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

I found out about roux-en-y surgery through my first therapist. At first I thought I wasn't that fat. I just needed to go back to Weight Watchers AGAIN and find some willpower.

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

I was worried about the insurance approval but Dr. Quinlin's office handled it. I was approved on the first try. I was lucky.

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

I read everything I could on the surgery before my appointment so I was prepared with questions. That is the best approach - to be prepared for any questions you might have.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I quit denying that I was not a obese person and faced the reality that obesity is an illness and I have it. I took the health risks of being obese seriously. At the ripe old age of 40 I was starting to have back problems, being out of breath and nerve damage in my legs and high blood pressure. None of which the doctors said was normal for my age. I was scared literally for my life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

For me the roux-en-y was the only option I considered. If I was going to have surgery I wanted something that would be more permanent and had the greatest impact on losing the weight.

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?

I was not afraid. My family was. Though my whole ordeal I just had a peaceful feeling that finally I was doing the right thing and everything would be alright. It was.

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 husband was the only person who did not support me until the last Dr. appt. before the surgery. I think he was just so frightened something was going to happen to me. Now he is great. My best friend stuck to me like glue from the very first appointment. My support was great.

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

My employer did not understand my need to do this but even he supported me. I told him the truth of course. I was off work for four weeks but I was "on call" so to speak. My employees brought things home to me and I answered questions and dealt with stuff over the phone.

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

I stayed in the hospital for three days. I brought the most important thing with me - my husband. He stayed by my side the entire time tending to me like I was a newborn. Some of the nursing care was rough.

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

No.

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 kept busy. There was only two weeks for me to wait so I was busy preparing to go and to leave work.

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

I was sore and tired. I slept 12 - 14 hours a day. The first week was the most difficult because the diet consisted of liquids only and popsicles and jello. I now loathe them!!!

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

1 1/2 hours one way. It has affected my aftercare because the support group meetings are on a Tuesday evening at 7 PM and I work til 5 or 5:30 PM.

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.

Everything I ate had to be really soft for the first month. Peanut butter did not work for me but soybeans do. Tuna did not work for me either. It is trial and error with foods now 11 weeks after surgery. I do not try too many different things. I stick to protein only things. I really do not want to find out I can eat some of the "bad" foods that I could eat before. I do not eat any kind of pasta or bread at all.

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

Very slow.

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

multi-vitamin, B-12 and calcium

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?

My hair is falling out a bit. I am not worried about it.

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

Jello and popsicles and the pre-op stuff I had to drink to clean out my system. It gave me the worst case of diaper rash.

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

I really don't since it is 1 1/2 hours away. I mainly rely on my family and friends to help me out. They do.

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

My scars a minimum. I am okay with them.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. Everyone is noticing that I am shrinking. It feels really good. I caught a stranger checking me out at the post office the other day. My husband is touching me all over more. We have sex ALOT more now. That is good.