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

I saw commercials on tv about bariatric surgery. I always wanted to do this, but was afraid. I researched for 2 years and decided for my sanity that I HAD to do this for myself.

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

Make sure that you have EVERYTHING documented (i.e., what diet you went on, dates you were on that particular diet, how much you lost, gained back, how you felt physically and mentally during the diet, what made you think it would be "different" this time). Do this with EVERY SINGLE diet you ever went on.

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

Excellent first visit with Dr. Anthone. He is very personable and people friendly. The best way to get the most of the first meeting is to have a list of questions written up. Don't be afraid to ask questions!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted surgery long before this, but was afraid. At times I did not meet the criteria because I was not overweight enough. I finally got tired of being tired, hurting physically all of the time and being discriminated against because of my weight. I researched for 2 years and found all of the pertinent information that I needed and started looking for surgeons in my area.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I found out about the Duodenal Switch the summer before I had the surgery. I realized that this was the one for me. There are not very many surgeons that perform this surgery and the waiting lists to get into see these doctors are overwhelming. If I couldn't have the duodenal switch, then I didn't want anything else at all. I did not want to have to go through a surgery, just to gain it all back. I knew that once I lost the weight, that it would never come back again.

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 was not worried about the complications, but was worried that I would die on the table. Dr. Anthone and Dr. Crookes tell their patients that if they can walk into the hospital, then the chances of them being able to walk out of the hospital will be excellent. The bottom line is, considering the weight factor, if you are still somewhat active, then that is a good thing. If someone told me that they had the same fears as what I had, I would tell them to relax, do meditation, pray, whatever it took, but that it is normal to be nervous undergoing a major surgery such as this.

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?

All of the important people, be it family or relatives, are very supportive of me having surgery. After surgery, my family got on my case about my eating habits. They did not understand that I couldn't eat all of the veggies that I had in the past and that they needed to understand that I needed to eat protein first. I needed to educate them and let them know that if I did not eat protein first, that I could have some very, very big problems, such as malnutrition, etc. Now, after over one year out, they are completely supportive of no matter what I eat! The weight loss has spoken for itself!

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

I spoke with my boss about 2 months ago told him that I had an appointment with a specialist to have WLS. He said he would stand behind me 100%. Update!!!!! I was scheduled for surgery immediately after my pre-op testing. I wanted to wait for surgery for 2-3 weeks. My pre-op testing was February 19th, 20th, and 21st. My surgery was scheduled on March 7th. Needless to say, my boss was not very happy about me going out. I was out on medical leave for 8 weeks. My recuperation time was pretty uneventful. It is now over one year since I've been back at work. I have not missed one day of work from being ill, except for my hernia repair, and I was only out on sick leave for 2-1/2 weeks.

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

My hospital stay was uneventful. Some of the nurses were great, others not so great. My hospital stay was 5 days. I brought my shampoo, conditioner, face creams, etc., magazines, after shower powder, and slippers.

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

I had no complications at all.

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 had so much anxiety, but most of it was work related. I was so stressed out, and never really did deal with the anxiety part. I'm still stressed because of work.

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

Be prepared to go through physical and emotional changes.

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

25 miles

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.

I had surgery done on a Wednesday, had the leak/swallow test on Friday, started eating a liquid diet on Friday. Had soft food on Saturday, and real food on Sunday. It was kind of irritating because on Sunday, the hospital brought me beef stroganoff, or something like that, and the beef was tough as shoe leather. It got stuck and it hurt like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't eat after the first bite because it hurt so bad and then I was pretty angry. However, I went home on Monday, and Tuesday I had a couple of bites of Pizza Hut's pepperoni pizza. Gosh was I ever happy! From day to day, my likes and dislikes changed drastically. What I used to love, I then hated. I still have a difficult time with certain types of food such as cottage cheese, yogurt, pretty much lactose intollerant. I have to have foods such as chicken and turkey smothered in gravy before I can eat it. If it's too dry, it gives me that gag reflux.

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

I was able to do light housework, sitting at the computer, and walking. I started going to the gym at 6 weeks after my surgery.

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

I am taking pre-natal vitamins, calcium (no magnesium for me please), vitamin A&D and I'm also supposed to be taking a protein drink supplement. Unfortunately, I've experienced 2 cases of anaphylactic shock (severe allergic reaction) with the protein drinks.

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 did experience nausea, but no vomiting. It was difficult to sleep the first few weeks of surgery because of the incision. The hair loss was pretty bad though. I had to have my hair cut short. It has finally grown to the point where I don't have different sizes of hair all over my head. The only other side effect that I've experienced is a huge hernia and a need for major amounts of plastic surgery.

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

The waiting process and all of the red tape that insurance companies put me through.

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

Dr. Anthone's group has a once a month support group. It's so much fun to go and see other people's success. It is important to attend support groups because we all pretty much experience the same things.

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

My scar is fine. It has keloided some since surgery, but really, I'm proud to have this scar. It's kind of like having a War wound. It is a reminder to me that this is what I had to do to be able to lose my weight permanently.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've experienced a few plateau's. However, I don't own a scale, and when I have gotten on the scale and experienced a plateau, it's very depressing. It's discouraging to go through a major surgery such as this just to lose weight, and then when the scale stops moving, it makes life unbearable.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I haven't been treated differently yet because I've only lost 38 pounds in 6-1/2 weeks. If I see a significant difference in the coming months, I will let you know. Update....I have now lost 144 pounds. Yes, most people do treat me so much better, but then you have that small percentage that still see you as that overweight person, even though you wear small sizes now. I do notice that men notice me more, and they are a heck of a lot friendlier also.