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

from a show on tv. i can't remember what show, but i thought that the surgery was right up my alley. my parents had bariatric surgery in the late 70's and had alot of problems with it. both of them had to have their surgeries reversed. my father has lost a kidney because of his surgery. i know that they now do things differantly. and that it is alot safer. the health risks atre there, but they are minimal compared to what i would be dealing with later in life.

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

my insurance company jumped at the chance to help me. they were wonderful. they didn't have any problems with me getting the surgery. my advise is to hound them till they get tired of you calling and make sure that your insurance doesn't say its cosmetic. tell them this is a medical procedure. make your doctor tell them it is medical.

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

very easy. he was nice and to the point. he didn't mess around with psych tests or any of that nonsence. ask questions. make sure they are going to take out your gall bladder, because you will probably have to get it taken out at a later date. you don't have to have it, and it will make your life alot easier.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i'm 31 years old no health problems yet, and i was getting bigger every week. i thought why not? there was nothing to loose. i was going to die if i didn't do something soon. my doctor said that right now you are in good health, but give it a couple of years and you will propably die before age 45. that was a great motivator.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

r and y procedure was final no grey area there. it was the best choice for me because it was final. i would have to work extremely hard to screw this up, and the surgery seemed to have the best results.

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?

ehat do you have to lose. you are going to die if you don't do anything about it and you would be miserable for the rest of your life. why go through that? why not help yourself and take a minimal risk. granted there is a chance to die, but you take that chance every day you wake up being fat. walking up some stairs or going to your car, or having to go shopping. all of these activities were making me tired. so why not you have absolutly nothing to lose.

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 wife has had the surgery too. we have numerous friends that have had the surgery. we havd a wonderful support group. my family was sceptical at first, but came around very quickly. they were so happy that i took steps to help myself. 1 was 455 lbs when i had the surgery, now in 10 months i weigh 300 lbs. i plan to lose 100 more.

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

my employer told me to do it as soon as possible. my co-workers were very supportive. one of my co-workers had the surgery at the same time as me. we went to the same doctor had surgery on the same day and went home on the same day. recovery was easy with her. we were back at work 10 days after surgery.

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

the hospital was fine the people were great, but it was a bit dirty there. it was an old hospital going through some changes. i was there for 3 days, then stayed at the hospitality house for 3 days. the people at the hospitality house were great. there were 5 differant people there that had the same surgery and we all had a great time getting better together.

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

none

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 was tired some and eating was a chore, but i was in great spirits through the whole ordeal. there was some anxiety about not being able to eat, but you get past that quickly.

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

when i got home i got a cold and felt miserable the whole time. i went back to work the next week. i was tired some and couldn't perform all my duties, but i worked through it. the faster you can get back to your life the better. sitting around waiting to feel better is a waste. people need to get back in to the swing of things as soon as possible. that doesn't mean do everything at once. ease yourself into what you were doing before. just don't let yourself get bogged down. this is suppose to help you, not hinder you. yes you will be tired, but that will go away soon enough.

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

175 miles. i'm from abilene texas, and had to go to wichita falls to have the surgery. being that far away from home, i had to stay at the rathgaber house after getting out of the hospital. i missed home, but met alot of people that had the same surgery as me. we had a great time talking and playing games. we had a great time.

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.

meat and bread were rough. i had to force myself to eat. i didnt get sick except when i ate meat. i stayed with runny foods for about 3 weeks, then started with more solid foods. oatmeal, soup, eggs, fruit, veggies, and cheese did very well with me. peanut butter was good too. in about a month i was able to eat chicken and fish. now i eat everything, but in very small portions. a mouthful here and a mouthful there. chinese food doesn't do well with everybody i have talked to. pork doesn't sit well with me either. try and eat fruit and veggies to keep yourself regular. there will be constipation afterwards. good luck.

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

started off with being tired and lethargic all the time. in about 3 weeks i had more energy that i knew what to do with. it got better and better all the time. a month after surgery i was working in the yard all day, and i wasn't near as tired as i thought iwould be.

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

calsium and a multi-purpose vitamin. (flintstones chewable)

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?

some hair loss, but i was already losing my hair. when i eat too much it comes back up. learn to vomit. it will save you alot of trouble with dumping. i have not had any dumping or sleep problems since the surgery.

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

having to work my way back to being normal. the process was not hard for me. just a little discomfort and that went away in a few days. i am having a hard time finding anything wrong with this. for me it was smooth sailing through the whole process. i know that others have had some problems with recovery, but in our group of 8, none of us had any problems.

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

none. just my friends that i met before, during and after the surgery. we keep in contact with each other, and we help each other all the time. i love talking about my experience.

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

long and fading its pretty big, but i am very hairy so it doesn't show too much. well worth it to me. i wear my scar with pride.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

the fist 6 months you will lose alot of weight. use that time as best as possible. after that the weight loss slows down. don't worry you will lose. trust me you will. try eating right and drink lots of water. drink lots of water. drink lots of water.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

people that know me are amazed at how much weight i have lost. i still see a large person, but i know that i'm getting there fast enough.