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

I heard about it from a friend of a friend. At first I was very skeptical of it, but when I learned about it, I was more and more intrigued and wanted to do it.

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

I was actually shocked that I was approved so quickly and without any hassles. I have heard that Cigna is not a good company to work with as far as approval of this surgery goes, but I had no problems. I was happy because there was nothing wrong with me health wise other than being heavy.

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

I was scared and nervous and didn't know what to ask because there were so many things swimming around in my head. Dr. Valin made me very comfortable and explained things well. Writing down questions ahead of time would be a good idea; because once you are in there, you forget everything. Also, if the doctor seems rushed and doesn't have time for you, he apparently isn't the doctor for you. Dr. Valin was very good this way.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Tired of the way I felt and doing much research on it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

There was no doubt that I was going to have the RNY because I have had previous stomach surgeries before and Dr. Valin said it may be harder to do the laproscopic procedure because of scar tissue around the area-also-I didn't want the banding because I heard it is more gradual & you have to keep going back to the doctor to get the band tightened more and more. Happy with the way I went.

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?

OMG-I was petrified before surgery of course. Now I realize how silly I was. I will never forget the moments before surgery when the gurney was wheeled into a room and we were waiting for the room & the doctor to be ready-I was lying there crying my eyes out silently (so no one saw), and the nurses around me were all discussing what they were going to have for lunch. I wanted to sit up and scream, "LUNCH???? LUNCH??? HELLO!!!!! I AM GOING TO DIE HERE IN A FEW MOMENTS AND YOU ARE ALL DISCUSSING LUNCH????". LOL. But I didn't. As you can see, I am fine.

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 mother and grandmother were very uneasy about the whole thing. It was to be expected from them as they are very close-minded. My grandmother kept asking me if I was going to change my mind, and my mother said, "just stop eating" (coming from a skinny person of course). My husband was the most supportive. He never said anything negative about the surgery nor did he say anything ever about my weight. He pretty much didn't say much about the surgery at all. I think he was as scared as I was. My mother/grandmother/husband all agree now that it is done that the decision I made was a great one.

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 2 supervisors up front what I was having done and they just said, "oh wow! ok". One supervisor was very intrigued about it, and kept coming over asking me questions about it and she kept saying that she admired me because i had a lot of guts to do this. Every day she would ask some question, but I didn't mind. Now, 7 months later, I have co-workers telling me how awesome I looked. For the first time ever, I felt good about myself at my work Christmas Party. I bought a brand new outfit (size 20 thank you), had my hair and make up done professionally and everyone raved about how great I looked-a little embarrasing, but also a great feeling at the same time.

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

The stay was okay, but I couldnt wait to go home of course. The hospital staff was very nice-there were a few nurses who really stand out in my mind who were SO NICE; but there was a problem where no one responded when anyone pressed the call button. Thank god there was never an emergency because that button would be lit for 30 minutes before someone came to see what the matter was. And the room was very small-it seemed too small for 2 people; it almost made me wonder if it was meant for only 1 person, but they put 2 people because they were short on beds that day??

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

I didn't have any complications other that a day or 2 after surgery, my oxygen level would go down & my temperature would go up; but the nurses assured me that this was normal, and although they were watchful of it, they said nothing to worry much about. I was surprised how fast recovery was.

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 very excited a few weeks before the surgery date, but 2 days before the date, my excitement turned to sheer terror. I was doubting myself and wondering if I was doing the right thing. Then I made my fears worse by looking at the memorial page on this site. Then I was convinced I was going to die. I went through with it anyway, and here I am. Nothing is worse than the hours before surgery though-when waiting for that gurney to come take me to the operating room at any minute now. I wanted to jump off the gurney and run out the door.

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

The first few weeks home I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was rest, but I made myself get up and walk around. Any car ride hurt very much because of all the potholes and all the jostling around (my husband can find a pothole that is microscopic-trust me). The pain was tolerable to the point that I didn't have to take any medicine.

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

about an hour away. This was no problem except for the car ride home from the hospital hurt.

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

low

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

I take 2 vitamins a day, 2 caltrates a day.

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 worst for me was the hair loss-hair everywhere after I get up from a chair, etc. However, this didn't start until about 4 months out. I barely every experienced any nausea/dumping. I think I only vomited a few times that I can count on one hand. Thank God.

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

The ventilator down my throat when I woke up and the xray dept that sucked at the hospital I stayed at.

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

I occasionally attend a support group in Waterbury. I actually should go more. I also get the daily questions & answers from here emailed to me everyday,and that helps a lot also. I think it is very important, because it makes you realize other people may be having the same feelings you thought that just you had.

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

My scar is slowly fading away. I didn't quite expect it to be so long. It goes from below my breasts all the way down to my bellybutton. What surprised me the most about the scar is that the staple marks stayed, so it looks like i have a big zipper going down my belly. I have a huge long line, with little dots on each side of it going all the way down.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have hit 2 plateaus since surgery. One at the 260 mark, and another at the 230 mark. I basically got discouraged, but ate more protein & picked up the exercise more during these times.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really other than my coworkers raving at me everyday practically about how great I look. And my mother & grandmother constantly ask me if I am sticking to it-gets old after a while. Do they honestly think that I can NOT stick to it after all I went through?