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

I went to a party and someone pointed out another woman, who seemed thin and attractive, and told me that she had had weightloss surgery. I made it a point to talk to her about her experience and what doctor she used. I knew that it was a drastic measure, but I did not feel that I really had any other choice.

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

The doctors office took care of everything. There were no problems.

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

The first visit with my surgeon involved an almost 3 hour wait in the waiting room. However, I knew the end result would make the wait well worth it. The doctor checked over the forms that I had filled out and asked alot of questions. I felt that he was very thorough. Make sure that you are completely honest about everything when you fill out your forms.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I knew that I was slowly losing the battle of life. I could barely move, walking was an effort. I felt that I would not live more than 10 more years if I did not have this surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I went to a weight loss seminar and the procedure that I had,RNY, was the recommended procedure.

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 really had no fears about complications or of dying from the surgery. I kept my focus on what it would be like 1 month after the surgery. I also felt that I would die without the surgery.

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 husband was not in favor of my having the surgery. I think it is because he is also very overweight and could benefit from the surgery. I think that he was afraid that if I was successful in my surgery that I would pressure him to have it as well. He was right about that. My friends were generally not in favor of my having the surgery. They really did not know enough about it and they thought I was a little crazy to want to take such drastic measures to lose weight. Now that the surgery has come and gone and they see the results, they agree with my decision. Except for my husband. He has never said anything good about my decision. It makes me sad that he has never told me that I look good and that he is glad that I had this done, but that's ok. I did this for myself, not for anyone else, and I am very happy that I did this. I have never regretted it, not for one minute.

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

Two weeks before my surgery, I submitted a note to my employer saying that I was having laproscopic surgery and that I would be out for about 2 weeks. I did not specify what type of surgery I was having, although I did tell some of my coworkers. I was out of work for two weeks (the first week as sick time, the second week was taken as a work from home week). The third week, I went back to work for two days, then I went away on business (scheduled before surgery) for 5 days. I did push myself to the limit, and now I realize that I really should have allowed 5 - 6 weeks to recover properly.

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

My stay in Morristown Memorial Hospital was uneventful. I had a room mate while I was there, an elderly lady recovering from gallbladder surgery complications. The nurses were so so. Only one really knew her stuff and took the time to explain to me about the breathing device that I had to use. Night's were not great, too much noise out in the hall. When I had to go to the bathroom one night, the aide came in and undid the compression machine that keeps clots from forming in my legs and never came back to put it back on. It was impossible for me to put it on myself.

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

The third week after the surgery I got a stomach virus. I did not vomit but everything I ate went right thru me. I was worried about getting dehydrated. Finally got in touch with the surgeons office and they told me to take pedialyte and they also told me that I could take Imodian AD as long as I didn't have a fever. This did the trick.

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 did not have too much anxiety, I was excited. I just kept focused on the end result and how good I would look and feel several months after the surgery.

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

There was some discomfort when I came home from the hospital, especially when trying to sit or get up from a sitting position. Going to the bathroom, getting on and off the toilet was the worst of it, but at no time was it unmanageable. I took my pain medication and it helped. I went back to work in week 3. I worked 2 days and went on a business trip for 5 days that week. The following week was when I got the stomach virus. The stomach virus really knocked the sock off of me. Looking back now, I realize that I probably should have allowed a minimum of 5 weeks to properly recover.

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

The hospital was only 1/2 hour 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.

In the beginning, I stuck to soft foods. Because I went on a business trip, I could not take the protein shake during that time. I had no problem with soft foods during the first 5 weeks. On week 5 I tried to eat shrimp. I had a problem getting that down - it was just too dense. I was able to eat cold cuts and salad during that time. I had a craving for corn beef hash. In fact that 5th week I had alot of strange cravings.

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

Week 1 I took as sick time from work. Week 2 I worked from home. Week 3 I went on a business trip. Week 4 I worked for two days but than I got a stomach virus and ended up staying home sick for the rest of the week. Week 5 I went to Florida for a vacation. I did not feel great in Florida. Spent alot of time lying around the pool and going on sight seeing trips in the car. Did spend 1 day at Disney World, but I rented a electric cart to get around. I could not have managed without that cart. Week 6 I finally felt that I was getting back to normal.

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

I take an Iron pill and a 1000 mg pill of B-12 everyday. I also take 2 Viactiv's everyday for calcium. This combination has been successful according to my blood work. Before I started taking the B-12 tablets (6 mos. postop) my B-12 level was low. On the B-12 tablets it is good.

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 never had any problems with dumping, vomiting or sleep loss. I did experience hair loss at about month 5. It lasted about 4 months. It was really more like hair breakage rather than hair loss. I knew that it was temporary and I was really thankful that it was breakage rather than loss. My hair just looked like it was full of split ends. I kept it very short to cope.

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

Getting the staples out 1 week after the surgery. That was an uncomfortable process.

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

None

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

I have 5 little scars. They are all fading and in a few years, you won't be able to see them.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a plateau at about 12 months. By that time I had only lost about 70 lbs and I was only losing maybe 1 or 2 lbs a month. However, this past month (month 15) the weight has started coming off again and I have lost another 15 lbs this month. I have also started going to the gym this month. Before this, I had only thought about going to the gym.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely. People are nicer to me. This in turn makes me nicer to them.