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

I have had my best friend talk about wanting to get her stomach stapled. I thought that she was crazy. A couple of years later I meet a co-worker who had had the surgery and she shared her story with me. I never seriously thought about the surgery until about 3 years after my co-worker explained it to me. I saw a commercial on the television and totally related to it.

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

I visited the Bariatrics Center in Wylie, Texas on Oct. 15. I was very impressed with the surgeon and the staff. They were very helpful answering questions and I felt very comfortable with them. When I went for my initial consultation I had several questions written down so that I wouldn't forget any and I took a friend so that she could think of things that I might have forgotten. It was also nice to have someone to reflect back with about the consultation.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I have done lost of research and spoken with several people who have had the surgery and I feel this may be my only way out.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The doctor recommended the Gastric Bypass.

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 am not really afraid if many complications. I have put my surgery in God's hands and if this is what I am to have done I will not worry. If it is something He doesn't want me to have done He will shut the doors and it won't happen.

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?

I have had several co-workers kind of freek out about me even considering the surgery and others are very, very supportive.

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

I can tell my boss doesn't really like the idea, but she will let me have the time off. I have not had the surgery yet, but I have spoken with her a couple of times about it and try to keep her informed with what is going on with the insurance and stuff.

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

I had open gastric bypass & was in the hospital from Friday, Feb 16 until Sunday, Feb 18. My experience was a good one. The entire stay is kinda still a blur. I do remember my best friend making me walk a lot. I know that helped a lot. I do not think there was a lot that I really cared about having in the hospital. I would suggest non-skid houseshoes, a hair brush & probably something very big & comfortable to wear home. I did not worry about a robe to walk the halls in. The hospital I was at had large gowns that covered me so that was not a problem. I probably could have walked around naked, had it not been for my best friend staying with me. You don't seem to really care about your looks or anything. At least I did not.

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

I did not have any complications after my surgery except about 12 to 13 months after I had a twisted intestine due to scar tissue. They opened me back up & snipped the scar tissue & my intentine opened back up. Then back to work & have done great since.

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 went back to work about 1 1/2 weeks after having the open gastric bypass. I only worked half days on Thur & Fri. I started back full time just two weeks after having my surgery. I was tired & really tried to take it easy. I was a secretary at the time & just did not do any heavy lifting. The biggest thing I can recommend is eat SLOWLY. If you do not eat slowly you will feel like you are having a heart attack. It is very painful if you eat to much or to fast. I did start to morn the loss of food. I could not understand how anyone would possibly feel this way, but it did happen. I suggest speaking with a counselor about this ahead of time. It will happen. I know I used food for comfort, anxiety, anger, reward, everything.

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

I did not have anyone at home with me when I got released from the hospital. I think it would be good to have someone with you if possible. I made it just fine, but you are very tired & having someone help would have been nice, but not totally necessary. I was tired & could not sleep in the bed for a couple of weeks. I slept on my couch propped up. I also had two dog children & I kept a pillow across my tummy at all times. They were really good about staying off my tummy for about the 1st two weeks. It was like they knew. I was really worried about this since they usually used my stomach as a spring board.

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

My surgery was done about 2 hours or 100 + miles away. It was not that bad. I had my two week check up & then a couple of other visits with the doctor. My doctor was always just a phone call away. I still attend support group meetings & we have a website for patients that my doctor post to all the time & reads everyday.

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.

The first week I ate a lot of soup or protein drinks. I started eating mashed potatoes in the 2nd week. I thought I was in heaven. I ate s/f pudding, protein drinks, s/f jello, mashed potatoes, soup & soft stuff. About 2 to 3 weeks after surgery my best friend blended up some roast, potatoes, & carrots & I basically kind of drank them. At about 3 weeks I was starting to eat solid foods. Could not eat chicken for quite a while. Made me dump badly.

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

I do remember being pretty tired. It probably took a couple of months or so to get to feeling better. At about six months you will be unstoppable.

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

I take children's chewable multivitamins, extra iron, zinc, magnisum & calcium.

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 had sever hair loss about 5 months out. It lasted for about 6 to 8 weeks. That really sucked, but it does grow back. I did dump (threw up) if I ate to much or to fast at first & still dump (no throwing up) now. I just feel like my heart is racing & have the sweats & pain now if I eat to much sugar or eat to fast.

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

The worst part was the waiting for the consult & insurance approval. Really it think the greaving of the lost of food or Dr Peppers was the worst. Also learning not to drink with your meal was pretty tough. The surgery itself was not bad at all.

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

Since having my surgery in another city, about 100+ miles away & a two hour drive, it is a little difficult for me to make every meeting each month. During my 1st few months after surgery it was very important & I found ways to get to the meetings. Now 2 1/2 months post-op I have a tendency to not make it to the meetings. I feel it is a very important part of the program & suggest everyone use any support available.

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

My scar is still pretty wide. I had the open & a twisted intestine a little over a year after my gastric bypass. My scar is still there & about 6 inches long.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am so far out I can not remember the plateaus like I could back in the beginning. The biggest thing now that is a problem is I have gained 20 lbs since my surgery 2 1/2 years ago. As so many people explain this is JUST a tool, NOT a miracle. I can now eat sugar without dumping, still get hot flashes sometimes, but not enough. It is very important to learn to eat right. This is something I still have not mastered. It is very important to learn to eat healthy from the beginning. It is a difficult thing to do & I highly recommend trying to master it from the beginning so you don't have to try to get it under control a couple of years down the road. I am in the process of getting myself under control again so that I don't gain anymore weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

There were times my best friend would have problems with me. She would tell me she liked me better when I was fat. I think a lot of it was jealousy. She has since has the surgery & everything has gone back to the way it was before. I think a lot of it is we get our self confidence back & don't let ourselves be door mats any longer & people don't like that. We begin to blossom & find out who we really are & who we can be without hiding behind our weight.