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

Found out from an article on the internet, and immediately sent off for more literature.

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

I got approval based on a very weak letter from my PCP but a very strong 4 page letter which I taylored from one located here on this site and sent to my insurance company, who, by the way does not cover bariatric surgery ..... unless medical necessity can be shown. In fact, I had insurance approval before my Surgeon had even called them. The total time for approval and to complete all of my preop testing was 20 days. Then another 4 weeks to get into the surgical schedule. We think it was very fast.

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

The first meeting was in a group stting, at first, and the he met with each of the patients individually. Do your homework BEFORE this meeting to get the most out of it. I admit to having a near phobia of blood clots but that is truly a major issue that must be discussed right up front and whether to have filters installed or go with anti-coagulant medications.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to live. It was truly a life or death situation for me, because I was eating myself to my grave .... fast.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Best track record for both safety and weight loss, as well as long term effects.

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?

If you are willing to get real with yourself, you'd realize that by being morbidly obese, you are already dying .. one day at a time. I had no fear of this surgery and as far as I am concerned, my date of surgery, 11/26/03, is my new brthday.

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?

Very supportive of the decision.

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

Employer and supervisor have both been wonderful. I discussed the whole process and got nothing but support. I will be off work for 6 weeks.

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

Hospital stay was intersting, but longer than expected (11 days) due to a leak between the new pouch and the old stomach. The only things that I would recommend are slippers and toiletries.

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

The morning after surgery they did a barium swallow leak test and discovered that the new pouch and old stomach, even though there were 3 rows of staples in each and they had been surgically separated, were communicating. My first reaction was madness, followed by disappointment and then when I realized that this was a good leak, if there is such a thing, I regained my optimism. I was on nothing by mouth for 10 days, which got to be tough, but it also gave everything a perfect environment to heal.

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 soooooo ready to get on with surgery and the wait was awful. I had zero anxiety.

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

I felt pretty good but knew to take things easy. I started the tread mill at a quater of a mile clip per day.

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

17 miles

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.

I am now 3 weeks postop and learned to NOT eat beef jerky. It has taken me nearly all day to clear a blockage. Most other foods have done well, but also am just starting on more solid foods.

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

Much easier to get around than before surgery. I lost 37.5 pounds in 9 days.

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

Centrum chewable vitamins and promod protein suppliment

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?

no adverse side effects have been experienced to date, except fpr the stupid mistake of eating beef jerky

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

Once I had my mind made up to go for it, the worst thing was the wait for insurance approval.

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

There are 2 groups in my area, but I have not gone to a meeting yet. I do plan to attend them in the future.

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

Scar is not bad at all, about 8 inches long and very tightly healed. I had no expectation in this area so I am pleased with it.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes