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

My Mom had bariatric surgery about 20 years ago. I was a concerned young girl. It looked excruciating....until a few weeks later, when my Mom put on a pair of pants that she had bought to work towards wearing as her goal....they were hanging off her.....and she sobbed with joy. Needless to say, she has now gained all of the weight back plus more. I think that eating disorders need to be addressed and tested for more before having this surgery.

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

I had no problems with getting approved for the surgery....it was a breeze.

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

I was nervous about inquiring about the surgery, but after having a session with my surgeon, he put my mind at ease and all I had to wonder and worry about was what the pain scale was going to be like. I think that if you have any questions, write them down so as not to forget them. Bring the paper with you to the appointment. I did ALOT of research on the surgery online before I even considered having it done.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had been gaining weight without barely eating anything.....and I was so frustrated! I showered one morning and I went to put on my 'fat jeans' and almost blew the zipper trying to zip them up. I was determined right then and there!!!! There are just so many deep knee bends a pair of jeans can take without giving a blowout!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon actually only does the open roux n-y, but I really didn't have any options, but I'm still glad that I went throught with it.

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 petrified of the complications that might arise, but I knew that there was only a very slim chance that anything could happen. I'm a very healthy person, so that made things go alot better for me. I was shopping the day I went home from the hospital and I walk daily. Also, I didn't need any pain meds ever since I got home.

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?

I had ALOT of opposition from family and friends!!! I had, maybe, 4 people that told me to do what I wanted, but the other people nagged me to the last hour that I went into the hospital. I even had a nurse bug me about it while I was changing into a gown for surgery! She plainly said, " You know that you're going to hurt like an SOB?", " You still have time to say NO.", AND then she said, " You know, this doesn't work for everyone, are you willing to chance your life for that?"

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

I'm a college student on summer break.

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

Well, I remember waking up in ICU....my husband kissing me and pouting " oh, honey, are you ok?" I looked at him groggily and gave him the thumbs up and conked out. I was in ICU with nurse ratchet for about 2 days....very faint memory days. I was up and walking and sitting in a chair within hours...rather painful. I also wanted to send nurse ratchet off the end of my foot for pulling me up when I wasn't ready, but that is now a very dim memory. I was transferred to my own room on the 2nd night. I was alone in a double room for 3 days....very quiet in that part of the hospital at that time. I was 1 of only 4 patients on the floor.....until the third night when they were overfilled with alot of patients coming in. The care was UNREAL!!!!! I was treated like a queen....even when the place was full and way too busy. My pain had almost disapeared by the 4th day!!! ALOT of movement and walking was what made it go away. You don't want to think about that at the time, but it's true. Movement gets everything moving inside your body again and once you start liquids after a couple of days...you flush, and I MEAN FLUSH, everything out of your system. WALK WALK WALK! And shower....don't lay in the bed...you feel SO MUCH BETTER! I didn't bring much of anything with me to the hospital...they provided everything I needed, and I went walking around for magazines when I got bored of TV, which I don't like anyway. I actually didn't bring anything with me to the hospital....remember....if you start to bring things in of your own, it's that many more trips to the car. Like coming back from vacation. And how many of us like to unpack???? And send home your flowers and plants with hubby the night before you go home...it makes it so much easier to just get HOME. My surgeon turned out to be GREAT! Down to earth....sweet and caring. I felt like going for a brisk walk after he came in to visit in the mornings. WONDERFUL GUY!!

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

None....well, except for, ah...well, I did end up getting my period during surgery! I was so mad....at least I had meds. WHEW. Oh, ladies....bring your own undies from home...unless you want to wear lovely mesh undies that itch and pads that go from the middle of you back to your belly button!!! Heeheeehee.

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 talked to ALOT of people, online and offline...called doctors and people that have had the surgery done, asking them ANYTHING I could think of.

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

Today is the 17th and I got out on the 15th of August. I feel great!!!! I get a bit tired, and it's sometimes hard to figure out how much food feels 'right'. But my tummy hasn't given me a bit of trouble....not even when I nibbled on something I shouldn't have, of course, I wouldn't tell ANYONE to do that. I was being stupid! But it's hard to tell sometimes how much food I should be eating...although I know it's a very small fraction of what I used to eat. Also, stay away from anything carbonated for awhile!!!! You HAVE NO ROOM FOR BUBBLES IN THAT NEW TUMMY!

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

My surgery was done in the same town that I live in....I live only a few blocks away.

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.

I'm still pretty early post-op, but I've tried alot of different things already and not a thing has bothered me....AS LONG AS YOU CHEW CHEW CHEW. AND ~ SIP~ I miss not being able to chug a glass of ice water whenever I felt the urge.

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

I went shopping the same day that I got home from the hospital. ( No Pain meds) I took it slow and went to the store when there weren't that many people around so I wouldn't get bumped...it was fun to spend some time with my husband...and I like to shop..even if it's just for toilet paper! It's an activity, something to make you get up and MOVE. May I remind you that my incision was 14 inches long....with 41 staples. I didn't have a hard time even walking and getting some exercise.

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

I take chewable centrums 2x a day and maalox chews 3x a day for extra calcium. The Maalox chews are a nice substitute for sweets, if you crave them, and they give you the extra boost you need.

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?

The only bad thing I remember was when I was speaking with the nutritionist, after I had been on clear liquids for a day, my tummy started growling and howling!!! I heard a very loud gurgle, so did she, we giggled like mad......and I had to run for the bathroom, and I do mean run. I spent alot of time in there for 2 days...and then I came home and it's tapered off. So now I don't have the ' uh oh, oh boy, I better run' anymore, and I find that it's much easier to eat now.

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

The first 2 days were the worst part. The pain was excruciating. It seems like a bad dream now....from just a week or two ago. Oh, AND the lovely removal of the side drain in your tummy. THAT HURT. You'd think that the nurse would give you a warning before she pulls it out....and you wouldn't think that it's THAT long...and with THAT THING on the end of it. You just hold your breath and think....GOD, does that thing have an end????

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

I plan to stay with the peers at WLS!!!!!!! You guys have been so great and I'm so THANKFUL for your prayers and support. I beleive it was all your prayers that made me heal so quickly! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

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

I was quite surprised after peeking at my big 'owie'. After bandages were removed so I could shower, the incision was 14 inches...with 41 staples. COUGH COUGH. It looks much better without the staples now....hope it gets alot better very quickly. I want to wear a cute swimsuit.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

It's now the 22nd of August, my surgery was on the 7th. I'm down to 252lbs. (from 275). It seems that it's moving VERY slowly and it's so frustrating! I barely eat anything that's saturated with calories. I have 1 hot cup of carnation instant breakfast early in the morning, a tapioca (fat free) pudding for lunch, and 4 tiny bites of something for dinner ( low calories and low fat). Plus I sip on non-caloric beverages during the day to meet my liquid requirment. I wonder when this is going to end?????

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

My kids, their friends, and my husband treat me differently. They seem pretty proud of me and I get a few glances of wonder, "IS she losing weight???" type looks. My husband has been very protective of me so I don't do too much at a time. AND he's really noticing that I'm losing the weight...he's pretty interested!!! I seem to have some of my daughter's guy friends around a bit more....my daughter (a teen-ager) complains that they're flirting with me!!! I love it. I feel younger and my husband says I look younger.