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

A friend at work had the surgery about 6 mos prior to becoming employed and showed me her before picture and told me about it. I was interested immediately and went right to work finding out more.

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

Took 5 wks, if they had asked for prior evidence of attempted weight loss and family history from the beginning it would not have taken that long. Get all medical records up front and forward as much info as possible to your insurance carrier at the beginning.

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

Very informative, he was great with answering all questions my husband and I had.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I truly felt that if I didn't have the surgery my life would be short. I could feel myself becoming more and more unhealthy as years went by and felt I had no choice but to have this surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I let the doctor choose what was best for me based on my age, health and physical condition.

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 had a good bit of fear about the possibility of dying during the surgery but felt it was a chance I had to take. My doctor told me his track record which was excellent and that helped ease my fear somewhat.

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 sons were terrified and didn't want me to have it but they knew how important it was to me and were very supportive both before and after the surgery.

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

My employers were very supportive both before and after the surgery and still continue to compliment me and congratulate me on my decision.

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

Hospital stay was a blur but I do remember being very uncomfortable, my back was killing me from the hospital bed. Had a minor problem during surgery where I had a leak and they had to add a couple of staples so they wouldn't let me have any water for an extra day over the norm and I felt like I was dying of thirst. I couldn't wait to get home. I brought only personal hygene items (shampoo etc.) as you really don't need much in the hospital, you're too busy trying to recuperate.

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

I had a leak that they had to re-staple so I had to have another upper GI day after surgery to make sure nothing was leaking before having any water or ice chips.

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 both excited and scared. It was a very exhilerating feeling but I had to wait for pre-approval which was nerve wracking and my pre-approval came the day before my scheduled surgery. Due to anxiety I had a panic attack in operating room and they cancelled my surgery right there and then and sent me home and I had to re-schedule for 30 days later. That was a nightmare.

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

Definately have someone who can help take care of you for at least a week after you get home. I got diarreah when I got home a it was a mess. My husband deserves a gold medal for all he did for me that first week home.

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

I only traveled to center city Phila. which is about 15 miles from my home. It was a bit of a pain going down to the hospital and doctors office so many times both before and after the surgery but well worth it.

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.

First few days nothing but ice chips. Next 5 1/2 wks. pureed foods. I mostly ate creamed soups. They were the tastiest but I could have eaten anything soft and creamy. From 6 wks to present which is now 18 wks I still eat soft foods, salad whith processed chicken like Perdue short cuts or imitation crab. I still have a problem digesting any meat including chicken that is cooked. I eat no bread, pasta, rice or red meat. Unfortunately, I have no problem eating crunchy snack foods like cheese twists and pop corn and no problem eating small portions of candy (at the office) so I do have to watch my consumption of those things. One week I might be able to eat a particular food but then the next week it may hurt my stomach. I just try different things and if they hurt then I stay away from them for a while. My average diet over the past few months has been eggs, turkey bacon, salads with some sort of processed meat or seafood, soups, steamed vegetables, popcorn and some cheese twists. I don't get too much variety because these are the things I found that I tolerate the best.

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

I took small walks from the day after the surgery and they increased a bit up to 4wks. I really didn't start any excersise regime until 3 1/2 mos and now I walk the treadmill 25 mins 3x a week and swim and play in the pool 2x a week. No weight training yet.

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

I take two chewable Flintstones daily since I came home from the hospital.

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?

The heartburn was the most uncomfortable for me and the nausia and inability to sleep when I first came home from hospital was terrible. I started sleeping well after about 4 wks. and now I sleep great. I am experiencing hair loss now, nothing too bad but it started at about 3 1/2 months.

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

I would have to say my back pain from the uncomfortable hospital bed and inability to lay on my side and the inability to sleep. I felt like I was awake all the time to experience my discomfort as much as possible.

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

No support program. The best support I've had is a friend who had this surgery 2 months before me and she was there to answer all my questions and share all her experiences with me which was a great help. It is incredibly important to have someone to talk to who has experienced what you will be going through to let you know what's normal, ok, etc.

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

My scar is more than I expected. It's quite long but because I had openings in my incision at the beginning the top portion had to close on its own and is wider and thicker than the middle to bottom. I don 't mind it though because of what it represents, a new beginning.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am now 18 wks post op. Five out of the 18 wks I didn't lose any weight but then the next week I would drop a few. I'm not losing as fast now as I was at the beginning which scares me a little but I have averaged over 4lbs per week so far which is more than I've ever lost in my life.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No, people treat me the same only they seem to have more admiration for me now.