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

I started researching stomach stapling and came across a website for gastric bypass surgery. At first I felt it was a little to extreme for me and that I could loss the weight on my own if I could learn some self control, but I could not. I failed several diets.

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

Getting approved was very easy, I had Medica Choice Select and I didn't have do a thing. The surgeons office called the insurance company and I was approved with one phone call.

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

My first visit was fast, I met with my surgeon to discuss which type of surgery was best for me. My surgeon felt the rny was best, after the surgery I disagree. I think it is best to discuss at this time the complications that could arise, can it be reversed and if so how long do you have to wait.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I waited 2 years to have this surgery, I was at my worst and could not keep up with my son. I was very depressed and picking stupid fights with my husband. I needed help.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I choice the rny because I was afraid the banding would not hold. I heard alot of stories about people needing to have the surgery done again because the band broke or strenched.

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?

Listen to them, there are some real bad complications that can arise from this surgery, it is not easy and its a long journey.

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 family supported my 100%, my friends did not. My job made things even harder for me. I lost me job and my friends no longer speak to me, my family on the other hand have been behind me the whole time.

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

I told my supervisor right when I decided to have the surgery. I was not required to tell her what surgery I was having but I did out of respect. She was very angry and told me I have a low self esteem and should be on antidepressant, this coming from a 125 pound woman. After my surgery I was out 6 months due to complications, my supervisor replaced my position but offered me a temporary position with company, only because she had to. She also told I was not welcome back to my job and my friends do not want to see me.

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

I was in the hospital for 4 months off and on. It was actually a nightmare for me. During my stay I was NPO, nothing to eat or drink and when I wasn't on NPO I was on heavy narcotics and could not hold food down.

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

The first complication I had was the night I was first released from the hospital, I had a blockage. I had to rushed back into surgery to have a tube placed in my stomach for drainage, I had this tube for 3 months. After that I could not hold food or water down and even got sick without food or water, I was treated for dehydration about every other day and was under nurtion. By the 5th month I was on home treatment with an pickline so I could be feed by it every night for a month just so I could get up out of bed on my own.

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 could not deal, I got more depressed then ever. I spent 4 months in a hospital and another month being feed through a pickline. I could not spend anytime with my 3 year son, I couldn't even get up to go to the bathroom on my own I was so weak. It felt like the worst thing I could ever do and even requested several times to have it reversed.

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

After all the hospital stays and bed rest, when I finally was able to get up and around on my own it was still hard. I ran out of energy very fast and found it hard to eat alot of foods, even the foods recommended by the surgeon.

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

I only traveled a couple miles, the hospital I stayed at for this was in the same city as me.

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.

FOr about the first6 months I could only eat popicles and water. I tried baked potateos and chile, some days I could handle it and some days it would come back up. Now that I am back to normal my eating still changes day to day. The one thing I do know is that eating out is off limits for now, anytime I eat out whether its fast food or dine in I will get sick, anytime I eat at home I am fine, although there are times I over eat I need to get sick.

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

After I finally recovered completely (6 months later) my actvity was limited every day, all I could do was try to do a little more each day and when I felt tired I rested.

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

Multi vitamins, calcium tablets and b12

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?

Vomiting and hair loss were my worst. I lost so much hair for awhile that the bathtub drained clogged every 2 days. It does slow down though, I'm still losing hair but not nearly as bad. The vomiting was bad, it seemed every time I ate I was sick, now its when I eat to fast or to much and you will be able to tell the difference.

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

The complications, the first complications (blockage) was horrible. It was the worst pain I have ever felt, even when they placed the tube back in your only lightly sedated and you get what they call deferred pain into your left shoulder that lasted a week.

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

I do not attend any aftercare support groups, I spent so much time in the hospital and bed rest that I could not attend the first 6 months and I feel at this time I do not need them. I believe if I could survive these 6 months and I handle whats to come.

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

I have several scars still. I first is the original scar which is huge and ugly, then I have the scars from the staples because they had to leave them in for 2 additional weeks and then I have a scar from the tube the placed after my surgery. I swear I will never be showing my midsection again.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have started to plateau now, I am still losing weight, however since I am able to eat the weight is no longer flying off.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, I get hit on all the time, my husband is treating my like when we first started dating and at job interviews men come up and introduce themselves to me.