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

I found out about this surgery about 10 years ago, but decided it was much too drastic and that you had to be desperate. I didn't think I was desperate. I should have.

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

This was easy. I didn't have to do anything. They approved me within three days. I did however, provide my surgeon with a list of all the diet programs I could recall being on, and records from those programs I had access to (medically supervised).

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

My first visit was great. Use this time to get as many questions answered as you can, so you are even more prepared.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided I can not live in the body anymore and it has to be changed permanently.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

This was discussed by me and the surgeon. I would have taken any procedure he was willing to do.

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?

None

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 and most of my family were very supportive. My grandmother had a fit, so I told my mother not to upset her by talking about it.

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

My boss was surprised, but supportive, which made me happy. She told me to "just get well fast".

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

My stay in the hospital was pretty uneventful. They did make me do breathing treatments two or three times a day, but towards the end I had less and less of those. Things went pretty well.

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

I found out I had a large ovarian cyst (doc said about the size of a basketball) which had to be remove and fortunately was benign. Damned thing probably weighed 10 pounds all by itself.

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 was just mainly worried that something would happen to cancel it. Fortunately, the Gods smiled on me and everything went fine.

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

This was tough. Couldn't wipe myself the first three days, so fortunately my DH did that for me. Must be love. Laying in bed was tough, but my DH bought me one of those pillows with the arms. You know, it gets smaller at the top. I discovered that if I flipped it on its back with the wider end where my head went, I could sleep fairly comfortably.

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

I only went about 5 miles to get my surgery. In retrospect, I think that my original choice of surgeon which would have been about a 40 minute ride, would have been a mistake. The ride home was tough.

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.

So far, I'm on puree. The first two weeks were clear liquid (and that was sooo boring after about three days). Then I went to full liquid and started having diet puddings and sugar free fudge bars, which was great. I also had oatmeal and cottage cheese which I love. I did try to eat some hamburger helper with my DH and daughter one night and threw it up. I have tossed up a few things. Twice eggs made me sick, but three times I had no trouble eating them, so I guess you just have to try.

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

Moderate activity, mostly up and down the stairs. Grocery shopping was tough, but fortunately I had my daughter with me to help and one time my son and his girlfriend came along too, which was nice.

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

Calcium citrate and chewable flintstones.

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?

So far the side effects have been manageable.

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

The foley catheter and my matted hair.

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

Weekly support meetings with both moral support and nutritional counseling. Its very important because I can learn a lot from all the people there. Most of them are more post-op than I am and they have valuable advice to offer.

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

Well, my scar is completely healed after a small infection. I also had a seroma (sp?) in the middle, which was a pain in the neck. But the interesting thing was, that the spot where the seroma was, and just above and below it, are the thinnest part of the scar. The staple holes are starting to fade nicely and so are some parts of the scar. But down towards my belly button and up in the middle of my chest its not fading quite so fast.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My plateaus have been very small so far. In the third week I only lost 1/2 pound. In the sixth week I only lost two pounds. So far I can't complain.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Well, not really. I've only lost 57 pounds so far, and still have about 150 to go (hopefully). I'll revisit this question in the future.