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

i am an operating room nurse, so i have been involved on the surgical end of this for many years. after being injected with a pregnant horse's urine and drinking optifast for 6 months, i considered this surgical procedure many years ago--but i never thought i would ever have it done. the patients that came through my operating room were 300 pounds or more and you just know that there are problems with their lifestyle, etc. there is a saying, doctor heal thyself--well, here i was a medical professional and i didn't realize that i was heading in the same direction.

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

my husband's company is self-insured. it was sent to the the insurance company, they denied it and then his self-insurance kicked in and we were contacted and told that the surgery would be covered.

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

i think you have to be prepared for a long afternoon. my 1st appointment was almost 3 hours long. you also have to have some background on your problems, besides the obesity. you also need to have some idea of what exactly this surgery is and what it involves. as an operating room nurse--i had perfect knowledge about what was going to happen, so it was less confusing.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

it felt right.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i didn't have a say so. i don't have a "VIRGIN BELLY" so it was going to be an OPEN procedure and the surgeon, i think, only performs a gastric bypass/roux-en y procedure.

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 don't have any fears. my only fear is that my husband will need to get a 2nd job to support my shopping sprees to nordstrom's.!!! :) i am most confident. this is not just life changing--this is LIFE SAVING!

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?

some friends are very concerned that i will die during or after the surgery. my immediate family is very, very supportive. they are behind me 110%! i am not afraid of the surgery or the pain...i have had SOO much surgery that all i can say is, "BEEN THERE--DONE THAT!" everyday, the pain will be less. i will do a little more everyday and regain my strength and get back into enjoying my family and my life again.

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

i am a homemaker. my family will pitch in around the house, as usual. they are a great bunch of troopers.

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

it was the most horrendous experience of my life...there were not postoperative problems, but the nursing staff was horrible, i was held "hostage" in a NOISY ICU, because there were no beds in the hospital, the nursing staff has absolutely no interest in my surgery and they did very little patient teaching, as once i was moved out of ICU--they sent me to a telemetry bed and the my nurse there said to me, "we don't know what to do with you, you're a surgical patient--we ONLY handle cardiac cases." nice.....

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

i had no complications from surgery.

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 am feeling well--better than i thought i would. i cope everyday, as food will ALWAYS be here. it's going to be a process not an immediate solution.

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

i expect to get a lot of rest...but well-meaning family and friends make that difficult with phone calls and visits. i am taking this (healing) very slowly, as i would like to have the optimum results.

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

travel time to good samaritan hospital from batavia is approximately 30 minutes.

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

i am taking 2 flinstones with iron chewable vitamins per day.

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 experienced any problems.

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

the worst part by far was good samaritan hospital, downers grove, illinois.

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

my scar is 18 inches long. yes, i did expect it to be this big.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no. though sometimes people don't recognize me.