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

When I was 19 I had my first consultation with a doctor about it, but at the time my insurance would not pay for it. So I gave up. Four years later My husband got a job where his insurance would cover it. After I sat down one day and took a hard look at my family history and risk factors I knew if I didn't do something I would end up dead before I was 35 years old. Having a one year old little boy that we were adopting made me realize that he was going to need me way beyond that time. So I decided to try it again, and this time I was approved. From the very beginning I was very leary about "surgery" not the type just "surgery" because with that there is always a risk. But my doctor made me realize that this was something I was not going to be able fix on my own.

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

My hospital stay for the most part was wonderful. I went into the surgery thinking I would be in the hosptal for 3-5 days. But I did experience some complications with nauseau and my pain medication, in order to insure that my incision would be safe they kept me for nine days. You need to bring things that help to remind you of and your family, keep reminding yourself that there are people out there pulling for you. Also, your own pillow.... what is it with hospital pillows?

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

My biggest problems were with the morphine, I knew going into the surgery that I had very severe problems with any drugs used for pain management. Morphine was the only thing I had never tried. Unfortunetly it didn't work either and that slowed down my recovery a bit. But once they found something that worked I was able to do a lot more walking, which is what will get you out of hospital a lot faster than anything else.

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

My biggest fear was, "where will I now find my comfort"? For years before if I was bored or upset I always used to food to help compensate for it. I knew that once I had the surgery that would no longer be an option. So I had myself a little mourning period in which I thought about all the good things that food ever did for me in those times of depression or anxiety, and ironically enough I couldn't find a single thing! So I decided that for those few weeks before I would fix myself all my favorite meals and take time at each one to say good-bye... it was quite theraputic.

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

My first few weeks at home were actually a little more challening than one might have thought. When you get away from the hospital you start to feel a lot more like you are recovering instead of still being in that "just out of surgery" state. The hardest part is when your appetite starts to show itself again, you start to crave some of your same old things.... especially when you are watching tv and see a Piza Hut commercial. But over the first few weeks your body will get used to the fact that you have virtually no toxins left. And it just starts to quite craving those foods. The trick is just to keep reminding yourself that it is all going to be worth it and in a few weeks you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

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

I had my surgery at a hospital located about 45 minutes from my house. It makes it a little inconvenient to have follow-up visits I just have to make sure that I can block a whole morning when it is time for a check-up.

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.

Right after your surgery you are very limited on what you can eat,but the beauty of it is that you don't really feel like eating anything so it is not that hard! When you survive your first weeks on mainly a full liquid diet ( pudding, jello0 mashed potatoes, yogurt, soup, scrambled eggs) then at 6 weeks when they increase your diet you feel this incredible sense of want, to learn how to put only healthy things into your body. At six weeks you can start to have chicken and fish, as well as fruit and some coked vegetables. Just remembering to take your protein suppliments and drink lots of milk is very important, that keeps your energy level high. Being 3 months post op right now I can tolerate pretty much everything except red meat and anything with sugar in it. Sugar makes me very sick, but with so many other alternatives on the market now, I really don't miss it at all.

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

Two hours after surgery the nurses had me up and on my feet, walking, sometimes I just kind of had to drag myself around the nurses station. For a short time I wondered if I would survive, it took a lot of will power to do that ( and some pretty stern nurses) But by the 3rd day I was up and walking on my own and doing quite well. Once I got home walking outside was out of the question because I live on the second floor, but just by walking around my living room for 5-10 minutes after every meal really helped. Now I am walking up to 2 miles everyday

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

Your first six weeks after surgery you take two flintsone chewable vitamins a day and you drink 2 protein shakes a day as well as your 64 ounces of fluids. When you reach 6 weeks you can graduate to a one-a-day vitamin and a B12 sublinguel vitamin and some calcium supplement chews. These really make a difference if you are faithful in taking them.

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 had some problems with nausea after the surgery for about two weeks, but I soon realized that I was just trying to recover to fast, it is not like the flu, you can't throw-up on tuesday and expect to go back to work on wednesday, I just had to slow down. I also experienced some hair loss, my first concern was that it hadn't started until I was almost 10 weeks post-op. so I called my dietician, she said it was perfectly normal, some of it was due to the weight loss and some was due to the anesthesia they use during surgery it just takes a while to affect you that way. She told me to up my milk intake and try eating more protein at every meal. Everyday I can see animprovement in that area. Don't worry it is not even bad enough that anyone will notice. my husband didn't even know until I said something.

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

Letting go of the life you had before. Yes, it is a challenge and a wonderful decision, but you are forever getting rid of a very big part of your life. Going to the mall and snacking while you walk around is no longer something you can do, and you don't even want to. But something about saying good-bye to those areas can at times be difficut. But it is well worth it.

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

I am just now starting to see the importance of a support group, you can find out about them at your local bariatric office. Something about knowing there are other people out there that feel just the way you do gives you incredible strength. It also gives you an inside look at what to expect next, and sometimes even a leg up in being able to deal with it.

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

My scar is about 5 inches long and runs vertcally down my stomach. I have been told that my doctor makes very small incisions. I have two small scars on either side that are circular shaped one is from the g-tube the other is from the drainidge bag that was in for about 4 days after the surgery. The first time I saw it I was quite shocked, it was my first surgery ever, but now I see it everyday as a reminder of how lucky I really am.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am now 12 months post op and I am experiencing my first plateau. It is a bit disheartening. I am used to seeing results in the scale just about every week and now it looks like there is going to be a longtime before I will see those kind of quick results again. I just need to keep in mind that I need to increase my activity level and drink more water. Plus remembering how life used to be will help alot.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, not really, but I do get a lot of compliments and support from people who know I had the surgery. After only 3 months people that I have not seen in a while and shocked when they see me.