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

My sister is a Family Practioner and she had suggested the surgery quite a few times. I did not pay attention until she told me to talk to her home decorator who was this tiny, cute little lady. After speaking with her she told me that sh used to weigh over 400 pounds. I was amazed and with her encouragement I decided to have it done.

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

I was very fortunate, I switched to a PPO which took place Jan 1, 2001 and then my surgery took place on April 27, 2001. I had no problem what so ever.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided when I went to see the Dr. that I was going to have it done. This was after speaking to someone that was 5 yrs post op

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

It was the one that was suggested by the surgeon as being the most effective.

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?

The funny thing is that I work in the mental health field. Out of all the people that I know or work with, there was only maybe 3 who were encouraging. Everyone else thinks that it was way too risky.

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

My supervisor was great, I was honest about the surgery and had saved up my time off to have it done. I was off of work for 6 weeks. I did not get sickly until about 6 months after the surgery. I missed quite a bit of work then, but my job is very understanding, I work within the mental health field.

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

I was in for 5 days. With my sister being a physician, she was there at the hospital making me get up and walking me around alot. The nurses never had to assist me with anything.

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

Do nothing, just rest and get acquainted with your body. You will think that you have made the worst decision of your life. This will change.

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

Less than 15 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.

It took me a while to realize that I cannot handle drinks such as Crystal Light (I think that it is the sweetner). Makes my gut hurt terriblly and makes me vomit. Another thing that I just cannot take is anything with MSG in it. It does the same thing, stomach hurts very bad, throw up and I get very tired after eating or drinking,something high in MSG (such as pink lemonade, chinese food, prepared chicken, etc)

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

I was a slug

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

I had become so ill that the Dr put me on protein absorbing enzymes and some other digestive enzyme so that the food that i was taking in could be broken down in order for me to be able to absorb 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?

The hair loss was so bad after the first 8 months and lasted for a few months. I lost about 3/4 of my hair. Thank goodness that I had such thick hair when I started. This is under control now and I do not lose any more at all. It is all growing back now.

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

The tube in your nose after the surgery.

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

There is a monthly support group at the hospital where I had the surgery done. But this was not for many months after I had the surgery. I wish that there was one at the time and even before I had it because I would have known what to expect. We do not cut any slack on the pre op folks at group. We tell them just what to expect.

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

Who cares about a scar. I have never had a bikini body nor will I ever have one. How can someone who weighed almost 300 pounds be concerned about a scar unless it was across my face?

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Certainly, It is funny but fat people are discriminated against. I still feel the same.