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

I had a friend that had done the VBG surgery, and after about a year, she had lost approx. 90 lbs. I became interested right away after talking to her about it, but became very discouraged after finding out from her, that she was constantly vomiting up whatever she ate. And she did not even attempt to eat small portions of anything. She has now gained back almost all of her wt. and she did not get this thing reversed. Then I began my own research through the internet and found that there were other types of surgery, other than the VBG, and liked what I found out. I read a lot of testimonials from people that had had this done and decided this might be just the thing that I needed. Most of my research came from the internet, but unfortunately, I did not find ObesityHelp.com until after my surgery.

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

I really did not have to do anything, the doctor's office took care of all of the paperwork. I personally did not have any problems with this stage of the journey.

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

The first time I met with Dr. Pilcher was very enlightening for me. I had to watch a video and answer many questions. He explained everything about having this done and the complications that could arise from it and he just told me straight out what the risks were. I really liked that and appreciated his candor. He went into details about the whole thing, before and after. He emphasized after-care and just answered every question I had. He is very informative with his paitents.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After meeting with the Surgeon,and hearing everything he had to say about the surgery and what I could expect afterward, he told me that I was a good candidate for the surgery. My final decision came when he told me he could this laproscopic instead of open surgery. That's what made up my mind fully to go ahead.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I listened to the Surgeon, and went with his recommendation. As long as he could it laproscopic, I was ready.

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?

Personally, I did not have any fears. I felt that this was reasonably safe and Dr. Pilcher had such a good reputation that I felt satisfied that it was the right thing for me.

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 and friends were all happy with my decision. After I explained to them everything that was going to happen, I got great support from them. They had fears of complications from the surgery, and most of my family members knew about the friend that had had the VBG done a few years ago. They said, if mine was going to be anything like that, that I should not have this done. I explained everything that I had learned on the internet, and after talking to the surgeon, I came back to tell them all how safe I felt about this whole thing. After that, everyone around me became very supportive of my decision and now 3 weeks after the surgery, they see how well I am doing and they just constantly praise me and tell me how proud they are of me. They tell me that they really admire that I had the guts to go through with this.At this point, I cannot say that I would have handled any of this any differently.

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

My employer has got to be a saint. I have worked for this man for 24 1/2 years and he has gone through all my dieting efforts for about that long. He has always supported my attempts at getting healthy. He has pushed insurance companies for me, he has bribed me, even with new wardrobes to help me get enthused about losing wt. He has even put himself on some of the diets that I went on just to help me stay on them. He was very aware of my discouragements of not being able to stick to any diets and when I told him about this surgery, I had to go into details to assure him that I felt this was the safest and best thing for me to do, and he said, great, let's do it. I was out of work only 7 days. I came back to work right away, which even pleased him more.

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

My hospital stay was quite pleasant, considering what I had just gone through. The hospital staff, the nurses, everyone involved with my stay, were really great. They were kind, and pretty prompt, and very helpful with containing my pain. The doctor ordered plenty of pain medications, and with that, I really did well. I went to surgery on a Thursday morning and was discharged by Saturday morning. The most important thing for me, was to take my C-Pap with me, because I cannot sleep well without it. And taking some lip balm, like chapstick was very helpful.

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

No, everything went very smoothly.

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

Well, the first time I got a surgery date, the surgery had to be post-poned because the pre-admission tests revealed a very severe anemia. At this time, I was totally devastated and just wanted to call the whole thing off. My surgeon was very kind and he let me cry on his shoulder and promised me that as soon as my iron levels were high enough, he would schedule the surgery. After 3 months of iron therapy, my levels were finally high enough to have the surgery, and my surgeon scheduled it 2 weeks later. After I knew my blood was okay and my surgery had been scheduled, I felt no anxiety at all. I was really excited and looking forward to it.

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

I had the surgery done in a city about 140 miles away from home. On the day of my release from the hospital, I stayed in a hotel room with my family and came home the following day. I was taking pain medication, so I was not uncomfortable on the drive home. We even went walking around at a flea market on the way home. My biggest pain was from sitting up and laying down. In the meantime, I really was not in much pain. I quit taking all pain medications by Monday night.I was on liquids for the first week, which really did not bother me. The second week, I started on mushy foods, and I started experimenting with different foods. I did not have any complications with anything.

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

Only about 140 miles away. It's only a 2 hr drive, so aftercare is not going to be a problem.

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 has only been 3 weeks since my surgery, so I really have not had very much to experiment with. I have found that diet Kool-aid is the best way for me to get most of my water down. I have had only one episode of the dumping syndrome. I think it was a small piece of sausage that I had eaten. Other than that, my tolerance has been excellent. I have eaten chicken, shrimp, pork, yogurt, some fruits, diet jello, tortilla chips, bagel crisps, eggs, pretzels, and cottage cheese. I have been able to add some things in this 3rd. week, like the meats. The hardest thing for me is trying to drink the amount of fluids I am supposed to drink. I am having difficulties drinking that much fluid, but I keep trying.

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

The first week was pretty low. The second week, I seemed to have gotten on a major high. I feel great and everyday it seems I have more and more energy. This third week has been very good.

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

The doctor put me on Flintstones w/iron chewables, two a day. Then I have to chew 4 Tums per day. I also have to take Actigal, which is for my gallbladder, since there was nothing wrong with it, it's still there, and the doctor said that this medicine is for 6 months just so my gallbladder wont' "freak out" with the drastic change in my diet. I am still taking an iron pill, until the doctor says my iron levels will be okay without them. That's 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?

So far, I have not had any side effects.

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

Having to take so many medical tests, especially the Endoscopy and Colonoscopy. And of course, having to get my blood testing every month to keep tabs on my iron. I really have not had any bad experiences with the surgery.

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

It has been one year since my surgery, and I have gotten some e-mails about a support group here in my hometown, but I have not been to any of the meetings yet. I have not had any problems of any kind with anything, so I cannot say how helpful they would have been or are.

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

Since my surgery was done laproscopic, I have only 4 little bitty scars. One below and between my breasts, one on each side of that one and one close to my belly button. They healed really quick and seem to be getting smaller all the time. Yes, this is pretty much what I expected from the surgery, so it has not been a surprise.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

After one year, I have pretty much stopped losing wt. I have lost a total of 106 lbs. and have reached my goal. Most of the wt. was lost in the first 6 months, and it slowed down then. I have maintained my goal wt. for the last 2 months. I have not lost any more nor has my wt. increased at all.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Mostly people are shocked when they see me, and the majority of them do not recognize me until I begin to speak. It's been fun seeing their shocked expressions and reactions. I think that people in general do treat me nicer now, but for the most part, the people I am in daily contact with treat me basically the same as before. I don't feel so self conscious anymore and I have been told that I have "gotten the strut back in my walk". I can't really say if people are treating me differently or if it's me taking their comments and looks differently.