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

for the last 2 years i had given up... decided i was going to be fat and die young.. then i found Dr Rutledge's site. a lifesaver for me

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

Dr Rutledge's office did it all for me! BC/BS Fed Standard plan covers WLS

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

Dr R was totally awsome. Caring and knowledgable

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Dr Rutledge's web site

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr Rutledge's procedure is the only one that makes sense! average 1 day in the hospital... back to work in 1 week!

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?

Dr R educates all his patients.. We know what could happen and make an informed decision. I was more afraid of staying morbidly obese then of any complications from surgery

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?

concerned, and then supportive

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

Told them the truth. My sup. supported my decision, even asking for info for herself. I was only away from work for 1 week, due to Dr R's amazing procedure

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

Durham Regonal is very good. I was only there about 26 hours. Only take a toothbrush and hairbrush.

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

No complications.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

Felt 100% better a day after surgery. I just felt silly for being so stressed before surgery

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

I was walking the mall 2 days after surgery and back to work, a physical job, 1 week after surgery. No problems

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

About 600 miles. Dr Rutledge requires us to stay in the area 4-5 days after surgery so that he can monitor us. Then he removes the staples, examines us, answers any questions and sends us home. He works with our PCP to monitor our progress

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.

Dr R requires us to stay on liquids and soft food for the first month. I ate mainly yougurt, juice and broth the first week, added cream soups the second and on the third runny mashed potatos, oatmeal and soft veggies. Now I eat whatever I want, but only about 1/3 of what I used to have. 2 year update... still eating anything, but stick to low fat, and protein, concentrate on fruit and veggies for snacks. have a sweet tooth but am learning to control it. eat about 1/2 of a normal portion.

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

I returned to work, on regular duty, one week post-op. I used to take 4-8 Nuprin a day to get through a shift, I've only taken 1 in 7 months :) My energy level is amazing 2 year post-op.. still amazing!

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

I take 3 mult-vitamins a day, vit e, c and citricel. Also Tums for 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?

No nausea, I had mild dumping once, my fault. I sleep great. I started shedding hair at 4 months, but I'm about done with that now. 2 year post-op.. still no side effects, except being unreasonably happy. :)

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

The waiting, not knowing what to expect. The surgery itself was anti-climatic.

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

Our E-Group support lists have over 1000 members. We were educated very well before surgery and knew pretty much what to expect. Everyone on-line is very helpful. Dr Rutledge monitors the group and if someone has a technical question he answers it. People can also E-mail him anytime and get an answer usually in a few hours. DR RUTLEDGE IS FANTASTIC

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

I have 5 little scars, less then 1 inch long. 3 of them are hardly visable. 2 year update.. scars hardly visable.. can't find 2 of them!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I only weigh myself once a month.. I'm sure I've had them, I just don't know about them :) slow loss since 18 months, but only have 20-30 more pounds to lose

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really, I've become quite self-assured the last few years. I'm just me. 2 year up-date. YES! even people on the street smile at me. Before they did'nt want to see me, too scary.