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

Through a friend who had VBG surgery. I was very leary about the surgery and after 18mos of waiting to see the surgeon, I said No the first time.

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

Not Applicable as was covered by my provincial healthcare.

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

Confirmed my morbid obesitiy and that was very hard to hear. I usually could avoid the discussion with my own physician. I find that you have to do your own research and the surgeon can fill in the blanks...not give the entire picture.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Getting beyond the weight where the doctor's office scale could weigh me did it. I had tried for almost 20years to do this on my own and failed and now I needed medical help.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted the most drastic one available, with the longest term best results. Thus RNY for me.

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?

In the long run, the risks of surgery are SO small in comparison to the longterm health effects of obesity. I planned everything out. I had my will, power of attorney, and personal directive done up. Cleared out my closet into clothing sizes. I started taking my vitamins 6 weeks before surgery, took a daily walk and lost some weight before surgery. I did everything I could to help minimize my risks. I was also confident that I would be okay and I believe attitude is everything. I calmed people down around me!

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 family was totally freaked out and my mom was with me the entire time I was in the hospital (she is a nurse). I had all the research done, the websites noted so that if I could not answer a questions, I could refer them somewhere to check it out for themselves. They have been very supportive since surgery and call and check on me almost daily!

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

Not applicable as I run my own dayhome business.

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 okay. The worst part was getting put back on my bed AFTER surgery, all crooked, and my back was in AGONY until my mom, a nurse, got me up and laid me down properly. I was in on Monday morning and out Friday by noon.....I asked to go home! Too busy there to get real sleep and I could everything at home and didn't want to stay the extra day. Definitely bring lip balm, soft tissue (I needed to wipe my nose a LOT and the hospital stuff is crappy), good non-slip shoes that you can slip on without assistance, anti-bacterial handsanitizer (I used it EVERYTIME I came back to bed or someone held my hand to take my stats to prevent the spread of germs), housecoat, and someone you love to help you bathe!

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

No complications officially. Have found the constipation a new thing to deal with, having NEVER had this problem in my life. Thank gosh for Benefibre!

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 did ALOT of research before deciding to have surgery so I was not anxious. I think everyone around me was more freaked out than I was. I even did my will, power of attorney, and personal directive before surgery so that I was COMPLETELY prepared.

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

I was surprised how tired I was for the first two weeks at home. Getting up and going to the bathroom and back to my chair was exhausting. I had a raised toilet seat I bought in one bathroom and that was GREAT. No big bend to get on and off the toilet. Also, a body pillow was invaluable in being able to get in and out of bed easier. I folded the pillow in half and lowered myself down and then used it to help get up too. I run my own business from home, dayhome, and I felt my home was SO quiet. My spouse opened the dayhome for me, 2 weeks after surgery, and I was so happy to have the kids back around me. I napped that week everyday with the kids and after that, I was good. It was nice having help for 3 weeks but I am on my own as of week 6 and I could have been since week 4 or 5.

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

I travelled 2 hours for my surgery and all my aftercare has been handled my mom, the nurse, and my family doctor in town. My mom took out my drain and staples. I have to travel again for the 8week scope.

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.

As I am 6 weeks post op, I am now eating soft foods and pureed foods. I try to eat my protein as opposed to using Beneprotein whenever I can. I loved eating homemade oatmeal with skim milk powder to boost the protein count. Veggies are becoming more a part of my diet as the first couple weeks they just felt bad. Pureeing is VERY important as I choked REALLY bad on a piece of chicken that I did not chew well enough and it HURT coming back up and this was week 5. I do try to watch the fat contents of foods too. Fitday.com has been a huge help in this regard.

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

I made a conscious effort to walk everyday after surgery, even the first day I came home. Even if just around my cul-de-sac. I still try to do SOME kind of exercise everyday.....leg lifts, a new DVD specifically for WLS people or walking. I started walking before surgery too and I believe this helped my recovery too.

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

I take Symtec Liquid Multi Vitamins, Symtec Calexcel, FerInSol (baby liquid iron), and a folate pill (I have to crush it).

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 still feel nauseous on a daily basis....especially in the mornings. I try to sip water or a trip to the bathroom sometimes helps.

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

The worst part was being put on the bed all crooked and my back ACHING. I thought I had permanently messed up my back, but it wasn't.

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

I have made friends with people from various online support groups (BC-WLS, AB-WLS, and a Calgary group though YAHOO), a support group meeting in Medicine Hat, and my close friends and family. All these people make it possible for me to focus on my health and to help me when I get frustrated.

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

Scar is not bad. Still red and I did not expect the staple red dots to still be there. My incision burns sometimes but I imagine this is healing as there is no infection and my physician says this is normal at this point.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The second week I weighed myself, my scale did not move and I was freaked out....it moved the next week. I imagine my body just needed a break as I had been losing weight since 6 weeks before surgery and then I had surgery and I lost 12lbs the weeks I was in the hospital. My weightloss has continued and if it plateaus for more than 2 weeks, I will see my doctor to get my vitamin levels checked.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, but I am just under 300lbs now. Friends do notice that I have lost weight.