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

My best friend had surgery 22 yrs ago.

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

I had copies of all my records and a list of EVERY thing I had tried and approx. times that I tried them and took them to my doctor to forward to my insurance company with his letter.

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

Short but sweet.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After my primary told my husband that if I didn't lose weight I would be dead in 2 years.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I trusted my surgeon to know which one was best for me.

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 been in the medical field for 20 years. I know the risk of both. I can only say that I will do as I am told by the doctor and will also put my faith in God.

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 very skeptical even after my primary told him I would be dead in 2 yrs. if I didn't lose weight. He said I could do it another way even though he has seen me try for the last 15 yrs. I finally told him I had to do this for my health, that he could either support my decision or not and if it was so easy why wasn't he there (he is a diabetic). My (adult) children are very supportive as they have seen my health deteriorate in the past years. Some of my friends understand and are all for it and others just say "Oh".

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

I work 2 jobs and both of them are very supportive. They know that I am usually at work hell or high water and know that this decision took some time to come to.

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

It was midnight on Monday before they got me to my room. I was discharged by noon on Friday. Everything went well with the stay except for the recovery room. I had all male nurses and I had to go to the bathroom. I was told to either hold it until I got to the room or I would have to walk and that they could not help support me. I did walk on my own even though I felt faint. The only things that I really needed to take were a gown, robe and slippers to wear home and a pillow in the car to protect my incision from the seat belt. I took several gowns and underware and did not use them. The hospital supplied me with tooth brush, tooth paste, deoderate and everything else that I needed even though I had my own.

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

I had spasms in the old part of my stomach. This was what woke me up in the recovery room. I thought I was dying. Valium helped to calm them down after about 3 doses. They continued off and on for 4 days.

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 excited and scared. I visited this site a lot and did a lot of praying. I also talked to my friends and family about the surgery and my hopes for after it.

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

I was very tired for the 1st couple of weeks and took a lot of naps. Sleeping in the bed got harder the closer my 2 weeks post op got, due to the tube in my stomach and the staples getting to be more irritated. I had a really hard time trying to get in all the "food" requirments. The first week it was very hard to take care of my personal hygiene after going to the bathroom due to the pain of bending or twisting. I found that an empty dish soap squirt bottle to be my best friend. At 11 days post op I actually took an 8 hour business trip which included stops at the outlet malls. My family rented a wheelchair and pushed me around. Restaurants were a challenge. We would stop at places that had soups or that served breakfast because I could eat grits and oatmeal. 2 weeks later I took the trip again to go to a festival at the same place. I was able to walk around and have a good time with short breaks to rest.

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

Only 15 miles.

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 was only allowed to have clear liquids for the 1st two weeks. I had to and still have drink only 100% fruit juice with no sugar added and I have to water it down. At 2 weeks post op I was allowed to have grits, oatmeal, egg, saltines, cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, sugar free puddings and popsicles. I was only suppose to have 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and one day had about close to 3. This was my first dumping experiance and at 2 mos out I have been afraid to eat it again. At 6 weeks I can have fish, shrimp and chicken, white potatoe with no skin, toast, V-8 juice, pasta and some creamed soups. I have found the pasta from time to time to be hard to swallow and have had to throw it up. I did solve my craving for pizza by taking my 1 oz. of mixed cheese and microwaving it with a dash of V-8 juice and putting it on my saltines!

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

The 1st 2 weeks were very little activity except for sleeping. By the end of my 2 weeks I was ready for my trip up North. Even though I didn't do a lot of walking, I was active in the wheelchair. We were only gone 3 days. When we got back home it was time to rest a day or two and then I was ready to start doing things around the house only the strength didn't last too long. At about 4 weeks I was pretty close to being able to do things that did not require heavy lifting at home. I did not go back to my #1 job until the 8th week. I went back to my second job at 9 weeks.

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

Multi vitimin w/iron and protein drinks. At my 6 week checkup I started with my B12 shots.

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 sleeping problems were due to my staples and tube starting to get irritated close to my 2 weeks out. I had to try to sleep on my back, elevated slightly. Once they were removed I didn't have anymore problems sleeping. My few boughts of dumping were horrible. I started to get weak, sick feeling, shaky and sleepy right away. Then I had diarrhea within 30 minutes after eating what ever it was that caused me to dump. I would have to go back to bed as soon as my bathroom break was over. I have had a few occasions of food not going down and have had to throw it back up. I am trying to learn from those and think when I chew or know that I can't eat certain things without pulverizing them first.

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

Having the tube removed from my stomach. I thought my guts were being pulled out.

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

Because I work 2 jobs during the week and am part owner of another business that requires me to work Saturdays and some Sundays, I don't have time to participate in a support group. My evening job allows me some time when I can visit this web site. So basically this site is my sole support group. And may I say Thank YOU.

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

My scar is 5 inches long from just below my breast to my belly button. I Keoloid so I am trying Mederma. It appears that I have a slight reaction to it (it causes me to itch)but I will continue to try. Personally I really don't care how it looks as long as I get the ultimate results. I have been married for 31 yrs and my husband loves me unconditionally.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I keep getting double takes at my jobs. My own daughter didn't recognize me from a distance and neither did my girlfriend of 43 yrs.