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

Years ago one of my employers had her stomach stapled and I watched and envied her...she was like a totally different person, so energetic and more self-confident. But at that time for me to have that was like a never to come true dream, so I shut it out. Then recently a gal sitting next to me sent me her website on morbidobesity.com and two of my bosses had the surgery and one of the guys and then another co-worker and another and all of a sudden there was hope for ME!!! I grabbed all info and help I could from these pages and went to work on it with the help from another co-worker, whom yet has to be approved. My heart goes out to her but I know whe will be approved somehow, someway. We wanted our surgeries together, but that's not to be. Without the morbid obesity website or the help you find there I would not be where I am today...just 3 days from my own surgery:))

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

I have an exceptional fast and good experience with obtaining approval for my surgery...I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the 'right' people at the right time, it was as if it was 'my time'..but I didnt stop there I did all the legwork of gathering all the paperwork that was required to establish my medical need for the surgery. I didn't wait to talk to my Dr. on it I followed the advise of paperwork his office sent and what I had read here to do to get the approval. I got approval and surgery date the same day and a call from a nurse at my insurance company to answer all questions I might have on the surgery. My advice is if you want it bad enough do whatever you can to get everything you may need, from whereever you can get it and get it all sent to your doctors office asap. Don't wait for them to tell you what to do next just do it!!

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

My first visit was a seminar he held at his office, there were about maybe 25 of us there with it seemed like his entire staff. They were all wonderful he had film and brochures avail, a nutritionalist, an employee whom did all the insurance, and they all spoke, he had a gal whom had had the surgery and she spoke about her surgery and her support group available for all of us. I don't think he left much to be questioned he had a Q&A time and didn't act like he was anxious to get home. He mixed and mingled with all of us and tried to make a conscious effort to spend time afterwards talking to each one of us. But to be honest, doing it this way brought out many fears and questions most of us leave an appointment with saying to ourselves I forgot to ask this, or that....etc. He told of his bad cases along with his good cases, he didn't leave anything out. His office staff sent out paper work to us in advance to tell us what we needed to do and have for him and for the insurance companies. All we had to do was follow those directions, and follow thru with them, not call and call and call his insurance person over and over again. Any change in your medical needs, I let them know immediately, had my primary physicians office fax to them. I dropped in to visit and do follow up but not in a pushy way, I listened to what they said I may need and even if they didnt ask for something, I tried to supply them with documentary info from any doctor I had seen in my past for my weight. I wrote a 4 page letter from my heart and I told embarassing things about my inner feelings...never revealed to anyone else. You have to work with them like a team...and you have to follow all the avenues it takes to get the surgery approved. Leave no gaps in information available to them to get that approval for you. And above all you have to remember that patience is a virtue and your needs are as important as the next persons and trying to apply pressure without doing your part only causes more delays. Your turn will come.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

There was never any doubts to that, it was a given for me as soon as I knew it was a possibility, it was just a matter of when? I would do everything in my power to make it happen.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Upon reading and asking alot of questions I decided the surgery with the 2 ounce pouch bypassing the small intestine was the one I wanted and the most successful one. I had made three appts with three Dr's each one just closer than the last one probably called maybe 7 doctors for appts all total or more. Even called long distance. But I didnt know which one did which procedure. Dr. Pearce's appt was the earliest I got and he did the procedure I wanted. I was lucky, it was meant to be for me.

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?

My only fears are the anesthesia...I am deathly afraid of going under, had a bad experience once, and ever since then I have made arrangements to stay awake, know what the first thing I asked Dr. Pearce is can I stay awake. It wouldn't bother me in the least bit. I have seen it all working in a hospital, I had my tailbone removed awake, my elbow operated on with a tourniquet, my hysterectomy done with some kind of anesthetic that only deadened my body. I was totaly relaxed went to sleep woke up but I knew I was in control....sorta..lol I have yet to talk to anesthesiologist for this surgery but believe me I will!!!

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?

