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

I actually saw an add in my local paper for a seminar on weight loss that claimed to have all of the answeres, and they did.

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

My insurance through my employer denied my twice, and even have a weight loss exclusion , although it doesn't specify surgery , they denied me , and will not budge. I had to wait for open enrollment through my husband's insurance , and then it was a matter of weeks!

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

The seminar at his office was too much information for one day. the information packets , the speech , and the films that he showed were very detailed , but overwhelming. Take notes, ask questions and talk to patients that make themselves available, they are so much help.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was simply tired of failing and knew that this was my last option to regaining a healthy life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted the least evasive , easiest to recover from ....

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?

Everyone has some fear when having surgery , I had decided that I could die having the surgery , or die from being morbidly obese. ASK QUESTIONS , ASK QUESTIONS , ASK QUESTIONS.... remove the fears with proven facts and tons of information.

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 excited for me and very supoprtive, my children were afraid because of all of the horror stories, so I had to educate them as well , and I think that it helped them with their fears.

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

I was out of work for two weeks and my boss was very supportive . I simply told her I was having gastric bypass .

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 three days. The fist day I had the worst back pain , I thought that my back was broken, then a nurse determined that gas had settled in my back from the surgery. Once she dispensed meds for it , I was a new woman! The nurses where very supportive and encouraging. I was rested and ready to go by the third day. Bring comfy cloths to walk around the hospital in , and shoes that are easy to slip on .

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

I had such back pain the first day that I really thought that the Operating room crew must have dropped me on the floor and broke my back, it was worse than both of my c-sections and hysterectomy... I kept telling the nurses ,and most of them checked the chart and then gace me more pain meds, then a more seasoned nurse came in , and when I told her about the pain , she jumped right into action.

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

At first I was weak and afraid of ALL food, I even paniced about water because I didn't want to stretch my pouch , and food was not appealing AT ALL. I just listened to my body and looked for safe,easy , food , that had quality in it

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

I was tired, and after my morning walk I was really tired , so I would shower and just rest , then walk a little more. the key is not over do it ...take it day by day , if you are tired ,rest , if you want to walk , or dust the furniture or sit on the front porch , do it, this is the begining of your new life, start out slow and do it right ! :)

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

I traveled over 160 miles one way , it was a long drive home after sugery . I visit my doctor for follow ups and it has had no affect on my after care at all. Many doctors will work with your primary care doctor if traveling is an issue. When there is a will , there is a way .

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 nothing was good, I simply had no desire to eat for the first two weeks. After that I ate a lot( just spoonfuls) of homemade soup(my husband is the best cook) and diet jello. I was afraid of food period . As I went along it was easier to experiment. I do not tolerate sugar at all, I dump really bad. (maybe because I was a sugar junky before the surgery) I cannot tolerate it all,so I have had to learn to read labels and ask questions. I cannot eat wraps like soft taco shells, they make me ill just thinking of them and lunch meat.(yuck) I have found that eating slow , off of very small plates and cups helps , and I cannot drink and eat at the same time or feel too full.

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

As I began to heal it was easier to get around and as the days passed I had more energy. At first I was too tired to move, now I walk without even considering the distance!

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

I take centrum chewables and pepcide complete four times a day for the calcium...I am also drinking a premade protien drink made by World Wide Sports for extra protien.

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?

Dumping began after the third week ( gatoraid) this is bad for me when I eat food that I thought was safe. My hair has been falling out in chuncks in the past few weeks, this worries me , but I know it will grow back.

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

The worst part is the battle with the insurance company, I resent the fact that they have such control over our lives and we are at their mercy. The second worse part for me was the last few minutes in surgical prep , waiting to be rolled into surgery. I cried alot because I couldn't believe that I had allowed myself to get so big that I needed surgery to get control of my life again.

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

I don't have a local support group , there are individuals that I can reach out to that have had the surgery , this website helps me a great deal , and my surgeon , or his nurse , is always there when I have a concern or question.

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

My scars are very small , and are fading with every passing day.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am at my fifth month today (08/10/04) and the weight loss has slowed down alot . When I went in for surgery I was a womens size 20 , I am now in a size 12, and am going shopping for a ten tonight! I have lost nearly 80 pounds, so a plateau is fine for me .

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People are so different, and sometimes they make me uncomfortable because of the way that go on and on about the way I look now.