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

I was working in a drs office and had a close relationship with a female dr that worked in the office. She could relate to me as her family had many large members and it was a daily battle for her to maintain a normal weight. She told me I was genetically inclined to be large since my maternal grandma was large and told me surgery was my only hope of ever reaching or maintaining a normal weight. She was right.

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

I first had an HMO when I was trying to get approval for the surgery. The surgery was an exclusion to the policy and they were never going to cover it. I appealed on all levels and was of course always denied. After 18 months I changed jobs and was able to switch to a PPO plan and was approved right away as it was not an exclusion. I advise everyone who has researched this surgery thouroughly and can make the necessary changes and knows this is there only chance to fight tooth and nail. Involve a lawyer if necessary. Look into other insurance options if possible.

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

My surgeon is fantastic! The first visit was very informative. He investigated my health and my reasons for wanting this type of surgery and informed me of what the surgery involved and what it would take to be successful. Before you go see a surgeon do some research. Go to the library or on line and read everything you can regarding the srugery and the changes necessary. Ask any questions you have even if you think they seem silly. Be prepared for this procedure and make sure your surgeon helps you understand the benefits and the risks!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted this surgery. After fighting my weight for 25 years and never keeping any off permanently I knew if I didn't do this for myself I would end up sick and not be able to play an active part in my kids lives.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The only procedure Dr Thompson does is the open RNY, so my decision was easy. I wasn't aware that other types of surgery were available so I was completely content to have this done.

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 really had no fear of dying. I did worry about complications, but that is another reason I'm so glad I had the RNY as my system can be completely restored if I began to have serious complications. Anyone who is afraid needs to educate themselves and discuss their fears with their pcp and surgeon. Also post-ops are a great reference!!

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 friends were a litte leary, but knew I wanted to do it and were apprehensively supportive. My mom fought me on it until the day I went in for my surgery. She cried as I left for the hospital. Now that I have done so well and have a new life and new health everyone is so happy I went ahead with it including my mom.

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 very supportive. I had only been out of training for two months when my insurance approved the procedure. I should have had to wait for four months to have the paid time off, but my boss was wonderful and although I couldn't be paid for the time off, she was great about letting me have it. I explained to her how long I had been overweight and how important this procedure was to me. She was wonderful about it and kept it very private.I went back to work for half days after two weeks (a little to soon, but I promised my boss I would be back. I didn't really know how tired and drained I would be). I had planned on coming back for full days, but decided it was not a good idea. My boss was wonderful and let me work half days for two weeks.

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

My hospital stay was great. I was in a private room and the nurses were fantastic!! They helped me with everything I needed and were very attentive. I went in on Friday morning for surgery and went home on Tuesday afternoon. Slippers and daily care items such as deoderant, toothpaste, and clean underwear were the only things I really needed. I can't say enough nice things about the hospital and the staff.

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

I was fortunate enough to have no complications from the surgery. All went well due to my surgeon being excellent!!

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 elated from the day I got approval to the day of my surgery as I knew it was what I needed to do to save my life. I prayed for approval for two years and finally received it. I was a little nervous of course as anyone facing major surgery would be, I just tried to concentrate on the outcome.

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

The first few weeks were HARD! I was not prepared to miss food so much. The pain was minimal and I was able to move around really well, but the depression was pretty intense. There is always that time after you have surgery where you just want to feel normal again, but that takes about four full weeks. I did ok, but I mourned food terribly and had no real support regarding this issue as I did not know of all the great internet support out here. Again, people need to be educated as to what to expect and keep supportive people arond them.

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

I live 10 minutes from the hospital. I was lucky!!

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.

At first I was only allowed soft foods. Fat-free puddings, applesauce, scrambled egg, etc. After six weeks I was allowed anything I wanted. There was quite a trial and error period. I soon found out that bread, red meat, and rice were bad ideas. Anything that will ball up, expand, or is stringy is hard to eat as it will not fit through the small opening. As time has gone by it gets easier, but you just have to learn what you can and cannot tolerate and that is different for everybody.

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

I was out of bed nine hours post-op (mostly because my catherter had come lose and leaked in my bed. The idea of being rolled back and forth was not very appealing at that point) It felt pretty good to sit up in a chair. I sat up for a couple of hours and the next day was taking short walks. By three weeks post-op I was walking on a treadmill in short spurts and by six weeks I was doing low-impact activities about four times a week.

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

Since the surgery I take a multivitamin every day and 100mgs of calcium in the form of Viactive chews. My blood tests have all come back wonderful and I haven't needed any shots or additional supplements.

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 was only nauseous if I ate the wrong thing. The worst side effect for me personally was hair loss. I had a thick mane of hair prior to surgery and because I hated everything else about myself my hair was my favorite thing. I lost a lot of hair starting six months post-op and lasting for about 4 to 6 months. I used Nioxin shampoo and took extra zinc. This helped a little, but my body is back to normal now and my hair is growing back in.

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

The depression I felt after coming home from the hospital as I intensley missed food. This was an aspect of the surgery that I was not prepared for and was the hardest thing for me.

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

Post-op I felt very alone as there was no support group that I knew of until about three weeks post-op when I came on line to find some support. My hospital has since set up a support group that is very helpful. I do feel it is very important to have a lot of support as the emotional changes you face are hard and you need to be able to talk to someone who has been there so you know this is normal.

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

My scar is HUGE!! I wasn't expecting such a large incision but it is healing well and has given me no real problems. I do expect to lose some of it when I have excess skin removed.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have gone as many as ten days with no weight loss, but nothing more than that yet. I do expect to have some staircasing and will just increase my water intake and exercise more when it happens.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People who know of what I have done are very nice and always compliment me on my weight loss. I am already feeling so much better about myself that I carry myself with a better attitude and I think this effects the way people react to me as well. I still get made fun of, but someday that will be over.