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

Cousin had it done. Has done well but has gained some weight back. I was nervous but Dr. Smith is an awesome surgeon!!

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

First time i went through the process i had other insurance which did not cover WLS. A year later my insurance changed at work and it was covered. Had certain things (dietician visits, psych eval, prior weight loss attempts) i needed to do before being approved. Continued with counseling

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

Dr. Smith is a caring surgeon. He treated me with dignity and respect. Would definitely recommend him!!! I made a list of questions to ask before i had my first visit since i knew i would be nervous.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Pain in my knees and back, hard to walk without breathing hard, wanting to be able to sit in a chair and not worry if it would break. Wanting to live a better quality of life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Discussed with Dr. Smith and decided lap rny was the best choice for me.

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?

It's normal to have fears and worries. We went/are going through major surgery. There are always risks but the benefits outweighed the risks for me. I was nervous but excited to get it done.

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 was very supportive about my decision to have surgery. After surgery it was hard being around the "goodies" and treats that had become a normal part of my life prior to surgery. Cleaned out cupboards and no longer keep "bad" foods in the house.

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

Employer was supportive. I told them that i was having the surgery. They were concerned about the length of time i would be out of work and my restrictions when i came back. One employee asked me why i didn't choose the lap band instead and that had a shorter recovery time. I simply told the employee the decision was between me and my surgeon. I was out of work for 6 weeks-used my vacation time.

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

Hospital stay was not fun. Felt some nurses treated me well others not as supportive. Most important things to bring are robe or slippers, something to read or do, something that brings you comfort. Supportive people to be around are very important!

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

Yes. My oxygen stats dropped when i would walk. Had oxygen for a couple days. Used oxygen when i walked and shortly after. Some nurses were more compassionate than others. I personally think nurses who have personally dealt with weight issues are the best to help WLS patients. They seem to understand our feelings better.

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

Tired, cried sometimes without reason. Not in too much pain. At first i thought "what did i do to myself." More discomfort than pain. I coped by continuing with counseling. That has been the most important thing for me.

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

Tired, not in too much pain mostly discomfort. Depressed and cried sometimes for no reason. The liquid & pureed diet was the worst! Got tired of not being able to eat real food. The first month for me was the hardest.

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

150 miles. When making followup appointments made all needed appointments on the same day to limit the drive. Couldn't attend support group since it was so far 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.

Started off with liquid and pureed diet. Progressed to soft diet and then normal diet. Foods i still avoid are things with sugar-dumping is bad! Avoid carbonated drinks i tried a sip and OUCH. Hated skim milk before surgery and would drink 1%. After surgery can only drink skim which is better for me. The 1% seems like cream to me after surgery. Chocolate is off limits-that dumping again.

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

Slowly started to increase my activity level as doctor allowed. Had joined a gym prior to surgery and went back when doctor said it was ok. Was really tired after surgery and took a lot to get back to my regular activities.

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

Multi vitamin, Vitamin b12, b100, calcium. Use protein suppliments.

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?

Had nausea, felt tired, dumping, hair loss after surgery. Dumping was definitely the worst for me. Hurt and was so uncomfortable! I have to watch what i eat everyday so i don't dump. Got my protein and vitamins in and the hair loss went away.

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

The fears and worries before surgery. The liquid and pureed diet after surgery. The tiredness, hair loss, dumping. Learning to distinguish between head hunger and real hunger. Trying to keep my emotional eating in check.

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

Wasn't a support group close to my area until recently. Had met some people who had WLS and we talked etc. It's so helpful to know you aren't alone and other people feel the same things and go through some of the same things you do presurgery and post op.

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

Have 4 small scars from the lap surgery. Have had no problems with healing etc.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Experiencing a plateau now a year out. It's hard and frustrating. Worry sometimes that i could possibly gain some weight back. Working out and going to counseling to help.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. Which is nice but also frustrating at times too. I am the same person inside that i was 120 pounds heavier. It's frustrating the prejudice and discrimination obese people have to endure in society. Can especially notice it now when other people notice an obese person and make comments-them not knowing i was an obese person not too long ago.