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

I knew a woman who had it and she look just amazing 9 months post surgery. I decided to learn more, went on the internet and started to collect information. I talked to my family doctor and she was all for it, so I made an appointment and the journey began! That was just about 1 year ago. I've had so much surgery that I wasn't as daunted by it as many others have been. I figured that I'd survived everything else, I'd survive this too!

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

It was no big deal. My insurer was HMO Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield). The doctor's office handled the whole thing and everything went very smoothly. I was, frankly, surprised.

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

He works with groups for disseminating information, then you see a psychologist, a nutritionist, a nurse practitioner, then finally the doctor. It was very efficient and very thorough. And he has a sense of humor, which helps. I was also well informed, which made it MUCH easier all around. He was clearly relieved that I'd "done my homework."

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

From the beginning, I was determined to do it. I never had any second thoughts on the matter. I couldn't breathe, could barely walk, was in pain all the time. If I didn't lose weight, I was going to wind up living my life in a wheelchair. I didn't see that I had anything to lose ... and I had a life to gain.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The RNY is the "gold standard" procedure. It has a great track record. Seemed the way to go.

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 was worried about my lungs. I had just had the flu and being asthmatic, had significant breathing problems before surgery. As it turns out, that was the biggest problem I had after surgery as well. I should have delayed the surgery a couple of weeks until I was in better shape. Never have surgery when your asthma is hyper active!

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?

Most were supportive, albeit worried. Major surgery is worrisome. My husband came with me to the doctor and that helped. As for the rest, I just talked to them and eventually they calmed down. Even my dad.

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

I did not tell my boss the true nature of the surgery. It is a private matter and I did not feel inclined to broadcast the information. I was out of work for two weeks.

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

The hospital stay was okay, but it could have been a lot better. The hospital is short staffed, as most are, and there was at least one supervising nurse who should have been horsewhipped for insensitivity. I found I had to rely heavily on my husband to help me when he visited. Some of the nurses were great, many others, not so great. The most important thing I should have brought and didn't was SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. They actually didn't have any real shampoo...it was that waterless crap that made a total MESS of my long hair!

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

Because of the arthritis and asthma, they pumped me full of steroids when I was in the hospital. This was actually the only thing they could do, so they can't be faulted for it. But steroids prevent wounds from healing. A month after surgery, I still had a big, leaky hole in my gut. It didn't really hurt much, but it was ugly. When I stopped taking the steroids, everything healed in just a few 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 wasn't anxious about having the surgery. I was just afraid something would go wrong to prevent my having the surgery!

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

The first week after surgery is kind of a blur. I actually don't remember much. I was on pain medication and I think it fried my brains. I went back to work for week three ... and I've been working ever since. I'm really glad the company cafeteria has soup and a salad bar!

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

The hospital and doctor are 55 miles from my home. But then again, so it just about everything else in the world. Uxbridge is not exactly a throbbing metropolis. I don't think the distance affected the aftercare, at least not very much.

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.

Following surgery, I was on a soft/liquid diet. I drank liquid meals (the name of which escapes me for the moment). V-8 was a real lifesaver ... it actually had some flavor! I found that I hated the taste of most sweet foods. I still do. I craved (still crave) salt -- a big change for me. I ate baby fruits, cream of wheat, oatmeal,applesauce, tomato and other creamed soups. Anything made with tomoato tasted very good and a hint of hot sauce helped a lot. I needed a lot of flavor to make my mouth happy. I still can't eat meat or chicken, though I do alright with fish. I eat a lot of salad. In fact salad is what I eat the most of ... I also eat a good deal of fresh fruit. For a while, my tastes were changing a lot. Now they seem to have settled down. Salad, fish, protein supplements, vitamins, and once a week, a small dish of vanilla ice cream (some things never change :-)

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

Very low for the first week out of the hospital, then increasing exponentially since then. I'm very active now.

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

I take 1 chewable Flintstone's multi vitamin daily ... a prescription iron supplement 3 times a week, a sub-lingual b-12 500mcg 2000 mg Biotin (to prevent hair loss) daily 1000 mg calcium and 400 mg. vitamin E I also use protein supplements to augment my diet by a minimum of 26 grams of protein.

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 hair loss yet, praise be. I vomit if I try to eat meat, don't chew enough, or eat too fast. Eating too fast is my personal nemesis. I had diarrhea for the first month and a half. I'm not sure what dumping is, unless it's the vomiting. I'll vomit if I eat as much as a single bit more than my stomach can comfortably hold. I am learning to quit while I'm ahead! Over all, though, it hasn't been a very big deal.

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

Having to go back to work so soon. I really needed more time off!

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

I belong to a bunch of online support groups. It helps a LOT!!!!! Should have done it sooner. I've also started to attend the meeting at Newton Wellesley Hospital.

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

Big and bright red. It's pretty much what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am one of those people who plateaus, then loses in lumps. I plateau for two weeks, then drop 5 to 10 lbs in a matter of a day or two. This is always been the way my body loses weight. I have, however, lost a LOT of inches so that I look like I've lost a lot more weight than I actually have. I've been on a plateau now for a full month. I seem to be continuing to lose inches, but I haven't lost any weight for a while. It is infuriating, although not unusual.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

My husband thinks I'm sexy. Whooooooooo.... Today is my one year anniversary. Down to 132 lbs, which is about 10 lbs. below goal. I'm wearing size 10 jeans, size 8 in other pants. Who IS that woman?