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

Friend had it. I was excited about it from the beginning. When I learned what a commitment it took, I gulped pretty good, but I weighed the risks against the rewards and the rewards won.

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

I chose a very uncaring Doctor in the beginning. I ended up waiting many months for him to do his job, finally gave up and got a good Doctor. From my first meeting with him to my surgery date was about 6 weeks. If a doctor holds you up for 'months', don't put up with it. MOVE ON!!

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

My first meeting with Dr Tenewitz was very informative. I had been researching this surgery for nearly two years, so I knew quite a lot. However, I did have some questions and he answered them in such a way that I knew exactly what the answers were. No question left with a question mark...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My health

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had already decided that the Roux-En-Y looked like the best surgery for me. Dr Tenewitz reinforced that opinion.

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 have no fears about dying. I have more fear of living the rest of my life in this unhealthy condition.

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?

After the first 'shock', my family was very supportive.

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

I was in the hospital for four days. In ICU for a couple of hours. I don't think you can 'enjoy' a hospital stay, but it wasn't bad. Holmes is set up for obesity surgery and the personnel were great with the problems. I brought a ton of stuff...pj's robe etc. I used nothing but the robe.

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

I have a wound infection. A home nurse comes to my house 7 days a week to clean and pack it. It's a hassle, but bearable..not too much pain. My biggest problem has been diarrhea. I have had it non-stop for the entire period since my surgery. My Dr has tried everything. I don't know where we'll go from here!! I seem to have a bad reaction to any type of protein source except 'real' food. Spent 5 days in the hospital. Everything is fine now. I was terribly dehydrated.

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

Felt great...only anxiety was anticipation.

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

I was euphoric. The weight was falling off...I had a little energy for the first time in 4 or 5 years. There were some problems. The diarrhea, the wound infection...also walking was a problem. I had been on an electric cart for over 3 years.

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

My trip was 140 miles roundtrip. I believe it adversely affected my aftercare. I got dehydrated and ended up in the hospital again for 4 days due to the diarrhea problems....I feel that had I been closer, the Dr. would have caught the problems before they became serious. I was drinking plenty of water when I got dehydrated. Go figure that one!

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 am intolerant of the protein supplement...that's been a major problem for 4 months. I cannot eat even a bite of beef...and for a couple of months I couldn't tolerate eggs. I'm over the egg thing now, but the beef is a no-no. I got low in my protein, so now I take about an ounce of the supplement every hour or two. I seem to tolerate that okay. At six months out, I can eat everything. I don't get very hungry, but I now tolerate all foods.

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

2 One a Day with iron...1500 calcium...1500 glucosamine....400 vitamin E.... 1000 Vitamin C....B12 shots - 100 cc's per mo.

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 only major problem was diarrhea, which caused dehydration. My food intolerances were all cured by 5 months out.

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

The wound infection.

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

I have a support group in FL and also one in AL. I think they're absolutely essential. This is a fairly hard lifestyle to deal with in the beginning. Most people don't understand it..even if they're supportive. It is important to be around people that can talk intelligently about what you're dealing with. Best of all...if you run into a problem, there is usually someone who's already had it who can tell you how they dealt with it.

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

It goes from my breastbone to my navel and looks like a zipper. I'm guess it's going to look better than my Triple Bypass scar. Yes, after I found out that my Doctor wouldn't do Lap on me, I figured I'd have a large scar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I seem to live with plateaus. I go along for a week or more (one time 22 days) losing nothing. Then I'll drop from 3 to 8 lbs at once. I think my weight loss is pretty normal..I've lost 59.6 lbs in 4 months. That's nearly 15 lbs per month...sounds real good to me. I also noticed that I lost inches each time I stopped losing weight. Hey...as long as you're losing something.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Definately. It makes me so angry.