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

I first heard of WLS from my Dr. when she suggested that I would be a great candidate.I was shocked to hear it from her as she said that the surgery was normallly geared towards people who are morbidly obese and in excezs of 400 to 500lbs. She said that I was considered obese and on the path to morbid obesity myself.

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

It was a long wait for insurance approval. At the beginning of the process I did call them and ask them specifically what their requirements were for approval and made sure that I met all of there criteria. After my consultation everything else was left to the surgeons office. The insurance company didn't really give me any info from that point on. It took them 8 weeks to approve the surgery ...however...my surgeons kept me informed with details including the fact that they were trying to deny me because of lack of comordities and age.

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

My first visit with the surgeon waa great. I took my husband for support. It really helped that My surgeon was a referral from my PCP and that I visited this website for questions prior to my consult.My surgeon was very knowledgeable and very thorough and made me feel very comfortable that I was making the right decision.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The fact that I had tried almost every other weightloss method and have not been successfull longterm and the fact that I don't have alot of discipline when it comes to portion control were the two deciding factors for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My choices were the Lapband or RNY. I chose the RNY because it is restrictive cnad cannot be undone and offers an extra void against eating sweets which can contirbute to weight gain.

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 no reservations about having this surgery at all. If there is someone who has a fear of the complications and risks I think they should address all the concerns with there surgeon, PCP, and maybe even a psychologist for reassurance of there decision to or not to have the WLS.

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 only told four people (my husband, 1 friend, 1 sister, and my mother...in that order)for the reason that they were the only people that I thought needed to know at the time. I think that I would have communicated things a little differently about me having surgery...but not necessarily giving out any more specifics. All of my family have been very supportive after the surgery. I have decided to tell more friends and family on an idividual and inquisitive basis just to see there reaction.

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

My employer only knows that I went out to have surgery. They do not know the specifics and I don't feel that they need to know. They know based on my disabilty claim how long I will be gone and I will keep them posted if anything changes.

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

My stay in the hospital was long one. What was supposed to be a 3 to 5 day stay turned in to a full week. The nursing staff in the moderate care post surgery departments leaves something to be desired...however my care immediately postop up to day 4....was excellent. It is important to bring things to male yourself comfortable...music, slippers, loose gowns and robes.

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

The only coomplication for me immediately postop was the overmedication which caused a bowel obstruction and inability to pass gas. This was very painful and uncomfortable. Once I realized that the pain from the actual surgery was minimal compared to the awfully intense gas pain....I decided that I didn't need any pain medicine at all.....and I slowly began to pass gas and my bowels with the aid of a stool softner.

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

The first week from home was very slow....not much energy and still sore. Week by week I feel more and more comfortable and even take my son to the beach and fishing for a few days....with support of my parents. Four weeks post op I feel great except trying to improve and realign my eating habits. I can't drink any premixed shakes. I can tolerate the designer whey from GNC. My doctor is really stressing protein ny any means necessary....but it hard.

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

The Hospital that I used ( University of Maryland Medical Center..in Baltimore, Md.) is only about 10 miles and 15 minutes away. It was very convenient to use a hospital close by because the car ride home a week postop can be very uncomfortable...at least for me it was awful.

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.

weeks following surgery the only thing I can't eat is milk and milk based premixed protein shakes. I have tried chicken, pork, fish, and beef and have been eating them fine. I have not been able to eat alot but I sometimes feel hungry and ignore the cravings. Sometimes I eat to fast and it comes back up.

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

My activity level the first week was null....but my dr had me walking 3 times a day in the hospital. I kept that regimen week 2 when I came home. Every week I do more and more walking and even do a walk away the pounds exercise video a couple of days a week.

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

I take 2 flintstone chewables every morning...and 2 tums. Every night at bedtime I take 2 more tums. That is all that I take right now until my six week followup appt.

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 suffer from a little nausea in the morning when I first wake up....that continues to happen since surgery..but is becoming more bearable day to day. I normally like to sleep on my stomach or side but have had to adjust to sleeping on my back....which is sometimes unbearable...I think I will ever get used to it. I vomit when I eat....not all the time....only because I eat to fast...I am working on this everyday.

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

The gas pain immediately post op.

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

My surgeons office does a support group meeting once a month. I have only been to one pre op and was unable to attend the month I had surgery and plan to attend the next ones. There is also a local support group that I plan on attneding as well. I think support group are very useful to hear from surgeons, hear from post op patients, and for just comfort and support from peers in your situation.

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

I have six small incisions. Three are completely healed and are barely visible. The other three are slow to heal because of irritation and stitches coming out... and one the one used for the drain had to heal from the inside out with no stitches. I expected the incisions to be bigger and not to heal as quick do to past experiences.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have not experience any plateaus at this point....5 weeks post op.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No...just the completes from family members on noticeable weight loss.