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

My family doctor recommended that I look into it as the diets alone did not seem to be working.

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

I belong to an HMO, so I had to get a referral from the provider to an approved surgeon. Once I had the referral I had 2 appointments with the surgeon, attended an informational seminar, had x-rays and a psych eval. All of this took about 6 weeks to get the package together for submission. Once submitted I was approved within 24 hours.

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

My surgeon was great and took the time to sit with my husband & I and discuss all the surgical options. My husband and I came prepared with a list of questions and Dr. Reavis patiently answered all of them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I am tired of being tired.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Because my husband is military our healthcare provider is not very consistent. The lap-band did not seem to be a good choice because I will not be in the local area for adjustments indefinitely.

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 have two young boys and I would hate to miss out on their lives. I love my husband and would hate to leave him alone raising two boys. I think my biggest fear, other than death, would be ending up with a colostomy bag.

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 husband is very supportive, but nervous. My friends are tolerant, but scared.

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

I anticipate being off work for two weeks and have sick leave and vacation saved up to cover that time. My employer is very understanding.

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

The hospital was pretty old, the facilities somewhat run down. I was in the hospital for 3 days and required a 2nd surgery to repair a bowel obstruction. They provide everything, so I would only recommend a book to entertain yourself.

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

Yes, a bowel obstruction. 2 weeks after surgery I developed blood clots in both lungs.

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 felt good. Easily tired, but fine. Until I got the sharp pain under my right shoulder blade, which was my only symptom of bilateral pulmonary embolism.

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

It takes time and planning to get your meals together. I don't know how the people who rush back to work get used to eating.

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

3 hours each direction. It means a full day off of work for each follow up appt. Fine for RNY, but would have make Lap-Band fills very difficult.

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.

Started off on the typical clear liquids. Progressed to liquids, purees, soft sliders, soft foods and on to solids. I have a hard time with stringy pasta 6 months out. I keep trying foods every few weeks and can now tolerate most things. Chicken is often too dry, salmon too dense and meats must be very high quality to be tender enough.

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

Low, limited walking until cleared by surgeon at 6 weeks.

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

Calcium citrate 500 mg 3xs daily Chewable Centrum 2xs daily Sub-lingual b-12 1x daily Fiber Choice 6 tablets daily Prunes 6 daily

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?

Lots of hair loss between 3-6 months, but it seems to be growing back in now.

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

Blood clots, not knowing what would sit well and what wouldn't.

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

I rely on obesityhelp.com for a lot of support. I also attend a monthly meeting in my local area. Due to the distance from my surgeon I have not been able to take advantage of their aftercare program.

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

I have two complete sets of scars due to the bowel obstruction. Neither set is very noticable, but I do have an odd puckering around the one above my belly button due to the loose skin.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am now at 7 months and loose between 3-5 lbs a month. They weight loss had really slowed down and I see the impact of my food choices immediately. I don't have any dumping, even on sugar so I really have to make wise choices and exercise.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, they all want to talk about the weight loss which makes me self conscious. There has always been more to me than weight, I don't want the surgery to define me.