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

My process was easy, I had Medicare and Medical because I am on disability (SSD and SSI) for my bipolar disorder. I did not have to get preapproval and as soon as I fulfilled my end of the deal, such as the psych eval, nutrition counceling etc. it was a matter of weeks before I was on the table. My only advise for people is keep trying...

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

My first meeting with my surgeon was brief. He went over my health history with me and informed me of the things that I needed to do to have the surgery. He also was very good at listening to my concerns and aswering my questions. My advise to people is to write down everything you want your surgeon to know and also all the questions no matter how small they are you want answered. I kept a pad of paper around in my purse, at my bedside and at my computer to write things down as they came to me.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided to have the surgery because I felt it was my last resort. I couldn't loose the weight on my own, and I needed help.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wasn't given a choice, my surgeon only preforms one type of opperation as far as I know.

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 terrified. I admit though that I was so unhappy with my weight that I was either going to have the surgery and take the risk of dying or I was going to not keep myself alive any longer. I was misserable with myself and I needed help. I was totaly willing to put up with anything that arose from the surgery as long as I lost the weight. I don't nessisarily think I thought a whole lot about the chance of dying. I think that my family was more worried than I was. I was also lucky in that I was fairly healthy before the surgery minus the weight. ie no diabetes or high blood pressure. I guess my advise to people is that they should look very carefully at their lives and weight the risks and benefits of the surgery before having it done. Reevaluate your fears often and I even suggest reevaluating your life the morning of surgery. Once your in there that's it, but no one is goign to be angry if you change your mind at the last minute.

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 have given me support from day one. They stood beside me and cheered me on. They gave me strength when I had none of my own. My fioncee has given me nothing but his undying love during this journey, even though it has been very hard on him.

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

I am not currently working. I was off for the summer from school.

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 as good as any stay can be. I felt pretty miserable after the surgery. They kept me fairly pain free. They also pushed for me to get out of bed as soon as possible. I was in the hospital for three days. I think the most important thing to bring with you is comfortable clothes to go home in. I also liked having my own pillows and toiletries.

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

I had no complications after the surgery. I did develop gallbladder stones about eight months after the surgery and had my gallbladder removed.

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 was SCARED!!!!! I was afraid that maybe I was doing the wrong thing. At my preop appt I was shaking. I coped with anxiety by keeping my mind off of the impending date and trying to focus on having positive thoughts about the surgery. I am not very religeous, but I found myself preying a lot. I know I got down on my knees and talked to God a few times, especially the day before surgery.

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

I was exausted most of the time. The first few days home were very rough, I had a lot of pain and didn't want to move. I focused on walking up and down the halls of my apartment, five or six times every half hour. I spent a lot of time sleeping. I was shocked at how little I was injesting. Only a few sips of broth at a time. It was hard to even do that. I just wasn't hungry or thirsty.

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

I had surgery right down the street from my house.

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.

Okay well in the first two weeks after surgery I was restricted to small amounts of clear liquids such as jello and broth. I had a rough time taking anything in at that point. About the third week I started puree diet. I started easy with some pudding and scrambled egg. Then I added small amounts of meat such as chicken and turkey. I moved to solid food in the fifth week I started out with a lot of soups and one of my favorite lunches was tuna fish on ritz crackers. Tuna is really high in protien. I also started wating small amounts of ground beef and pork. I eventually went to eating small portions of pretty much anything I wanted. The foods that have always been out for me have been eggs, milk, cannot eat a lot of milk products at one time, greasy or fried foods, spicy food, and not too much sugar containing foods at one time. I don't eat a lot of dessert type foods such as pie, ice cream, or cake. I enjoy occational small amounts of chocolate or a cookie. Now I can eat almost anything. My typical day of food consists of toast and fruit for breakfast or oatmeal. I eat a sandwich for lunch, usually half a sandwich with turkey and swiss cheese with reduced fat mayo. I usually have some beef jerkey or a granola bar for a snack in the afternoon. I do drink water, but also enjoy diet coke now that my stomach isnt so tiny and the fizz doesnt make me feel like im going to explode. I usually have a half of a chicken breast, half a pork chop, some kind of casserole made with tuna or ground beef, half a steak. I eat a very small amount of starches, sometimes none at all. I also try to work a veggie and fruit in my day somewhere.

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

I started out easy with walking my hallway three times every half hour. About a week after surgery I was out walking outside half a mile a day. I gradually increased this until I was walking either outside or on the treadmill at a fast pace for a mile and a quarter.

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

prenatal multivitamins- now Flinstone chewables- for six monthes after surgery Iron pills- after surgery for about six months Vitamin B 12 pills- for about six months after surgery Calcium chews- now when I remember 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 think the hardest side effect to cope with is losing my hair. I lost a lot of hair for about six monthes. I am now starting to regrow it a year later. I also have a hard time with vomiting and nausea. I still have problems with vomiting and nausea. Usually it is my fault, I eat too fast or eat something I shouldn't be eating. Sometimes I just feel crappy after eating. I cope with these problems pretty well now. I was really upset and cried a lot about my hair. I have learned to cope with it though. I was also very upset about feeling sick all the time in the begining and now I cope really well with that.

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

I think the worst part of the entire surgery is the longing I sometimes get to be able to eat a normal sized meal, or to be able to eat something I know I can't eat. Everything else I've gotten used to.

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

I attended two meetigs of the support group for my surgeon. The groups were too far away, and I couldn't get to them because I couldn't drive at night. So, they have not been important to me. This websight has given me enough support when I've needed it.

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

I have a scar on the middle of my abdomen between my breasts from the breastbone to about half way to my belly button. It is not what I expected, and I was upset about it for awhile. It has gotten very light and is not nearly as noticeable as it used to be.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I had a plateau in my seventh month. I didn't lose hardly any weight for several months. The weight loss then continued, and continues on today even though I'm not really wanting to lose too much more weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice that strangers treat me a lot differently now. They dont stare at me, or make rude comments. When I flew on a plane this year no one gave me the oh my god she sitting with me look! A lot more men look at me now thatI'm smaller. They seemed to hardly notice when I was big. The people in my life that matter most, my fioncee, my parents, my best friend, my family, they dont treat me any differently. They have always loved me for me, and I am lucky for that.