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

My sister and mother had it 20 years ago, but there surgeries were not successful. In the last year, information has become more prevalent through local news and national media programs. I saw the stories about Carnie Wilson and that got me to thinking and researching the idea on the web. I was scared about the surgery, but then I was also scared about what I was doing to myself year after year and pound after pound...

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

I had trouble, not with the approval, but with the changes of the insurance at year's end and the confusion between policies from year to year. People must know what their insurance covers, keep checking on it, and during switchover periods, watch what changes are being made to your policy. You really have no power over what they will pay for and it is a really frustrating experience. I had Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal Employees plan, which I found out was a "pilot" program for the year and at year's end it deleted the policy and all the benefits included with it and there was no "grandfathering" in everything you had already done.... A pain in the neck and elsewhere.

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

First there was an information meeting with the office staff. If you were interested then you scheduled a meeting with the surgeon, after your insurance had been approved. I found Dr. Schwartz to be very knowledge and assuring about the procedure and how it would work with me. He answered the questions from both myself and my husband, taking me into consideration as he answered my husband's questions. Individual should have any questions they have ready for both sessions. The Information session will also allow you to get more information so that when you meet with the surgeon you will know the questions you need to ask for yourself.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Lifetime desire to be at a more normal weight, the ability to enjoy life without worrying about the weight, the ability to find clothes I like that fit, the ability to run with my kids and play with them, and finally the ability to improve my health for the long term. I guess the final stamp was that the insurance company would pay in full for the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I did some research on the internet. I searched out physicians in the metro area who did lap surgeries. I then talked to my personal physician about the surgery and requested information and referral from him. After finding that my insurance would pay for the procedures, I essentially was convinced by the beginning of the information meeting at the surgeon's office.

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 worried about losing too much weight and how the weight loss would gradually slow. I worried about long range effects which information is still not available about and how this will effect me as I grow older. I worried what would happen if I was every in a "starvation" situation and how would that effect my life. I just had to put my faith in God that I was making the right choice.

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?

Not very supportive at first. My mom didn't want me to go through what she had only to gain the weight back again. My husband didn't want to lose me and didn't want to lose his eating buddy. Alot of social and emotional factors are tied to food in our lives and in this society, so that was hard for him to figure out. My kids were just afraid of me dying. My sisters were very supportive and jealous that I was taking this step. As they got more information and assured themselves that I had researched the topic more, as more information has come out via national media about this type of surgery, and as questions were answered, my families qualms died down and they supported my decision. To date, my family is very supportive of my decision and my weight loss. I have not discussed it broadly with my husband's family however from a early personal choice and no follow up since then.

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

Other than the timing (which conflicted with office events), they were supportive. More people have had experiences with people who have had the surgery and know more about what it will do to their employees. I shared with my Executive Board and my office staff what my surgery was about. I only shared with the full board that I was scheduled for surgery. I was gone for four weeks although I could have returned after three weeks if I had to. Our board gave us 7 days of holiday time as our annual bonus so that added to the time I could take off financially!

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

It was o.k. I don't remember much of surgery and recovery (good drugs). When I woke up I was taken to my room. I had an IV. I was instructed to begin sipping water or eating ice chips. I think 6 hrs post opt, you were expected to get out of bed and use the bathroom. I did this with assistance. I wasn't in a lot of pain but did take some pain medication. I was foggy and disoriented and slept as much as I could. Somewhere in there, I had a clear liquid meal which I ate slowly, but there was no direction as to how much to eat. By the next meal, I was on full liquids and once that stayed down, I was ready by their parameters to go home. By the next morning, I was encouraged to walk by myself around the hallways. When my husband came, I was going to go for another walk when the nurse said I could go home now. That was a little astounding that a little over 24 hours after my surgery, I was headed home....

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

Not really. I did go off my diabetic meds the first few days after I went home which surprized me. It was a little hard to get information from my surgeon and personal physician as to what to do about it as it was a weekend. I was taken off the meds entirely and haven't had them since. I also walked too far too fast and that caused severe chest and shoulder pain which meds didn't help much with. I did have itching (allergic reaction) with some of the pain meds and had to switch them.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

Scared, did I make the right decision? I went to the support groups and read the bulletin boards of the OSSGMN website to gain more information and ask questions. I researched and read more about the surgery and read Carnie Wilson's book as well.

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

It was Christmas holiday, the house was a mess, the tree was only half decorated, but you know what? That's the way it was going to be because I rested and slept as much as I could. My husband was able to take a week off work to stay with me. The kids lost weight because I wasn't cooking any more and there wasn't the typical Christmas Holiday spread I normally fixed. But the holiday preceded and we all lived through it. I still had some pain in the third week, but was able to begin to do some of the household chores. My first field trip was to the grocery store with my husband as I couldn't stand the food he was bring home! During the first week, my husband brought home enough protein powders to last a year. He proceeded to mix chocolate with cream of asparagus soup which was very nasty. By the end of the first day, I was miserable and vomiting. After that he settled down and I told him what I could eat or not. I am grateful to his care and caring, but sometimes he goes overboard.

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

Not far. We are only 10 minutes from the hospital and doctor.

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 two months--There hasn't been a lot I couldn't eat. However there have been things that make me feel bad or dump. Eating too fast is one bad thing too. When I got to ground meats, I began experimenting with how I could eat it. I could eat ground beef (95% lean) when it was in my chili or spaghetti sauce, but when I made Shepard's Pie (hamburger hot dish with mashed potatoes on it), I dumped. Small amounts of anything seem to go down all right. I can eat 3-minute boiled eggs (yolk on toast), but scrambled eggs don't seem to go down good. That first piece of toast was sure good though. And everything seems to taste better or worse since the surgery. I have always been a chocolate lover, but since the surgery it has been too strong. I have found things to be too sweet as well--including milk! Presweetened drinks with artifical sweetners gag me. I drink a lot of water, take a multivitamin, take calcium supplements, and a B-12 shot once a month.

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

I increased gradually work levels mainly. I have tried to insert exercise in my day, but find it difficult to do and haven't found a good place for it yet.

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

take a multivitamin, take calcium supplements, and a B-12 shot once a 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?

In the beginning, not being able to sleep on my stomach or turn easily did disturb my sleep. The nausia with eating has been a learning experience which I am still learning--eat slow, chew a lot, take breaks in eating, etc. My hair loss, which I had preopt, has slowed down considerably in my sixth week. I am waiting for that 4-6 month window. I think I was losing my hair before because of diabetes and stress. I still vomit if I eat too much.

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

Pain and recovery afterward. I don't like anesthesia either although this time it was not as bad... I think the hurry up and get out of the hospital, hurry up and get back to work, hurry syndrome is also not so good. Insurance and financially induced for the most part.

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

I regularly attend a Renewal support group that meets twice monthly. I also read the bulletin board on a semi-regular basis that OSSGMN hosts. Then of course, there are my good friends and family that help too. I think it is good to get other's experiences of this surgery and after effects. You just have to watch the personalities involved so the topic doesn't get overwhelmed by other's personal needs.

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

I have seven little scars and one bigger one (3 inches) on my leg. Since I had had lap surgery before, I knew what to expect in the way of scars, but there are a lot of holes!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None so far. (6 weeks)

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Too early to tell at 6 weeks.