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

I have been hearing about "stapeling" for years, but it my family Dr. who first suggested it to me after Maridia failed to work for me.

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

My husband needed surgery on his leg, while we were talking with the sergeon pryor to Russ' surgery it was mentioned in passing that I was also looking into a surgical solution. the Dr. said "we're doing those now (barriactic surgery)". We made another appt. with him and went from there.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Nothing else was working, I could'nt move, I had a hard time breathing, my feet hurt desperately as did my legs and back, something had to be done..I was dying.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I more or less let the Dr. decide that.

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?

There are always fears when you go into surgery, always the chance that you won't make it. I was at the point were I knew my chances of survival were better with the surgery than without. The risks are worth it.

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 family were very supportive especially my husband, my friends were mostly supportive although there was one so scared of any kind of surgery she tried to talk me out of it.

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

My boss was the friend that tried to talk me out of it, she is more supportive of me now and thrilled with the results so far. I was out of work for 7 weeks.

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

My stay in the hospital was not a bad experience, the staff was very attentive and pleasant, they went the extra mile to make sure I was comfortable. I was ther for 5 days. the most important thing to take I would say is a robe that covers everything.

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

About 5 weeks post-op my incision opened up again, about a 3 inch portion at the top of the abdomin. We had to pack it daily so that it would heal properly, I was out of work an extra week because of it. But we took care of it and it did heal, but the scar is an ugly one.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

After surgery I felt mostly tired, but glad to have it over with. I slept a lot, but also made myself get up and move around every day.

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

I could'nt sleep in my bed for 3 weeks. I slept in the recliner. My incision site was very sore and so was the site for the drain tube. This combined with back pain made it almost impossible to lay flat.

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

I had to travel about 120 miles for surgery. I think it made a big difference on the after care. It was a couple months before I got any info on what I should be eating if anything, or how much. I still don't know. I kind of feel like I was abandoned to fend for myself.

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.

The first 6 to 8 weeks all I could have was my 1 ounce of Diabtic Resource every couple hours. I then went to other protein shakes, bars ect. Mostly all I ate in the way of real food was soup..It was hot. i eat more dairy now than anything, it's been over a year and I still don,t tolerate a lot of solids. I can handle cheeses and beans. sometimes fish, less often chicken, but no pork or beef. I don't handle breads or pasta well either.

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

After surgery I was not very active, I had to force my self up to move around, my husband helped by insisting and walking with me. Now it's all he can do to keep up with me.

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

I was on Bugsbunny chewable vitamins for a while, lots of protien shake and bars until I just could'nt handle another one. I use soy milk now, but only like the coffee flavored one. I can still be found with an occational protein bar but I really don't care for the consistancy of them.

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 have had a lot of pain and nausia, Spent some time in the E.R. due to pain in my upper abdomin, they thought a first I was having a heart attack but it's just this thing that happens when my stomach does'nt like what I give it.The most frustrating part is that no one can tell me what is happening or why. I have also lost at least a third of my hair, it's a good thing I had a lot to start with.It's been 14 months since surgery and I am still having these problems, but not nearly as severely.

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

The worst part is not knowing whats going on, what to do or where I should be now.

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

Could not find one close enough to get to, I think it would have made all the difference in the world. I have met a few people who have had the surgery and talked to them when I needed to and that helped a lot.

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

It's huge and angry. extra wide at the top because of the problems I had with it early on. It's still sore in spots.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a plateau about 2 months ago after losing only 100lbs. I'm still there but I think I know what the problem is and I am taking steps to see if it helps.