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

Seemed like a miracle

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

Mine was a breeze - got the approval in 2 days. Advice? Research the best ones, and switch to a new provider, if possible.

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

Positive. Best way is to go to this website and see how others rate the surgeon in terms of competence, experience, and bedside manner.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Felt it was a life-or-death decision. That I had no choice - if I didn't do it, I'd die from a heart attack.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

One with the greatest weight loss results with the least risk.

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 particularly worried about the complications, since overwhelmingly, patients reports (as did bariatric staff and educators)stated if one complied fully with post-op lifestyle, death or other serious complications was minimized. I would tell others to talk with surgeons and go on-line, and become very educated. Education is the key.

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?

Family and friends were wary - they had only heard about complications, not the successes. But after surgery, everyone was much more supportive.

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

Very positively. I told my bosses everything. I was out of work 3 weeks.

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

Wonderful. Hospital set up a special ward for bariatric surgery patients. I was in for 3 days. Bring a brush for your hair, toothbrush and toothpaste, a robe (it gets cold), a book, and crossword puzzles.

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

Yes - I developed gallstones and an anastomotic ulcer. I had surgery to remove the gallstones 2 months after the gastric bypass and was treated with antibiotics for the ulcer.

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 felt great!!! I didn't have any anxiety, except I was worried about not being able to eat very much afterwords....so I ate a lot before!

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

I was in pain for the first week, but I was able to control it with pain medication. My stomach was tender and queasy for the first week. I had a lot of soup. I walked a lot every day. I was tired, so I also slept a lot.

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

40 miles. Didn't affect aftercare in the least.

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.

FIrst 8 weeks, my surgeon restricted me to mushy, near-pureed foods like mashed potatoes, potted meat, cheese, fish, eggs. After that, I added new foods as I could tolerate them. Nothing fried (except eggs) for several months. Water - lots of it. At first, it tasted metallic to me, so I flavored it with no-suger lemonade. I've never tolerated carbonated drinks - made my stomach hurt. I limited starchy items like breads until after 9 months or so. Now, at a year and 2 months out from surgery, I eat a varied diet, but still eat protein first, then veggies, then fruit. If I have room, I have some potatoes or a bite of bread. I still avoid sugar almost completely - if I feel like eating a sweet, I eat a sugar free candy or small piece of sugar-free cake.

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

Initially, fairly low, but I got stronger day by day, and was so excited about the weight loss, my activity level rose and rose!

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?

Nausea - worst by far. Persisted for about 2 weeks. Just drank a lot of soup and water and protein shakes. Vomiting - none Sleep disturbances - none Dumping - none ever Hair loss - dismaying, but stopped after 6 months

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

Hmmmm...I guess the initial pain when I woke up from surgery. But I had PCA drugs available that quickly addressed the pain.

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

On-line. For me, not so important. The support group at the hospital meets at night, and 40 miles from my house, so it is not an option for me. Most of my support comes from my nutritionist and surgeon, who have been very helpful.

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

Rapidly fading. Entirely as expected - no surprises.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None - I did exactly what my surgeon suggested, and had steady weight loss results.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes - I'm just a normal person now. It's great!