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

A cousin had it in 1998. I thought it was such an extreme and dangerous way to lose weight. Also thought it was only for people who weighed, like, 400 pounds or more!

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

It was very quick. I documented my diets, exercise club memberships, etc. for the past 5 years before I ever tried for bariatric surgery.

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

The surgeon was the last person I saw on his team. I saw him 5 days before surgery. I do not like this particular setup as I had lots of questions for him and felt rushed in this meeting.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My family doctor recommended it last year, October 2007. I did not persue it and in Feb. of this year, I had an episode at church that the church nurse thought was a heart attack. I ended up in the ER and thankfully, it was not a HA but I did have an enlarged heart from untreated high blood pressure. My cardiologist suggested that I look into the procedure.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

By researching on the internet, reading through literature that was given to me at the first visit to the surgeon's office and going to support group meetings and listening to the patients discuss each procedure.

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?

Complications or death is very real. I prayed about it and asked others to pray for me to make the right decidion for me. My cardiologist reassured me about being an ideal candidate for the gastric bypass by not having lots of co-morbidities that raise the complication percentages.

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?

Most all were very supportive and encouraging. I have a brother who threw a fit about it and I have since told him it is not a subject we will discuss. We were cautioned in visits to the surgeon's to be selective about who we told. I have had complications after the surgery and find my church family the most helpful and supportive, outside of my husband and daughter. I developed a post op infection 2 days after coming home. 6 weeks out I ended up in the ER with an intestinal blockage which resulted in surgery on Nov. 25. Got to come home Thanksgiving Day. Now I have a small infection in two of the porthole sites from the newest surgery and had to have the stitches taken out today to aid the healing process. It has been a long journey for me since the initial surgery but I am doing really well.

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

I am a homemaker.

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

Surgery was on Monday and I went home on Wednesday afternoon. It is very important that you have good communication from your surgeon's office telling you what you should expect and what needs to be done from the moment you are put into a regular room so that you do not develop complications. I brought pages from my book that told what I should do, eat, etc. every day I was there and if they did not follow what the page said, I questioned them until they did. Bring underwear, a book, puzzles, your toiletries for bathing and washing your hair.

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

I developed a post op infection in the largest of the 5 incisions I had from laparoscopy. I had to have a home health nurse come, unpack, clean and repack the incision twice a day for 10 days. I did not like it but I endured it because I had to.

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 elated to have a surgery date and had lots of family and church friends praying for a successful outcome. I felt calm and even the morning of surgery, I felt no anxiety or nervousness and even I thought it was uncanny to feel "nothing" excitable. I just wanted to get it over with and get on the road to recovery and start the process to lose weight.

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

I did not expect it to be so hard trying to get in all the protein you need each day. I got very tired of liquidy, mushy food for 4 weeks before I could go on to the next stage. I got tired of protein shakes and not being able to chew something crunchy. Think long and hard about the process afterwards because it takes planning and thought to do everything you need to do to stay healthy. Other than when the infection started, I felt no pain and was surprised at how good I felt afterwards. The first 6 nights I was home, I could not sleep in my bed and slept in a leather recliner in the family room. It pulled on the incisions trying to get in and out of the bed and trying to sleep on my side. After the initial week, I was okay. Our bed is very high and I think that is what hindered my sleeping in it at first.

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

35 minute drive from my house.

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.

The first day after surgery was clear liquid. Starting the second day up to a month was runny, or pureed foods. Oatmeal, applesauce, mashed potatoes, soups, anything runny or pureed smooth. After about 2 1/2 weeks I was sick of this and really craving something crunchy. At 4 weeks I could go to soft cooked foods, things you could mash with a fork. I could have canned fruit but no raw fruits or veggies. It was nice to expand the palate and be able to eat things that required more chewing. I was just released on Dec. 10 to try anything but red meat and soft breads. I can try toast or ground beef but no other bread or red meat. I am looking forward to trying tossed salad tomorrow. I have to chew, chew, chew before I swallow.

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

We were restricted for 6 weeks to walking and arm exercises only. We were not supposed to lift anything heaveir than a milk jug. Other than lifting and actual exercising, we could do just about anything. The week I was to be released to do anything I was back in the hospital and having another surgery. I was released this past Wed., Dec. 10 to start any kind of exercise. I am doing arm exercises with 1 pound weights and walking 1 1/4 miles a day on a treadmill. I have had one day of leg lifts.

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

A Children's chewable multivitamin twice a day, 4 TUMS EX per day, 500 mcg's of B12 per day. When I can eat steak I am to switch to a one-a-day multivitamin and a supplement of 600 mgs. of Calcium Citrate plus 400 mgs. of Vitamin D twice a day.

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 did not have any of this at first. After the second surgery for the intestinal blockage, it hurt for about 4 days when I swallowed anything, liquid or mushy foods. Even now really cold liquid does not feel comfortable. I drink coffee and let water come more to room temperature before I drink it. Since I have not maintained 60 mgs. of protein per day consistently, I am noticing more of a hair loss problem now.

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

Keeping up with when to drink, wait so long, then eat 1/4 cup of food, wait so long, then drink again, get the protein in, etc. I did not realize how hard it would be to keep up with getting 60 grams of protein per day, trying to eat 6 small meals per day and get 64 ounces of liquid per day. It is mind boggling for me, maybe not other people.

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

We have a nutritionist at the surgeon's office that we can call anytime. There is a monthly support group that meets and I find them very helpful, encouraging and wonderful source of info and help. It is important to have a support group before and afterwards to get involved with.

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

I have 7 small incisions on my abdomen from the 2 surgeries. One is larger, from the infection and being packed. All but this one is fine. The one big scar bothered me at first and it is indented inward and I was teased that I had 2 bellybuttons. However, I am just 2 months our from the initial gastric bypass surgery and 2 1/2 weeks from the intestinal blockage surgery, so I still have healing to do and it will all probably look better later on.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Haven't had any yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really. Strangers I don't see any difference from People who know me just keep complimenting me on how much I have lost and wanting to know HOW MUCH I have lost.