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

I had seen it on talk shows and thought those people were crazy for having it done. Then I surfing the internet and saw a weight loss success story and she had bariatric surgery. I still thought it was too extreme, but read on and got more info. After about a week of researching the idea I thought "well maybe." And it just got better from there.

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

My expericne went pretty smoothly. My advice would be to keep calling the ins co and let them know you are not going away. Keep after them or you may get put to the bottom of the pile.

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

Mine was very good. Get a list of questions together ahead of time to ask your surgeon. My surgeon took the time to answer all my questions. Your surgeon should explain the the procedure itself and tell you the pros and cons of the surgery and answer any questions you might have.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I went to a local support group and when I saw how good everyone was doing that had already had their surgery, I knew it was for me. See, i was afriad that if I had the surgery i would be vomiting all the time of have diarrhea all the time and not be able to live a normal healthy life. But I saw all these people happy and living quite a normal healthy life. That was clincher for me!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Well I knew I ate too much, but I also knew that even on diets with low fat and calories I did not lose much weight. So for me it made since to go with a procedure that had some malsorbtion to it. I also checked out the success rates of the different surgeries and chose the one with the overall best success rate with the least amount of complications.

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?

Oh yes i was terrfied. Thought i wouldnt wake up from the anesthesia or die from a blood clot. It was a very emotional time for me. What i would tell others is, they should know that these fears are natural to have and just about everyone has them. And if you know you have a good surgeon then know they are going to do everything in their power to make your surgery as successful as possible. And walk! as soon as you can after surgery to keep blood clots away.

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 scared for me. They didnt know about the surgery today. They only knew of the old horror stories of years ago. So they were not super supportive at first. After surgery though they have been great.

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

My stay was nice, the staff took good care of me. I was there for 4 days including the day of surgery. I brought a pen and paper to do a little journal. i also brought a camera because I was making a scarp book of my weight loss journey. As far as things needed, the hospital pretty much provided everything for me. So all you really need is a change of clothes to go home in.

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

I had no complications at all. I did have a small problem with the IV making my arm sore and had warm packs put on it to help it, but thats it.

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 drove my friends and family crazy talking about it all the time. I was very nervous. I wrote letters to all my family members in case I didnt make it back home. I also got all the bills and other paperwork in order "just in case." I see now that I did all that worrying for nothing.

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

I was on the sofa most of that time. I did get up and walk every so often to keep blood clots away. I was also kinda miserable being on a liquid diet that your on till your stomach heals. I had some mild depression for a few days and then it passed. You will most likely mourn food for a while, but that passes as you move on to eating normal foods again. Mostly your going to be tired and sore, so just rest and drink your water do you dont dehydrate.

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

I traveled 4 hours. It has afected my after care because its hard to be able to take a whole day off to get to the appointment. However, my surgeon is working closly with my regular in town doctor, and so my doctor checks me regularly and keeps my surgeon informed.

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 had very little problems tolerating foods. Breads and pastas dont appeal to me much any more. I dont have any "off limit" foods. But i do stay away from sweets and high fat foods. I believe everything in moderation is fine.

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

In the beginning I had no activity level. At about 3 weeks I was starting to feel pretty good and I started going places again. Now at 4 montrhs post-op I'm getting much more active. I'm on the go alot now and also I work out regularly.

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

I take one doctor perscribed prenatel viatmin pill a day and a calcium suppliment. I will also be starting sunlingual b12 or b12 shots this month.

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 have had no side effects so far and i am 4 months post-op.

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

Waiting for ins approval and surgery, the swallow test after surgery and being on liquids while my stomach healed for 3 weeks.

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

I go to a support group that meets monthly. Its important to me because since I have no problems I get to help others. You feel a bond with these people and know their concerns and fears. I would recommend a support group to anyone having bariatric surgery.

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

Mine goes from under my breast bone to just above my belly button. Its pretty thin and fading now. Its slightly wider than I expected it to be, but overall I think it looks ok. I also think it will be mostly faded in the next few months and wont even be noticable.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I lost a lot of weight the first week and plateaued the second week. This freaked me out cause I thought i wasnt going to lose any more (smile). But of course I have. Other than that i havent really had any major platueus. My weightloss slows down, but it keeps going down.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Well i get a lot of compliments now. I am still large, but I can alreay tell my self esteem has changed. And i look at people more and I notice they arent paying much attention to me any more. I think I blend in better and am no longer the fattest person walking around.