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

I think I forst heard about it through TV health shows.

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

It was pretty easy. My insurance company (Aetna) required that you participated in a weight loss program within the last six months and they required 3 years (I think) of documentation of your weight. Since bariatric surgery had become so popular and since Aetna required participation in an official weight-loss program before approving the surgery, one of the local hospitals had put together a weight loss program just to satisfy Aetna's rquirements. The hardest part for me was losing enough weight before the surgery to meet my surgeon's weight-limit for perofrming the bariatric surgery.

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

If your surgeon offers a pre-surgery seminar, definitaly attend of the seminars. You will learn a lot about what to expect with regards to the tests that are reuired, the hospital stay, etc. I don't really remember much about my first meeting with the surgeon. It was brief since the surgeon only saw patients one day a week (he did surgery the other 4 days) so he tried to squeeze as many people in on that one day as possible.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The pain in my knees had caused me to have to work from home. The pain was so bad that I ended up using a walker until I had the surgery. I felt given my mobility issues that the surgery was the only answer for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I think the surgeon told me that the "lap-rny" procedure produced better results for super-morbidly obese patients than the lap-band so I decided to have the lap-rny.

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?

The main fear I had was having gallbladder problems after the surgery but in hindsight, I think I should have researched the possible complications more because I did have complications that I wasn't expecting. I often wonder if I would have been better off having the lap-band procedure rather than the lap-rny.

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 very supportive of my decision as were my co-workers and friends. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't have told my co-workers or friends about the surgery. People are very supportive of the decision to have surgery but when you stop losing weight or don't lose it as fast as every one expects you to, you will soon get tired of people asking you "how much weight have you lost?", or worse yet "how much have you last since the last time I saw you?" I always get this question from the hygienist as my dentist's office and from my primary care doctor's nurse. It embarrassing because you know they realize you did lose as much weight as you should of by now and that you've regained some of the weight you had lost. One problem with your family is they will watch what/how you eat and then make comments like "are you supposed to be eating that?". Sometimes I just want to scream "shut-up and leave me alone!".

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

I was up front with my supervisor about my decision. I really didn't have a choice since I had to tell her why I couldn't come to the office because of the problems with my knees so I had to tell her what I was doing about the problem and when I expected to be able to return to the office. When my surgery was schedules, I scheduled six weeks of medical leave. My surgeon generally wouldn't allow you to return to work until six weeks past your surgery date. I was fortunate to be working for a company at the time that provided short-term disability insurance so taking off six weeks wasn't an issue.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I was glad I attended the informational seminar. There were a lot of people there so I didn't feel self-conscious about being there. I learned a lot from the surgeon's presentation and I would highly recommend every one attend a seminar if they are considering bariatric surgery.

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

I was in a lot of pain when I awoke from the surgery. I could never really get comfortable. I was in the hospital for 6 days due to complications. Bring house shoes because the nurses expect you to get up and walk the day after your surgery. I'm not sure having a family member stay at the hospital is a real benefit since I was sleep most of the time. If possible, have the surgery done in a hospital that specializes in bariatric procedures. That way you're dealing with nurses who understand what you're going through.

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

I had complications from the surgery that landed me in intensive care for a day or two. After I was released from the hospital I tried to struggle through the pain and nausua and went back to work six weeks later although I was still having problems. My problems continued and finally got to the point I had to drive myself to the hospital to get immediate treated because the doctor who did the follow-up appointments for my surgeon didn't seem to think my problems warranted any urgent attention. I would definitely recommend that you ask your surgeon if he/she will see you for all of your follow-up appointments or if another doctor handles the follow-ups.

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 excited about finally having a surgery date. Since I had several pre-screening doctor visits I focused on those and with each successful visit I was excited because I was one step closer to the surgery.

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

Expect a lot of pain. The doctor tells you to walk around every day but it's difficult because you will have no energy and are in pain. You just have to somehow push through the pain and walk anyway because it's an important part of the healing process. If you do get to take six weeks medical leave, that six weeks will fly by and it will be time to go back to work before you know it.

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

15 miles. It really had no affect on my aftercare.

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 weeks were liquids only (protein supplements, water, clear broth). Second two weeks were soft foods (eggs, cottage cheese, protein supplements, surgar-free jello). Three weeks and beyond i could gradually introduce different kinds of food like moist meets (tuna, chicken). Because of the difficulty I had with the band placed around my pouch, I really never got beyond soft foods. When the surgeon removed the band, I eventually was able to eat "normally" which was my downfall.

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

My activity level was minimal for the first six weeks, basically I walked around in the house for a few minutes at a time and that was it. After than until I was re-hospitalized 4 months after the surgery, I was going to work five days a week and going to appointments as needed. I never got into exercising on a daily schedule.

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

multi-vitamin (I tried the liquid vitamins but they tasted so bad, i switched to children's chewable vitamins) Vitamin B12, Vitamin D Calcium/with vitamin D B complex omega-3 fish oil biotin

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?

The nausea and dumping were worst for me. The nausua eventually stoped heppening after I had the band around my pouch removed 4 months after my original surgery. I still dump but it's only when I eat too many carbohydrates at once.

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

The pain and complications that occurred after the surgery

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

While my surgeon does have a support group that meets monthly, I no longer go the meetings becasue I wasn't getting anything out of them and found them to be boring.

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

I had laproscopic surgery so I just have four small scars. The longest one is about an inch. The scars are what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I think I stopped losing weight a couple of years after my surgery and started regaining it.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No.