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

I read about it various places and did an internet search. I found out more than I could digest.

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

I applied and they approved. What insurance you have DOES matter. We have United Health Care PPO Options.

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

It was wonderful. Make a list of questions over the months you are researching the surgery to be ready.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It was my last resort. I had done every diet, exercise program and drug available to no avail.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Research. I felt that for me the odds of success and the quality of life were better with the lateral gastrectomy with duodenal switch than with any other proceedure.

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 wasn't afraid at all. I should have been. I very nearly died several times. My advice would be that this surgery can save your life if it doesn't kill you. Do it as a last resort only. If there's a diet or program you haven't tried yet, try it first. But when all else has failed this is the way to go.

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?

EVERYONE was VERY supportive both before and after surgery. They wanted me to life and realized that I was limited before surgery and my best chance lay with the operation.

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

N.A. Retired.

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

I was in and out of ICU, the main WLS floor and finally a rehab hospital. It all fuzzes into a blur. I was in a drug induced coma for 5 weeks. I really didn't need anything though a book was nice when I got to where I could read.

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

Yes. I didn't deal with them. The surgeon did. My wife signed LOTS of consent forms.

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 very excited but not anxious.

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

I was VERY weak. I couldn't have worked if I hadn't been retired. I had severe diarrhea. Keep a bathroom handy.

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

2000 miles. I will get my aftercare locally...I wound up returning to Dr. Welker, then at Eugene, OR where he did a revision of my DS, a massive hernia repair and a tummy tuck.

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.

No foods are off limits. I choose to not eat much in the way of sweets. And I limit my carbohydrates. Other than that there is nothing off limits. Protein first!

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

I was in a drug induced coma and didn't do much.

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

A neo-natal multi-vitamin and one ADEK. I take 5 Tums for calcium...Now, two years after the initial surgery with all my excess weight lost, I take substantial multi vitamins, extra A, D, E and K in chewable form which aren't absorbed from pills as they are fat soluble.

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 am 4-1/2 months out. I had a bit of nausea from 2 to 3 months and occasionally now. I have had moderate hair loss which continues. I simply live with it...I am now two years out. All side effects are over. I have slightly looser stools but nothing that creates a problem. And I am 170 pounds lighter and am showing no tendency to regain.

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

The complications.

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

I have quarterly blood work. And I am active on the Welker mailing list. The blood work is critical and the mailing list is comforting. I have not attended any after care groups and don't feel it is particularly important.

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

I have an 8 inch round hole in my gut covered by a skin graft. It will be closed after I've lost my weight in another year or so. No it isn't what I expected but was required by the 7 surgeries...Now, 2 years out I have a zipper scar about 18" long and no belly button. That was from my hernia repair and tummy tuck.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I typically lose 10 or 15 pounds, stay there a few weeks and then lose another 10 or 15. I simply don't worry about it.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Duh! Of course. I'm no longer morbidly obese.