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

Several people at work had the surgery and I was quite impressed by their weight loss in a short period of time.

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

I had no problems with insurance approval for the surgery. I still had some out of pocket expenses that amounted over $1000 but is was worth it.

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

The practice I choose to go to was very well organized. The first time I met with the surgeon was as a group in my initial visit. He spoke to us for 10-15 minutes between surgery cases he was performing. I was very impressed and he seemed to be very passionate about the surgery. The entire visit lasted several hours and consist of several test and a lot of informative data form his staff covering all aspects of the procedure. They were willing to answer any question you may have.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It seemed like an extreme solution to an extreme problem. After seeing a lot of positive results form people at work and support groups that have had the surgery, it seemed like the correct thing to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The RNY was the only option available for the two surgeons I visited.

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?

The two surgeons I visited had performed over 1000 of the RNY, each with no deaths and a very low percentage of post operative leaks. I look at my obesity as a disease that was killing me and required surgery to fix. The same as heart disease or a brain tumor that would require surgery to fix. Though there is a risk involved in any of these procedures, I would choose to have surgery over the alternative of eventual early death or a degraded quality of life.

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 wife was all for it and supported me all the way. I did not involve any other members of my family. Most of my friends supported me also. They observed me getting fatter and fatter and new it was affecting my health.

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

Boss was very supportive. He told me to take off as long as needed. I was out of work for 3 weeks but could have come back in a week.

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

I stayed in the hospital for 3 days which was typical for my surgeons practice. This hospital sees about 15 RNY cases per week so the hospital staff was very in tune to my needs. Prior to admission I was instructed to bring my protein drinks of choice and my CPAP device which I sleep with at night.

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

For the first couple of hours after I awoke from surgery I had problems breathing because of the increased pressure in my abdomen. After I was taken to my room and placed on my CPAP this problem subsided and it was smooth sailing for the rest of my stay.

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

After all the preparation I was actually relieved that is finally was really going to happen. I just want to hurry up and get it behind me and start living a more healthy life.

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

The realization begins to set in that you have just destroyed one of lifes most pleasurable experiences (eating). At this point you are unable to eat and your still fat. Very depressing. But by going to the support groups and seeing the outcome of other people in your own shoes help and I then can understand that the trade off will be worth it someday. I am only 6 weeks out at this time and I am noticing that I don't dwell over my next meal as much. Hopefully over time eating will no longer be a major concern of mine.

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

The hospital where I had surgery is a little over 100 miles. It's about a 2 hour drive so I try to get my follow up appointments late as I can and take the afternoon off from work to travel there.

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.

While in the hospital and the first few days after leaving the hospital I remained on a clear liquid diet with the exception of protein drinks. At 6 days post-op I returned to my surgeons office to have my drains removed and it was OKed to start eating some solid food. They told me it was OK to eat Wendys Chili. Though they suggested I start off with soft cook scramble eggs, I stop at a Wendys on the way home and got me a small bowl of chili. After 8 days on clear liquids that was some good stuff. I ate very slowly and chewed very well and ate the whole bowl. Had no problems and it became a daily meal for awhile. Other foods I began to eat were eggs, potted meat, nuts, peanut butter, chicken (dont forget to chew) and some things from Taco Bell. Sometime I may eat crackers or toast with my meals. After a month out I was allowed to add some fruits and vegetables to my diet but I mostly still stick to things with a lot of protein. When me and my wife go out to eat at a nice restaurant we usually share a combo appetizer and I will eat the cheese sticks out of it. Usually when we go out to eat now we always share our meal. I have became a lot cheaper to feed. I am not allowed to eat red meat now. I tried once a found out why. It would not go down so it had to go the other way. I am not suppose to eat white meat poultry but have found out if it is chopped up and chewed real well I can get away with it. They say 6 months out I can probably tolerate these foods again.

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

For the first month I was restricted form lifting anything heavy. They had me walking the halls while I was still in the hospital. I still try to walk at a park near by my home most every day. My feet and joint still hurt when I walk but I can tell it is getting a little better now that I have lost 44 lb now. I hope after I lose another 44 lbs this problem be gone or at least much better.

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

I take a one a day vitamin daily and a under the tongue B-12 weekly. I supplement my calcium with calcium enriched water and milk. My calcium level was normal with my first labs. If it becomes a problem in the future I will supplement it with other forms of calcium.

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?

So for I have not had any nausea, sleep disturbance, dumping, or hair loss at 6 weeks out. I have vomited 3 times. 2 of the times I account for not chewing well enough and the other for eating something I was not suppose to (red meat).

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

When I first woke up from surgery and was unable to breathe well. I thought I was going to wear out and wind up on a ventilator. Eventually it subsided and all went well after that but that was scary.

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

I go to 4 different support group meeting. They are very helpful. It gives me an idea of what I can expect and answer a lot of question I may have.

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

My scars from the surgery are 6 small incisions. At 6 weeks out they are still red but are healing nicely. I also have scars form open heart and gall bladder surgery. They don't bother me. Women are probably more concerned about scaring than men.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At 6 weeks out I guess is still a little early to tell

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

At 6 weeks out and 44 lbs my weight loss is not that noticable. The people that know I have had the surgery may ask me how I am doing or say they can tell I am losing weight but I don't see it. I can feel it in my clothes a little but it going to take a lot more than 44 lbs to be significantly noticable.