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

My primary care physician suggested that I take a serious look at it after having my first and only child and weighed more one year after my baby was than I did when I was pregnant. At first I thought that surgery was too drastic. But when I sat at the park watching a friend of mine go down the slide with my daughter instead of my because I was affraid I would get stuck, I decided that I owed it to myself to at least try this. And, hopefully have a chance at a "normal" life.

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

My insurance company wanted to play games with words. Saying that they no longer did preapprovals, that they would pre-certify but that would happen right before surgery. Of course I couldn't even schedule surgery till it was pre-approved. After threatening to call the Surgeon General, they finally gave me a pre-approval letter - this was almost one year after I started the insurance process. Very frustrating.

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

I felt reassured and confident that my surgeon was well accomplished and I wouldn't know why you would want to get out of this appointment. I got a great deal of needed information and also a chance to become incouraged about the process.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I have a very small daughter who was faster than I was. I realized that I didn't want to be fat forever, and that I would like to see my daughter grow up. I also was concerned about teaching her unhealthy eating habits.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After being explained the different procedures, my surgeon asked which one I was thinking of. I was leaning towards the VBG because it is less sever and I would like to have another child some day. He agree that this would be the best choice.

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 was very concerned about dying on the table and almost did - had a sever alergic reaction to the anti-biotic they gave me just prior to surgery. There are several fears but when you are really ready to have the surgery, you will overcome them. Knowledge is the best medicine for me to combat worry and concern.

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 pleased that I decided to do this because they were aware of how long I had been struggling with my weight. My friends thought I was nuts to go through something this drastic. They were all very supportive after the surgery and continue to be, lucky my!

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

My supervisor was very supportive about the whole thing. Encouraged me by saying this would very likely improve my future as far as promotions etc. I was off work for 3 weeks following my surgery.

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

I was in the hospital for 4 days. The stay was fine, the nurses were attentive and considerate. I had no problems with either the equipment or the attitudes. The most important thing for my was good walking slippers or socks! They want you up and about as soon as possible and the more I walked the faster I felt better.

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

I was fortunate enough to not have any problems with my surgery, either during or after.

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 remember hearing about a woman who had had the surgery and only lost 30 lbs. and then quit losing (mainly because she was drinking high calorie things like milk shakes) and was certain that would happen to me. I did plateau for about a week at 30 lbs, then started losing again and am now 90 lbs down and still losing. To deal with it I just had to keep in mind that I was my own person and I would react differently than others. My body wouldn't let me down if I didn't let it down.

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

I was pretty tired but otherwise felt pretty good. I had a 2 yr old with me and things went pretty well. I did have my mother come and stay with me for a week so my husband could go back to work. All in all the first 2 weeks were the worst. After that, I started walking every day and improved quickly. Excercise is really the key.

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

20 miles and no it didn't affect aftercare at all

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.

At first of course, I was told to stay away from things with skins and seeds such as grapes, corn, peas, apples (unless peeled, strawberries, raspberries and definately I had problems with oranges (still do). Also things like yogurt with fruit in it and most solids like meats etc. After the first couple of weeks, I was able to eat more solids. I'm currently 4 months out and have been told that the more lean protein I eat, the more I will lose. Unfortunately, one of the things that I have had the most problem with is meat. I generally try to eat shaved ham or turkey and tuna. The meat certainly has to be moist (no grilled food for me, too dry) and it also helps if I put it on salads, goes down much easier. I am also having problems with breads. They tend to just "sit" there and take too long to digest. I currently eat yogurt for breakfast, cottage cheese for snack, salad or soup for each of the other meals.

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

At first my activity level was much lower than it is curently. For me the big change happened when I was released from restriction at about 6 weeks. I started walking everyday and worked out 3 days a week. Have continued doing that since and am now walking an hour a day and working out 5 days a week. I feel absolutely wonderful!

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

I had a great deal of difficulty with constipation, largely due to the iron in the vitamins so I take a half of a childrens vitamin each day. Because I had the VBG, I don't need to supplement the B-12.

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 just now starting to lose my hair and am very uncomfortable about it. I didn't experience the dumping because of not having the RNY

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

Waking up in the hospital after surgery before the pain meds. It was very painful. Also, the fist time I stepped on the scale in the hospital after surgery I had gained 5 lbs!!! (fortunately, that went away pretty fast!)

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

I decided that I needed some individual counseling because I started eating chocolate and ice cream after about 3 months. That was very helpful in identifying my behavior issues. I also accessed a support group at my work, once a month

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

4 inch straight line from my breast bone to my belly button. It is exactly what I expected it would be.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateaued many times. It has been difficult, especially when they last for weeks. My husband said that my body was just waiting for my skin to catch up - which helped me and I thought was really cute - even though it didn't do all that much catching up. I also tend to go for extra walks and exercise more during them, in hopes of jump starting it again. So far the longest plateau I've had has been 2 weeks.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely. Unsure if people are reacting differently towards me or if I am presenting my self differently, like some of both. But I have met more people in the last couple of months, than I have in years. Poeple I know causually seem to me much more friendly now also.