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

My doctor mentioned WLS a couple years ago, as an "if all else fails" solution to think about. I kept it in the back of my mind until I felt all else had indeed failed, and I asked him for a referral to a surgeon.

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

My insurance contract states that treatment for morbid obesity is covered. My surgeon's office submitted the request for pre-authorization,I have an HMO. The insurance company only requested clarification of my previous weight loss attempts, as I had not listed every single one, but only the most notable. They also requested clearance from my psychiatrist as I am under treatment for clinical depression. Once they received those things, 3 weeks later, I got my approval.

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

My first visit with the surgeon was mostly informational. He described the procedure to me and talked about the diet that would need to be followed afterwards. He then sent me home for 6 weeks to think about it, as he won't operate on anybody on the first time out. The visit was beneficial because I brought my research with me and a list of questions I wanted answered. When I went back 6 weeks later he scheduled the surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I think it was the when I came to accept the fact that nothing else was ever going to work, and that if I wanted to be around for my family, I had to do this, as my health had begun to deteriorate rapidly from the excess weight.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I saw 2 surgeons, one who only did VBG and the other who did RNY. I discussed the procedures with each of them. I also did research on the two procedures, and I decided to have RNY because of the success stories I was seeing 5-10 years out, people were still doing great. I didn't find any stories like that for patients who had VBG.

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 had fears of all of the side effects and risks that there are, but I felt that every day that I carry this weight around was putting even more risk on my life. It was clear to me that the benefits outweight the risks for me.

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 and friends were very supportive. They have seen my health deteriorate rapidly because of the weight and were happy to see that I was taking the initiative to do something about it. They were concerned about the risks, but once they were educated they accepted my decision.

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

I work for a doctor, so not much explanation was needed as to the necessity for this operation. I have missed so much work due to the comorbidities that I have, that he was well aware of my condition. He was encouraging and told me he was proud of me for making this decision. I was out of work for 4 weeks.

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

My hospital stay lasted 6 days. I brought things with me like magazines and puzzle books, but I never used them. I was either sleeping or watching TV the entire time. The one thing I brought with me that I used the most was my back scratcher. You can reach your back and your legs with it without bending at the waist.

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

I had no complications at all. Everything went extremely well and I was feeling great by the time I went home.

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

The six weeks waiting for my insurance approval and for the surgery date seemed to drag on forever. I tried to keep my mind off it as best I could. I thought I might spend a lot of time eating things I wouldn't be able to have after the surgery, but I didn't even feel like doing that. I stayed in touch with others who have had the surgery and that helped a lot.

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

I recovered extremely fast. I was up and around in less than 2 weeks, walking and driving. The only thing that affected me was that I would get tired out easily if I did too much physically. I took naps every day for the first week or two. Slowly, my energy level came back and I was able to do more and more without getting tired out.

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

I had my surgery at Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY. This is less than 15 miles from my home.

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.

Well I am 5 months post op right now and I haven't had much trouble with many foods. There were a few foods that gave me watery stools like cream cheese and anything with too much fat in it. Certain kinds of rice are off limits because they get stuck.

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

After about the 8 week point my energy soured. Now, at 5 months post op I am full of energy and can actually feel my muscles now! I have joined a gym and I love it!

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

I take a multiple vitamin once a day and 50 mg. of zink daily. Someone told me the zink would help with the hair loss. (The jury is still out on that)

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 hair loss was by far the worse as it is the only real side effect I have suffered from. I am doing everything I can to combat this problem, so far no luck. I have a lot of hair, it just scares me to see it falling out so fast.

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

This is a tough question, because there are so many good things about this process. The few bad things there are far outweight the good ones. I wish I didn't have the hair loss as it looks a bit thin on top. I guess that would be the worst thing for me.

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

I don't have a support group, only this web site. It has been a Godsend for me.

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

My scar starts at my breastbone and goes straight down about 8 to 9 inches and hooks around my belly button and then stops. It I thought it would stop before the belly button, but I am glad they went around the belly button. I isn't too bad, better than the fat. It is starting to fade a little.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I had a plateau around the holidays. I am not sure if that is because I was really on a plateau or if it was because of all the "grazing" of the goodies I did. January started and the scales started moving again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh my God, Yes! It is sad, but true. Our society discriminates against obese people, and the thinner I get the nicer I am treated.