Some negative some positive some like was I totally losing it? Some said I had a friend die from that, like I needed to hear that....then I decided rather than ans all the questions would just not tell them and let them just see the results:))) Then if they had questions they would get the answers. Doesnt matter anyway, I will do what I want with or without their blessings. I will relate more later about the reactions after surgery.

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

I never discussed it with my employer, I dont think they need to know anything. I expect to be out of work at least 6 weeks or maybe even 8 weeks if I can get that long approved. I need the rest anyway and I want the time to heal properly without stress from my job.

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

It was okay not exactly where I would advise anyone to take a vacation..lol...I checked in on Monday at 6 am was in surgery by 7:45 am last thing I looked at as I went under anesthetic. out in one hr and a half Dr Pearce and his PA both said that my surgery went the best smoothest perfect...just something to read and do you wont need gowns ...just slippers and robe but take time to make sure you have something to wear home you can get into and also to wear at home also.

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

I had to go back and have a bronscopy or however you spell it on Sat nite I had a plugged upper right lobe of my right lung which made the bottom right inoperable,,,surely due to smoking ...felt better after surgery I am sure...LOL I think.

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

no anxiety except how and what to eat...and forcing myself to drink water I just dont eat and drink normally and now i feel like i have to force it for health reasons...

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

I relaxed and took care of myself, I wanted to heal properly without any complications...however, I was expecting a miracle loss, I never voiced it outloud but I was. I was anxious about my losing, I am impatient I wanted it to be off Quickly!! It's not happening, I had to regroup and take it one day at a time. I refrained from ans when others asked how much have you lost and I had to readjust my feelings of disappointment cuz I wasnt losing like they were. Recognize the fact that my body and metabolism is different than theirs and it will react differently. I looked at others that had the surgery and in comparison to them found how I looked versus them that were positive in my favor. I experimented and learned to recognize the amount of food I could eat, without getting sick. I took more pride in my appearance and dressed nicer, enhancing the weight I did lose, and am losing, to give me pleasure and encouragement. As the lbs come off I noticed increased energy and desire to make my environment around me look as good as I felt and looked. I totally worked on getting rid of negativity in my attitude, my speech, my reactions. I bought an outfit here and there to show off my weight loss, I'm proud of it and I love hearing the comments. I still see me as fat, cuz I still am, but I see the results of the surgery and the improvements. I found just because I had the surgery my cravings did not disappear, I still love the same type of food and I still wanted them, but rather than take a serving I only tasted and tasting was enough. I experienced times I needed or wanted to eat small amts of food several times a day, I had to curb that and I had to curb eating too much or I would get sick. My doc told me 2 1/2 lbs a week for me is good, I havent done that and I need to stay off the scales and not treat it as failure or get stressed over it....my body is at a plateau...I am working on changing that plateau. I recognize I need support right now but my working schedule isnt allowing me that right now. I found that my child hood training of cleaning my plate entirely is not necessary, and let me tell you that is NOT easy. My thought processes are changing as well as my body is changing, its a new discovery...and part of the weight loss, being effective for me. I learned not to look at pics of others during this period, because I'm not at that point yet...so I'm taking pride in inches and clothes sizes. Wanna know the greatest result, the surgery took away my pain the aches and the soreness and the back pain and the siatic nerve pain, and when I realized I wasnt experiencing that pain anymore, I felt exhilerated!!!!! To be pain free is a brand new feeling for me:)) And its wonderful!!!!

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

3 miles and my aftercare is once a month at the drs office, I get weighed in, encouragement, my bp and pulse is checked, the dr assures me and I get an injection of vitamin B12 once a month. I need this right now and its important to receive it.

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.

