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

I first heard about it in 1976 when my son's teacher had it done. She got pleurisy, which apparently was an early side-effect. I heard about it again in 1986 from (again) the teacher of my other son. I was not yet 100 lbs over. Lastly, in 1993, a woman in my church mentioned it. That time, I was 100+ over and I called the same day!

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

My group policy had a direct exclusion. Repeated appeals had no effect. What I read between the lines was: so what if she dies? Of what loss is another fat lady.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was dying. I had no more options left. My lungs had all but stopped (even with CPAP). I could barely make it across my kitchen (less than 6 feet) and still breathe. I figured I was as good as dead before the year was up. Better to die quickly on the table than to suffocate slowly in my fat.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor tried hard (at that time) not to show a preference. But one of the other staff said that with the VBG you must add will- power, and with the bypass, not much was required. I felt I HAD none, so better go with the sure thing. I'm VERY glad I chose the bypass.

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?

As a Christian, I was assued of my hereafter. My only concern was how FAST I'd get there! I never gave complications a thought. But I weighed dying slowly as I was or dying quickly on the table and decided that I'd win either way, but fast was best!

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 husband said NO. He bascially accused my doctor of trying to kill me! I had to go through the humiliation of admitting my true weight, showing him all the things I could no longer do & letting him know how close to death I was. Once convinced of the realities, he was VERY supportive. My friends were HORRIFIED. But I was lucky in that most of my world was very supportive after my surgery.

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

I was really a sickly mess before surgery, very limited in what I could do. I came back for a very few hours after 10 days or so. I gradually worked back up. She didn't understand my decision, but supported it. Then, she enjoyed it vicariously with me, I think. Although she never had a weight problem, she was sympathetic to all who hurt.

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

Due to sleep apnea, I was in 4 days total. I was in ICU for 2 nights, which was wonderful as I had a nurse of my own and they were GREAT. When I was put on the ward, I felt highly abused. I was assigned a nasty nurse & got very little response when I pressed my call button. I was not thrilled with the treatment received there.

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

I had 3 marginal ulcers during the first year. My Physician's Assistant was not particularly fond of diagnosing. My first ulcer went undiagnosed for 6 long nauseous months. Once diagnosed (by another doctor) it was cleared up quickly and after that, I didn't see the PA, but stuck with the other doctor. The subsequent 2 ulcers were caught & treated very quickly.

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 was approved and had surgery 6 days later. After 11 months of watching myself die in degrees, I marvelled that there was a chance that I might live. And might even LOOK normal, or at least only pudgy, not Immense. The relief overwhelmed the fears.

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

I think I must've been the only one I know to NOT have post-op depression. My first remembrance of waking up was to feel for the dressing. And I asked them right away if it was done. My fear was that something had gone wrong and that it was not done! Being assured that it was done, I was SO relieved. Due to the undiagnosed marginal ulcer, I was WAY more nauseated than one should be. I would recomend that folks keep a simple journal. Most everyone experiences some nausea & surely tenderness. I was NOT hungry at all.

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

I went 50 miles. I kept my monthly appts faithfully. I didn't go to all that trouble only to bumble on the road to success!

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.

Our doctor forbids milk & sugar in any form forever & ever, or until you want the weight back on. At first, I didn't tolerate rice or chicken well, and even at 5 years, I still have to be very careful with them. I didn't eat white bread or flour tortillas for several months. I avoided anything that "wadded" or swelled and stuck with those things that crumbled, such as nuts & crackers. I've gradually learned how to tell if I've been able to chew something completely and when it is best to put it in my napkin! It is a slow learning curve. I found that every 3 months brought a new set of rules! I still swear that they changed every pizza sauce in town as none of them taste very good to me and deviled eggs are now FABULOUS.

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

I was totally inactive before surgery, so that didn't change immediately. The persistent nausea due to the marginal ulcer slowed my recovery as well. I was not one who bounced back quickly as I had a long way "back" to go!

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

I have the DISTAL gastric bypass. I take 120 to 180g of high quality protein supplement (& I don't mind); dry vitamins A&D and E; zinc; multi; calcium; a specific type of iron with a vitamin C. That is what I started with. For me personally, I need very high doses of zinc and potassium. I also take a Hair, Skin & Nail supplement, along with others that help with joint pain. I didn't mention the doses as that varies with my labs. Being a distal, however, the doses might seem high by other standards. I am faithful to regular lab work. I didn't go through all this to go backward!

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! Due to the UNDIAGNOSED marginal ulcer, the nausea, 15 minutes after eating or drinking was horrible. And then it was IMPLIED that it wasn't even REAL. It was undiagnosed for 6 months. However, I will say that I had bouts of nausea before surgery. So, nausea at 190, 180, 170, etc is WAY better than at 260, or so I kept telling myself. I coped by telling myself that it was a small price to pay for having the use of my lungs again.

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

The insurance rejection. Theimplication that my death would be a welcome improvement. Or that my miserable life was worth far less than a few dollars.

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

I'm in a rather unique position. After working so hard to tolerate the various proteins available at the time of my surgery, and struggling to afford the supplements, we eventually found ways to buy them better. That enabled to me to do some experimenting. We had our local support group, so we were able to buy smarter. Then we moved 50 miles away so we started another support group. By then my husband had also had surgery. By then, 30 or 40 people were counting on us to help them afford their supplements. But then we got curious and tried newer supplements. And people sent people. As of today, we serve over 700 people like ourselves and attend at least 7 support groups per month. I don't believe a person can be long-term successful without a good support group. We need one another to help keep us accountable, to teach us new tricks to avoid bad habits, bad foods and to keep us on track with supplements, as well as office visits and labs. While we support a great many people with the supplements and milk & sugar free products we offer, we are greatly SUPPORTED by them, through their words to us, through the tips they pass on through us to others and the enthusiasm to keep us going in the direction we need to go, too. We think this is a CRITICAL part of long term success.

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

I don't scar well. My scar did go keloid and itched & burned & pulled. It was a bright red worm. I guess I did expect it, looking at previous scars & my family history. What I didn't know was that your dermatologist can inject it (stings for only a second) and it will flatten out nicely. The burning/itching/pulling begins to subside right away. I used Scargo to help fade it away. It is almost flat now and has faded nicely, but it is not invisble. 2000-the new scar from the revision was "doomed" so the dermatologist and I decided to start injections BEFORE the scar thicken up. The first series alrady took away some burning and pulling. Will report later...

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued wherever I'd "hung out" before. I also plateaued whenever I got lazy with my water. Now I know that when you plateau, you add more water and take another dose of protein supplement and that will almost ALWAYS push you off. Also, it goes without saying that one must avoid sugar and milk.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OH YES. Women generally are nicer now. Men are MUCH nicer. In fact, having always been heavy, I really don't know how to cope with men! It's embarrassing to be my age and have the social skills of a 12 year old! Good thing I have a man of my own who admired me greatly at any size!