with the same things all the time. I did not throw up or feel sick from any of these foods. Just had to slowly eat everything.

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

I had to travel 60 miles to the hospital where my surgery was done. The surgeon is also 60 miles away.

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 have only been eating regular foods for a week, but I found that I could not tolerate cauliflower (mushy) at all it is the only thing that has made me vomit, so far. Chicken feels heavy in my pouch and takes about 2 hours for the discomfort to go away. Still trying to find the right things to eat. I did not have any problem with tuna. Six months out: turkey and chicken are iffy at times, sometimes they do not bother me and other times they can be painful, I cannot eat eggs in any form and I love eggs.

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

Because of my arthritic knees, I was very slow in getting much activity in, but have increased my activity since I have lost 52 pounds, and have much more energy. Was able to walk around our mall two times in a hour, considering that before my surgery all I could walk was from the car to the store and sit down. Six months out: Am able to go for walks, shop and work in my yard, so unbelievable!!

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

I am taking a multi vitamin with iron every other day and a B-complex with iron every other day, varying both on opposite days.

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 was not able to sleep through the night for about 4 and a half weeks, would walk up about 2:00 in the morning and again at 5:00. It finally stopped at about 4 1/2 weeks. My hair has been slowly falling out, but I have very thick hair and it is not noticable as yet. At about 4 1/2 months post op, my hair started falling out alot. I started using a shampoo with Biotin and it is helping, if I lose too much hair, I can always buy a wig as I would rather lose weight more than worry about my hair.

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

Haven't found any part of the entire process to be bad as yet.

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

The only support group I have to go to is 60 miles away, once a month at the hospital where my surgery was done. It is helpful to a degree but is not very organized. I feel that the support is very important. The knowledge you gain by others experiences can be very helpful and informative.

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

My scar is very neat and was well done by the surgeon. I was very amazed at how well it healed and how fast it healed.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Have just started experiencing a plateau at 5 1/2 months post op, I felt that I would go insane waiting for it to end, but it did and I am back to losing again. I knew upfront that I would experience them and that as long as I was following my doctors orders, that they would not last forever. Fortunately for me, this is my first plateau.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, people are alot friendlier to me. People want to know how I am doing and how much weight I have lost.