Soft foods at first, meat was hardest to eat and still is unless its like hamburger in small pieces...biting and chewing is a new experience rather than biting and swallowing. But i crave like the taste of steaks and porkchops so I eat just enough to curb the craving and take my time chewing or i pay the price...lol veggies and fruits are easiest to eat, cottage cheese and tomatoes or fruit and my favorites right now. Salads are easy to eat for me lettuce took a bit of time about a month to eat. Learning how much I could eat without overdoing and causing me to get sick is the hardest. I'm miserable if I do and sometimes I can get rid of it...and the misery lasts for hours. But it is fewer and fewer times between. Right now I can eat just about anything I want. Just not very much of it, however because Im not an avid drinker of water or any liquid I can eat more than most. Trying to learn to drink more water, and drinking it faster. Im a sipper of liquids. I dont really eat sweets but ocassionally I want to taste something sweet, so I have a bite or two and its enuf. Ice cream is still my downfall, I love it and its easy to eat..I have purchased low fat popsicles to curb that. At first I ate several a day, now I have one rarely. I love rice in anything fixed anyway, I cant eat it very good, cuz chewing it isnt easy to do and so far most of the times I get sick is because I ate rice. Bread is too spongy and filling and like feels like it expands in my stomach...causing discomfort so I refrain from eating too much. I can eat a half a sandwich fixed with mayo tomatoes lettuce and onions, a few hrs later i can finish it but that fills me up for the entire day and evening. Eggs are not good, they make me feel strange. Chicken sometimes will cause adverse affects on me, why I dont know.

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

i tried to move on my own from beginning got bored with walking around made me stay on 4th floor ...there are 7 big nails going up wall where the new construction is ..only been home overnite will add more later. Later is here, my activity level at work is really bad cuz I'm required to sit for 7 hrs and 15 mins...I try to walk on my breaks and my lunch but if its hot I dont do that too good and if someone stops me to talk that is defeated. I need more exercise, but I dont like to do it alone. I still cannot sleep good Im a virtual niteowl..My energy in cleaning house has increased and I have cleaned up a storm!!! I sit in front of a computer much too long..and I watch too much tv. Right now I take lots of naps...lack of exercise Im sure. I need exercise:(((

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

juice + is all nothing more, not doing that like I should I get a shot of vitamin b12 at the drs once a month that seems to really increase my energy for about 2 weeks. I took a dietary supplement today but I dont know why Im not eating enuf now as it is:((( I just wanted to take it to see results on the scales...I need to stay off the scales.....

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?

Im still losing large amts of hair diahrrhea was bad at first for about 6 weeks now its constipation....dr told me to take percogesic. It helped for the really bad time...but wondering if I need to take on a daily basic..my schedule is not consistant by all means like it used to be. Right now I cant sleep and Im stressing at work and experiencing some ups and downs with emotions and tiredness.

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

Nothing was bad about it cept I had to stay in the hospital too long and I had that awful IV in my hands first one than the other...its uncomfortable and it hurt. Restricted my movement. If I hadnt had the lung prob due to not the surgery but other reasons i could have gotten out sooner I was ready to go home on the 3rd nite or 4th day and staying 7 days killed me:((( It depressed me and made me miserable. I could move easy enough and I could sit good and I could sleep okay, but going to the bathroom was difficult because of the surgery and it hurt to bend over not hurt hurt like unbearable just prevented me from moving and bending like i was used to doing. Sides I was pouting about having to stay in the hospital...lol

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

None because of my work schedule, however I do recognize I do need it and I feel it is very necessary and important.

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

Its no biggie its just there...the one for my hysterectomy is worse it itches all the time and drives me nutzo....

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I'm having one now and its driving me crazy..and its a disappointment to me I wanted to lose about 20 or 30 more lbs before it happened, if I would just exercise I wouldnt be having them, I want to exercise I just dont like to do it alone...so I dont do it....I have to find someone to exercise with me asap. Prob is I dont know hardly anyone here. 4/14/2002 - Plateaus are discouraging I think the best advice is the one Dr. Pearce gave me at the onset ...don't go by your scales go with inches and how your body feels...best advice anyone can receive...the slower the better...I have experienced long long long plateaus maybe due to my thyroid? Can't say but then I havent asked the Dr's either. I'm just going with the flow of results...Most unnerving part is none of my clothes fit and I don't want to buy cuz even now I am still losing, but I gotta wear something...:))

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes lots of compliments and they seem to treat me more fairly and with praise not only for my weight loss, but for my attitude. They seem more receptive towards me and seek me out more than I seek them out.