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

I saw a special about Carney Wilson and thought immediately that I was going to have that done, one way or another

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

I was fortunate in that my husbands insurance paid for my surgery. My insurance from Abilene Independent School District pays absolutely nothing for anything having to do with obesity, not even dietary counseling

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

My surgeon was a very kind man. I would suggest that you write down specific questions because if they have done this for a long time, i think they forget to tell you things

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

after failing at the low carb diet for the third time, i was ready to just give up and stay fat and die young. i saw the special on carney wilson and decided right then and there that i wanted to do this

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i had researched most of them and decided i wanted the least chance of gaining the weight back that i could manage. i have a cousin that had a stomach stapling done and he gained back half his weight after 3 years, just eating a little more, and a little more, until he stretched it out again. i didn't want that to happen, or if it did, i wanted it to be harder to do

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 had gotten to the point that i had decided i was probably going to die from obesity. After i thought about it, it was a no-brainer, i was going to die without it and had a great chance of living longer and healthier and feeling better while doing it with the surgery. This is a very personal decision and its something you have to decide on your own. I only know how it has changed my life and made me excited about things for the first time in a very long time.

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 sister, husband and best friend have all had the surgery and i have a very strong support system. My friends who are not overweight were concerned because this is major surgery and there are risks. after I shared my feelings on the subject, they all were very understanding.

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

my direct boss is overweight too and she thought it was wonderful. I had thought about telling everybody that i was just having stomach surgery and decided that i didn't care who knew. I was only out of work for 7 days

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

the staff was for the most part understanding, but just the little things are hard to manage the first few days. its hard to wipe yourself after going to the bathroom and it helps to have a pair of tongs or a really close friend in there with you (ha ha. I had a spray can of artificial saliva that was a God send, dry mouth is awful after surgery especially when you can't drink for several days. it is very important to get up and moving as soon as possible and to use the pain medication as often as you need to the first few days. this is not the time to be stoic and do without. If you are in less pain, you move around more. I had a pump and I used it!!

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

no complications

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

the second day after surgery, i was watching tv and the thought occured to me "Oh, my God, what have I done to myself?" the anxiety didn't last very long though. I got a stomach virus from the kids at the school where I work the week I went back to work (8 days post surgery) and i had a pretty rough time. I was sick all the time, and the thoughts of trying to eat anything was almost too much to even think about. After I got over that, which took a few weeks, I was better and still get better every day.

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

the first few weeks home, i was weak from the anesthesia and i went back to work too soon. i would recommend giving yourself time to recover more than i did before returning to work. i had times when i couldn't get enough sleep, but i really think this was from the anesthesia instead of the surgery itself. most people don't realize that anesthesia is very hard on the body. it was really neat to see my clothes getting looser and looser every day and getting in the closet and being able to put on clothes that haven't fit in ages. overall, it is exciting

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

180 miles. My surgeon was really wonderful, though. I am a nurse and he told me to remove my own staples after 10 days and i didn't have to go back to wichita falls until 2 months post op. i had to call in every 2 weeks to let them know if everything was alright. he didn't do this with my other family members who had the surgery but they weren't nurses

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.

the first 3 weeks, i ate mostly mashed potatoes, broth, deviled ham, and crackers. at 4 weeks, i was able to eat a taco after making it into a tiny little taco salad. I was able to eat crunchy things from the very beginning due to being able to really chew them up well. sweets were strictly off limits. they are still the last thing i usually try to eat. i can't tolerate very much sugar at all. occasionally i can eat a bite or two of most sweets, but only after i have eaten regular food. i made the mistake of eating a cookie on an empty pouch and i was sick for about 45 minutes. 4 months post surgery, i can eat most anything, in very small quantities, but still have trouble with bread and chicken, they seem to "wad" up and stay around a long time and make my abdomen uncomfortable. believe it or not, i can eat anything spicy, even hot sauce without any discomfort, but things like ketsup and tarter sauce give me that uncomfortable feeling too, probably because of the sugar content. I can tolerate all vegetables, raw or cooked and i seem to crave tomatoes. it is best when eating a meal to alternate bites of different foods instead of eating all of one thing. I was told to be sure and eat my protein first, but if I do that, I get sick. I have to alternate. I drink a protein shake every day and take 2 multivitamins a day. so far no hair loss.

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

the first few days, i slept alot. when i wasn't sleeping i was up walking in the halls. i walked alot when i got out of the hospital, but still got tired easily. my energy level had increased gradually but steadily since surgery

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

immediately after surgery, i took flintstones chewables 3 times a day and 4 tums a day for calcium. I was told to drink a protein shake, but they made me sick. I now take 2 multivitamins (not chewable) 4 tums and a protein shake every 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 never been a "vomiter" and i was rarely nauseated. the hardest thing for me was the nausea because i wasn't able to go ahead and vomit. I think I would have felt better if i could have. the worst thing is still getting nauseated and having dry heaves after eating the wrong thing or taking bites that are too big, or eating too fast. I have learned not to get too hungry before eating, because that is when I tend to eat too fast and get sick. slow and steady is the key for me.

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

knowing that i had no viable choice but to have surgery to live. I felt kind of like a life failure for awhile, like I didn't have enough umph to even take care of a simple task like dieting.

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

at this time, i am not able to go to support group in the town i had surgery, it is too far away, but my husband, best friend and sister have all had surgery and we are great support for each other. after talking to people who have no support at all, I realize that it is so very important to have people to talk to that know exactly what you are going through.

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

my scar is about 11 inches long and it has healed nicely. there are parts of it that are still a little red, but most of it you really have to look hard to see it. I used vitamin e oil and aloe vera on it after it healed completely and i think it helped

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

at this time i am still losing at a rapid pace, but expect it to slow down soon. I was told that the first 6 months are the most rapid weight loss months.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes, i'm no longer invisible