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

I had heard of it for years and seen shows on it. It scared me. My GP recommended it late last year. She stated my arthritis was going to cripple me in a short period of time if I didn't get the weight off. I am only 39 now and I have a 9 year old daughter. That is way too young to be crippled and my daughter has so many activities she'd like to do and being I am a single parent, I need to be there for her.

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

I had great success the first time I applied for my surgery. My advice is to be sure you list all dieting you have done in the past and what kind of success or lack of, you had.

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

My visit with my doctor was great. He asked many questions and was willing to answer any and all I had. The nurses were a great source of information as well. They were friendly, helpful and courteous.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The success rate of the surgeon. The desire to be rid of this weight.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I took the recommendation of my physician.

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?

Of course it was a fear. Everything you hear on television up until recently had been very negative. Now that some famous stars have had it, there are some positive reviews out there. My advice is to do some research. Check into the success rate of your physician. Ask them how many deaths they've had. Ask how often their patients have complications. Follow what they tell you strictly! Don't try things before it is time to do so. Be sure to say a prayer.

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 mother and grandmother were dead set against it. They tried their best to talk me out of it. My gentleman friend told me to follow my heart and the advice of my physicians. My daughter wanted me to do what would make me happy and healthy. I prayed long and hard. I researched the surgery. I did a lot of soul searching. Finally I decided to proceed and hope that eventually my family would be okay with it. My grandmother still makes comments even though I have had very little difficulties and have lost over 100 lbs.

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

My Employer and supervisor were very supportive and excited for me. I filled them in on exactly what to expect. I made myself available by phone for consultation as I am the only one who normaly performs my job. I let them know how long to expect me to be out. I was out of work for 5 weeks. I had a very, very difficult first day back to work. If I had to do it again, I would have made my first week back as 1/2 days for the first 3-5 days. I would highly recommend it. I was so overly tired I didn't know if I would make it back in the next day. But I did. It became easier but it was tough.

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

My stay was okay. The staff was friendly. They were getting used to the new beds that sit up into a chair so that you need very little assitance in getting up. I did not sleep well though as they were in and out of my room all night long. I was very relieved when my doctor asked if I wanted to leave early. I was in the hospital for three days. It is important to bring whatever makes you feel comfortable. I wished I had taken my own pillow.

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

I had a reaction to the morphine so they had to use Loratab. I got a bad headache from the morphine and the Tylenol tasted horrible. I was pretty miserable for the first three days. I also didn't realize I would have difficulty in wiping myself. Fortunately I am blessed with a man who was not the least embarrassed assisting me with this. It was about a week before I could do that for myself again.

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 a very positive person assisting me in adjusting so I had little anxiety. I did have difficulty adding some of the foods back to my diet and I did vomit a couple of times. I feel that was mostly due to eating too fast, though.

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

You will need a lot of assitance in the beginning. You may need assistance in wiping yourself, cleaning yourself, getting up and down from the bed, chair or sofa. You most likely will not sleep comfortably for a few weeks. You may need to sit in a recliner or chair to sleep for a while. I was extremely sore but it eventually wore off. I had to keep pushing myself to get up and walk but it helps you to heal faster so I would highly recommend you do so. Add a little walking time on each day and walk slowly but walk often.

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

15 miles is all I had to travel. I felt every single bump in the road. I would highly recommend taking a pillow with you so that when you travel back home you can place it against your tummy to avoid the bouncing and such. It would have been such a help had I had the forthought to carry one.

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.

At first the only things I could tolerate were broths and water. I couldn't handle juice. It was too sweet and it nauseated me very, very badly. I still have to have it over ice so that I can tolerate it now and it has been six months. I usually prefer a piece of fruit to the juice. I gradually progressed to the semi softs, then the soft foods. I ate many, many mashed potatoes. I couldn't stomach the baby foods as recommended. They were just too bland and I couldn't get them down. The peanut butter I could take as long as I ate it very, very slowly. The most difficult item to add back in was bread. I still eat very, very little bread and when I do, I cannot tolerate the grain breads I have so dearly enjoyed in the past. I tolerate plain white bread most of all. I usually prefer a cracker to bread, though. It is very important to be sure to stay hydrated. Keep water with you at all times. I am never without my bottle. It is important, however, to not drink for an hour prior to an after the meal. I have stuck with that and found my toleration for everything better. It was extremely difficult getting used to not drinking while I eat. I tried it a couple of times and found it did not set well and made me feel too full, too quickly and nauseated me as well.

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

My activity level was very low to begin with. I could barely move and could only walk for very short periods of time. This progressed pretty quickly though, as I pushed myself to be sure I did so. I would walk for five minutes at a time, several times a day. I would just walk through the house, and on my deck. I added a couple of minutes to each walk, each day. I was back to walking an hour or more a day within about two weeks. I now walk an hour and a half besides my light exercising. I also swim a lot which helps the muscles heal well too. I have been through a period of time recently where I am developing leg cramps a lot. My doctor has recommended stretching exercises prior to retiring for the night and that has helped a whole lot!

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

I take a multi vitamin, B 12, three iron tablets, a stool softener every other day because of the iron, a potassium supplement, a fluid pill every other day as I still retain quite a lot of fluid, and calcium. I no longer have to take meds for my acid reflux as I have had absolutely no reoccurences of it since surgery.

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 only had three dumping episodes since surgery. They drained me pretty badly and I made sure I corrected what caused them. The last episode was about 2 months post op. I have had very little problems with sleep since after the first week or so. Nausia was a problem for a while and still is on occasion. I have learned to deal with it. If I find a cause for it, I correct the situation. It is usually not staying hydrated enough, therefore, I carry my water with me and drink it frequently. The hair loss has shown up in about the past two months. It is not too bad but I will be glad when my hair begins to grow again.

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

The soreness after the surgery was the worst for me. It eventually went away but I was pretty miserable for about two weeks.

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

I try to go to the monthly support group meetings. I haven't made too many of them since the surgery which I don't like. I love the meetings. I love hearing everyone's success and seeing them melt away and hearing their ups and downs and sharing mine. It is great to let others know who are considering the surgery what to expect as well.

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

It is still quite dark but fading some. I call it my zipper. I will be happier when it begins to fade out more.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have only had a week or so where I have stayed at the same weight or only lost a pound. It is a little disappointing but this is when I increase my exercise and it bounces off again and I begin loosing.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I have many many people calling me skinny girl and telling me how wonderful I look. I love it. Not the skinny girl part but telling me how great I look and how much of a change they can see in me. My coworkers have been the best support aside from my daughter and my gentleman friend. I love hearing how different I look and how they can see the weight going from various parts of my body. I often have someone come up and asked how much I am down now and I don't hesitate to share my loss with them. It's great! I also find a whole lot less staring and snickering from others. I find a blend in to the crowds more and don't stand out as the big girl or the largest one in the room when I walk in.