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

I have worked in the medical field all of my adult life, and therefore was aware of it. I became much more aware when I got into the field of sleep medicine. I am a registered polysomnographic technician, and of course, most of our patients are morbidly obese, so on occasion we would refer a patient who we could not control with CPAP or BIPAP, oxygen, etc, to a surgeon for weight loss surgery.

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

Well, I was lucky with the insurance. I have Blue Cross, Personal Choice, and I had no trouble getting approved. I was asked to fill out a weight loss questionaire which consisted of all the different diets I had tried, approx. when and the results. I had a sleep study done which confirmed my sleep apnea, and of course, my back surgeries and lasting effects of back problems were well documented.

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

My first visit was informative. My surgeon explained in detail the procedure, what to expect, discussed complications, and told me his opinion of my chance of success. He also gave me a booklet to take home and read about. He had me think about it a few days and call him back before we went forward with the insurance. I would suggest that someone thinking of having this surgery read as much about it as can before going to the surgeon. Be informed... listen carefully, and don't act in haste. This surgery isn't for everyone, but if you do decide to have it, plan to follow your surgeons advice to the "T" and you will succeed.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Well, my lack of energy, my pain level, and the fear that I was going to die if I didn't do it was what made me do this.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I listend to my surgeon on what he recommended. AFterall, he is the surgeon and he has done many of these over the years, and he knows what works and what doesn't.

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 went in with a positive, open mind. I have had to have numerous surgeries, and you can die from any surgery. You can die from a heart attack, sleep apnea, and a number of other reasons from morbid obesity. I did not let that bother me at all in making my decision to go forward with this surgery.

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?

Actually, I thought that my Mother and other family members would be against it. I kept it secret until the surgery was scheduled and couldn't figure out a way to keep them from finding out.<G> So, I decided it was time to tell them. I am only kidding... I would have told them, as I want my Mom there!! My family was very supportive. My husband was the only person who was neither supportive nor against. He was concerned but told me it was up to me.

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

I am on disability so this does not play into my decision.

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 5 days after the surgery. The first day was pretty bad. My blood pressure didn't want to stay up, and they had to slow down my pain meds, which made things a bit uncomfortable. The NG tube was taken out 2 days after the surgery and this made things better. I was introduced to foods the next day and all of that went ok. I was ambulated in the hall started on day 3. I was feeling pretty good by the time I went home.

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

The only problems the day of surgery were related to my blood pressure. The nurses stayed on top of that and I did fine. Two months after the surgery, I developed severe abdominal pain and vomiting. I was taking Oxy-Contin for my back pain and this had caused a small bowel obstruction. I did not require surgery but was in the hospital 5 days til we got the problem solved.

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 began feeling better very soon. I had more energy than I expected. I didn't have any anxiety so I cant really comment on that aspect.

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

I felt really pretty good. The energy was coming back quickly. I went out for a walk daily. I wasn't hungry so I was able to plan my 3 meals easily. The only problem I developed was nausea, which was a bit hard to deal with but got through it.

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

My surgeon is fairly local to me. He is about 45 minutes away.

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 ate alot of chicken soups, cream of chicken, things like that. I ate scrampled eggs. I drank a lot of water and crystal lite at first. I still drink alot of that. I am not tolerant to sweets. This makes me nauseated, sweaty and very uncomfortable.

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

I walked everyday after the surgery. That was my main exercise and still is.

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

I take a chewable multivitamin with iron in it daily.

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?

Nausea was the worst, and if I tried to eat any sweets, I had the dumping. Hair loss began to be a significant problem at 6 months. It has slowed down and I think I have actually grown some hair back,but it is definitely still thin.

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

I would have to say the first day was the worst, followed by the day of the small bowel obstruction. That was horribly painful.

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

I am not in any support groups, etc.

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

My scar is about 9 inches long. It is what I expected, and I know that as it ages, it will fade in color, so I am not the least bit worried about that.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

About 2 months after surgery, I had lost 45 pounds, and it stopped! I thought it would never start again, but after about a month of it just sitting there, I lost 15 pounds in one week. I have plateaued about 3 times over the year. I am at one now, but think I am close to my goal so I may not continue to lose.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I get alot of compliments about the weight loss. I can't say I am treated differently, but the compliments are nice.