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

A friend had VBG a little over a year ago. I supported her decision, but thought it was too radical an option 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 was turned down for my first choice of surgery, the Lap Band. My insurance, Aetna HMO, doesn't pay for that surgery. They did, however, approve me for the VBG right off the bat. I don't think they would have if I hadn't called the case nurse at Aetna directly to find out what she needed for my file. I got the number and contact name from the nurse at my bariatric surgeon's office. The insurance company needed some very specific information in a letter from my PCP. I wouldn't have been approved if I hadn't known to send that specific information.

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

My surgeon is a man very economical with words. He comes across as very competent and has an excellent reputation in the medical community. These things were more important to me than the "touchy-feely" factor. I would suggest that persons meeting with their surgeon for the first time do a lot of reading ahead of time. Dr. Flancbaum's book was my favorite on the topic of weight loss surgery. Prepare a list of questions and write them down. You won't remember everything you were concerned about when you're face to face with your doctor. I even wrote down questions for the anesthesiologist. Like, do you use an arterial line to measure blood pressure? The correct answer, in my book, was no.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I have a son, almost 3 years old. He is a very active little man and I love him to pieces. My husband and I are too fat and out of shape to help him enjoy life to the fullest. I can't bear that. I also have a host of physical complaints that I would love to see resolved. I'd like to have the energy necessary to have a fulfilling life. My weight and my emotions regarding my weight hold me back from accomplishing a lot of the things I would like to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I read, continuously. I looked at the success rates for various procedures. I read about the possible complications following each procedure. I made my choice based on a compromise between how much weight I wanted to lose via surgery and which complications I could face.

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 did have some fear of complications going into the surgery. But I looked at it this way... Being 120 pounds overweight is every bit as much of a risk as the surgery. My fears became more real two days after surgery when they suspected that I might be coming down with pneumonia. I had to undergo respiratory therapy, get some serious walking in on the ward and sit up a lot more than I would have liked. But I beat it. This was definitely the scariest part of the whole process thus far.

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 has been very supportive, helping my husband and I with our son and coming to visit me often to make sure I didn't go stir crazy while I couldn't drive! However, a couple of them weren't real supportive at first. They had intense fear that something would happen to me. Also, I think my mom, who is also obese, took my decision as a reflection of what I thought she should do to take control of her health. Of course, that isn't the case at all. I would never pressure anyone to undergo this surgery. There are risks and not everyone is willing to do the work to make the surgery worth it in the long run.

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

My employer was surprisingly great, even excited. I think that my supervisors were well aware that losing weight would give me a lot more energy to get more done at the office. And I'm already an excellent employee. I had more trouble keeping up with home tasks due to lack of energy. My work always got done. I was out of work for two weeks.

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

My top tips: Bring feminine products of your choice with you. I did start my period early and was glad to have my own. Don't bother with a lot of reading materials. Magazines with pretty pictures are the best best. You'll be too tired to read. You really don't need much from home. They even provide your toiletries. I needed my contact stuff and my face cleanser (as I don't use soap). Soft cup bras that you can sleep in and extra underwear might be a good idea, too. Oh, and call ahead to see if your room has fans. Mine did. You don't want to get stuck in the sweltering heat because your elderly roommate likes the room set at 80 degrees. That was about it.

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

I had one complication. My breathing didn't immediately come back to what it should post-surgery. I had a suspicious chest x-ray and was watched for pneumonia for a couple extra days. They put me on antibiotics and respiratory therapy, which involves beatings and being suffocated by a mask that forces a lot of liquid medication into your lungs.

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

Of course, I was anxious. To cope, I did what any obese person would do. I ate.

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

I had my surgery in Waterville, Maine, which is only about a half hour drive from Hallowell. This is also where my surgeon's office is located. This distance presents no problem.

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 began keeping a food diary to make sure I was eating everything I should be (the full 800 calories). For the first 5 weeks, I was told to keep to a pureed diet. I did eat some stuff that wasn't fully pureed, but was really mushy like veggies in soup. I just made sure I chewed the bejeezus out of everything. The one time I actually cheated, I took one normal bite of a donut. Chewing didn't help. Up that sucker came. Immediately. Just barely made it to the bathroom. So I've been pretty good since then.

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

I take two childrens' chewable vitamins, two chewable childrens' probiotic supplements and a Tums tablet daily.

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 still have trouble eating bread occasionally. I also have trouble with dense cuts of meat. Sometimes I can't keep them down. I am also experiencing quite a bit of hair loss. My PCP did some blood work to make sure I was obviously deficient in anything, but the tests revealed nothing extraordinary.

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

Right now, I'd say the morphine. Great for pain relief, but I'm pretty sure I'd have gone psycho if I'd stayed on it for any length of time. Utterly terrifying dreams.

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

I do not have a support group. I have, however, kept up my visits with my therapist. That helps.

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

Really, really long. I was expecting about 6 inches of scar above my belly button as a result of my VBG. It's more like 9 or 10 inches.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Plateaus seem to be a frequent state for me. I'll sit at one weight for two weeks, then drop 3 or 4 pounds overnight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet. But I had 118 pounds to lose and have only lost 48 so far.