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

I had heard about bariatric surgery for years, but it seemed very dangersous to me and it was expensive if insurance wouldn't cover it. I heard about it from women's magazines and knew someone back in 1970's he had the by pass surgery.

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

My Blue Cross/Blue Shield Federal quickly approved me, but they will only pay if Medicare pays. Medicare does not pre-approve, so you do it not knowing the outcome. If Medicare doesn't pay, then Blue Cross won't pay either. So, Medicare denied the charges and I have appealed, but I feel my insurance should pay its part regardless of what Medicare does. This is a problem with all supplemental policies with Medicare. They should pre-approve or dis-approve in advance. How can you make that decision not knowing if you will have to pay for all of it.

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

It was very cordial and encouraging, but he had a room full of new medical students shadowing him that day which I would have preferred not to have. You need to go with a list of questions. I didn't know about this site before surgery and it would have helped a great deal if I did. I didn't ask everything I should have and didn't know the details of after care and support. I think the after care is very poor. There is no one to call with all of the questions everyone has, and I have had problems that I had to try to figure out on my own.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

A friend's Mother had lap band and had been very successful. They encouraged me to try it because she saw how badly the weight was affecting my physical and emotional condition. The most important thing was my husband encouraging me and agreeing to be with each step of the way and he has been. I really don't want people to know I had the surgery because I think they look down on you.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I thought I was choosing the less risky. My nutritionist and psychologist recommended that I have by pass because of my eating profile and problems with snacking and sweets.I went with the band, but now I wish I had gone with the by pass. The band has been very uncomfortable for me constantly since my first fill and after having some removed, I am still uncomfortable and the weight loss is so slow. I think he has made my GERD much worse after the fill.

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 not terribly worried about dying, but I should have been more concerned about how things would be after the surgery. It is much more difficult than I imagined. People talk about eating a cup of food and I cannot really even eat a half cup without problems. I think I have a problem, but don't know what to do about it. I wish my doctor was closer. It is 100 miles away and to far to see him as much as I have needed to. Actually, I doubt that I could have gotten in to see him because making an appointment a month in advance has been difficult.

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?

I didn't tell my family friends and still haven't. The only person who knows is the people I have met since having the surgery and my husband. My family is very supportive that I am loosing weight however. I wish I knew more people who had the band to talk with. I have told all of my doctors and have started a support group, so eventually friends and family will know.

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

I am retired, so that is not an issue. I have met several people lately whose employers have been very supportive of their need for the surgery and the follow up care that has been necessary.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

It was exciting because all of the people in the group were there to talk about lap band. I wish I had a support group that was just lap band. In the other groups I have attended only one person had lap band, four years ago and has notlost weight. That is not very encouraging.

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

I had out patient surgery and that was fine. I slept most of the next day at home and during the 100 mile drive home. It would have been nice to get the prescriptions for afterwards ahead of time so that my husband and I wouldn't have had to drive around trying to find a drug store who could provide liquid pain medication and nausea treatment.

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

I didn't have any immediate complications except the pain from the incisions. Usually I have a lot of nausea from surgery, but with the patch and the medicine they gave me, I didn't have any problems with that which was wonderful.

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 ambivalent, not sure it if was the right thing for me or not, but knowing I had to do something drastic because I was continuing to gain more and more and get sicker and sicker. So many people seem so excited and can't wait, I didn't feel that way. I was angry and sorry I had to do it in order to improve my health and look better.

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

I don't know how I would have managed if I had little children to care for. I was much more tired than I expected and needed a nap in the afternoon. My husband really took good care of me. He helped with the cooking and didn't expect me to do any special cooking for him while I was on liquids, mushies etc. I was much more sore than I expected for about one week. It was painful to get out of bed and up from a chair, but that passed fairly soon. I didn't have much gas problem until I started eating real good and then I started having problems. Taking Gas-X help with the gas. If your job will let you take off two weeks, take it. This is major surgery even the band.

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

I traveled 100 miles for surgery to a Center of Excellence which was required by my insurance carrier. I think the distancegreatly impacted in a negative way my aftercare. I was too far away to travel to see the doctor for a problem I didn't know if it was normal or not and there was no telephone support available from them.

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 started with the liquids and progressed to pureed and then soft food and I am supposed to now be on solids. The first four weeks went very well. I was not hungry and got all my liquids in as well. However since I went to solids at about six weeks, and had already gotten a fill at four weeks, I have had tremendously problems with food and drink I am supposed to be eating about one cup total of protein and other soft solid foods, but after a bite or two it seems to be backing up in my esophagus and is very uncomfortable. It feels like everything is bubbling up even the water is not easy to drink. I saw my doctor at nine weeks for a second fill, but instead he removed 1 cc and I am still having problems. Off limits is supposed to be fried foods, sweets, all refined carbs and the usual things people trying to loose weight shouldn't eat often. I have not been tempted that much. I have been careful to measure and eat the right amount and stop liquids before meals and until the time after a meal.I have continued to do that and chew tiny bites to a mush, but I am still having problems.

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

I was active around the house and at one month joined a gym and got a trainer which I would not recommend that anyone do that soon. My doctor okayed it, but the trainer had me doing crunches and I got hurt. I was in pain when I left the gym and around my port continued to hurt for about two more weeks when I walked. The doctor now suggest I not do that type of work out until three months out and stick with walking. I do a lot of walking.

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

Centrum chewable one a day, a chewable Vit D, and chewable calcium. Of course I do extra protein shakes and soups.

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 have not had any of these problems yet. I just feel like I can't eat or drink anything which started about one month out and is still continuing as I approach three months since the surgery. If I lived closer to the doctor, I would go back immediately and have him remove more. I am coping by trying to chew more and take smaller bites of food and drink anyway when it is time to drink.

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

The lack of having a contact person to call at the Bariatric Center who could answer my questions and if I needed to see the doctor be able to see him right away. He only sees patients on Wednesday morning and Thursday afternoons which is very limited.

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

My support group was 100 miles away,so I attended one closer to home. It is a nice group, but I needed much more help during those first two months than that kind of group affords. I had no medical person I could call with questions and when I finally went to the doctor, I discovered I should have come in much sooner. Also, the nutritionist could have been that person, but the $600 I paid for support included the initial group class and three follow up sessions over a year which is not enough. They can be done by telephone. Six short telephone sessions would have been better.

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

The scars are bigger than I expected and still tender after almost three months, but they are not a big deal. I wouldn't be wearing a bikini anyway and they are fading.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

After I got my first fill, I stopped loosing weight. I would loose two pounds and gain two pounds. Finally I went to all liquid protein for about a week and I began to loose again. I was in a lot of discomfort because my band was too tight and I didn't realize what the problem was or if I was just being a baby. The doctor removed 1 cc when I finally went in, but it was not enough I am thinking or the problem is really GERD has returned.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, I haven't told most people I had the surgery. A few people have noticed I lost weight and compliment me which I like. My family is very happy I am loosing weight. I think there is a stigma to having the bariatric surgery. People think it is the easy way out, little do they know how not so that is.