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

I read about Carney Wilson and Al Rocher. I was very interested, but I wanted to give them time to see what the results were.

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

I had to write an appeal letter to plead my case. Luckily, they saw my point and approved it. I had 3 of my prior doctors write letters of support and recommendation. I think that helped a lot.

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

He was so personable! He's a real person. He treated me with respect and dignity. I knew that this was the doctor I would trust my life and my future with.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I woke up one morning and thought to myself - "I don't want to live like this anymore - if the surgery kills me then I'll die doing something to better myself". That was my alltime low and I knew that I had to do something about it immediately.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon basically made the decision for me based on my previous experience with dieting and by thoroughly discussing my options. I didn't want to be able to "go back" so we decided on the Roux-n-y.

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 had fears until that one morning I woke up and realized that I wasn't even living my life anymore. I knew it was better to die trying to do something to save my life than to sit back and let time and obesity take its course. I would say that anyone facing WLS knows what I'm talking about. We come to a crossroad and which way you go is up to you. I would do the surgery again. I have no regrets whatsoever!!

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 best friend's sister had had the procedure 2 years prior. She was very supportive and informative. My family was basically supportive after they got over the initial shock. I didn't actually tell my dad. But my Mom did and he was surprisingly positive about it. My husband, at the time, was basically blah about it. He was never very supportive about anything so I wasn't surprised when he was about my surgery. Therefore, he's no longer my husband!! Yay!! My Grandma was skeptical. My brother and his wife were very supportive. They have continued their support through it all!

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

I never told them. I was at a very low point in my life and didn't feel like sharing that information. I was planning on moving home and quitting my job so I didn't several weeks after my surgery. It was very liberating!

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

The first day is a blur. I had some internal bleeding that was concerning to the surgeon. I also wasn't passing fluids. So, I have a fever of 103 for 2 days. I had to swallow some nasty yellow liquid stuff two different times and have a test to see if it was passing through my "new" stomach. I was faced with the fact of having more surgery, but luckily, the fluid passed and I didn't have to do that. I experienced my first and only bloody nose while waiting to have one of these tests. I'm sure it was the blood thinners I was on. I was taken off of them because of the internal bleeding. The nursing staff was great. I didn't see my surgeon very much, but when I did it was so reassuring. I was adamant about walking like you are supposed to. I brought a blanket from home, personal hygiene items, a book, cd's and cd player, my cell phone - as they let me have it. I was in the hospital for 5 days.

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

I bled more than the surgeon expected at my staple lines. They took me off of blood thinners (blood clots run in my family). I had a high fever for 2-3 days of 103 degrees. I tried to get enough fluids and to do the walking that is expected of you.

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 ecstatic! My insurance stalled my first surgery date by refusing to pay so I had to appeal. After the appeal went through, I was rescheduled for one week out. I didn't have enough time to get ancy about it.

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

I was really tired and weak. I had a dog that needed to be walked and it was murder the first few days. I lived on the third floor of an apartment building with no elevator. I was really dizzy and foggy in the head. I'm did away with my painkillers after the first pill when I was home. I don't tolerate that stuff normally so it definitely wasn't good! Expect to sleep for the first day - do your walking - recuperate. Eventually, things evened out. I was in some pain. The drain was a pain in the ***. My first shower felt like heaven! Getting the drain taken out was the worst experience of all!!!!!! Yikes!!

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

20 miles.

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.

Mostly, I ate jell-o and tried to swallow the protein shakes. Yuck! I ate cottage cheese and yogurt and eggbeaters. I drank as much water as I could get down. It was really scary a few weeks out when I was at my folks' house. I must have swallowed something like a pea that got lodged in my new surgical opening to my intesting because I couldn't even swallow water without vomiting. It lasted almost the whole day - I was on the couch and scared. It eventually was vomited or it passed on its own and I recovered. I will admit that the days, weeks, months following surgery I felt lost when it came to eating real food. I was okay the first couple of weeks because I was so limited on what I could eat. When I had to actually go shopping and make choices it was really scary and confusing. It's really easy to not eat healthy. Vegetable and fruit was not good for me the first 9 months! I no longer drink milk and have a problem with any milk products. If I eat too fast and don't chew my food anything will make me vomit. I have pretty much given up on soda. I can eat chocolate and sugar as long as I don't eat too much. My favorite thing in the world is Lemon Meringue pie. My mom makes it for me every year on my birthday. I had the worst dumping episode I've ever had after I had eaten it! I have a hard time with dense meat - like steak, chicken breasts, etc. I have to make an extra effort to eat slowly, take tiny bites and chew a lot!!! At the end of all of this I will tell you that it is very important to involve yourself in a lifelong way of healthy eating. I joined Weight Watchers with my mom. She lost 30 pounds and is still going. I have lost 13 lbs. and have hit my ultimate goal. I noticed that I was gaining some weight and I refused to be one of the people that gains back after the surgery. It's the best thing I ever did, besides having the surgery. I hope to be a leader with Weight Watchers and to be a role model for others that are going down the same path that I am.

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

Pretty minimal. I walked like I was supposed to. Eventually I walked a mile, then two, then three, then four, then five!! I try to walk 3 miles every day. I am even jogging a little now!

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

I take B12 sublingual and Vibe daily liquid vitamins. I need to get serious about taking some 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?

I have only "dumped" 3 times. I have lost count on how many vomiting episodes I've had. It's different than vomiting with stomach acid. The food that comes up just looks like it went through a blender - sorry to be gross). There is no smell or anything. It's very weird! Hair loss has been pretty scary. I have started getting thicker hair and I'm out 21 months. At one point, you could see my scalp and I was plugging the drain when I took a shower! The loose skin and saggy breast is a problem and I'm looking for a plastic surgeon at this point!

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

The worst part, for me, is all the nosey people in my hometown. No one can be happy for anyone. I never told anyone except my very few close friends and my immediate family. When I moved home (I grew up there) as time went on, I started being talked about. I live in a fairly small town. My grandma said she was talking to a nurse we both know about me and my grandma said how good I looked and the nurse said - yah, but she had THAT SURGERY!!! AAAGGGGHHHH I really feel for Star Jones Reynolds. Enough already!! Let her be. I mean, we who have had gastric bypass know what it's like to be harrassed, embarrassed, etc. It shouldn't matter how a person loses weight. It's just important that they do it for their health. I am sick of everyone whispering about me. I was very hush-hush about having the surgery, but I am about to come uncorked. I am proud of what I've done. I took a life that wasn't being lived and my confidence which was in the toilet and turned myself completely around! So, to all of those people that like to pass judgment on everyone else. I say to hell with you - it's all about me now! I like me and there's nothing you can say or do to make me feel less than what I am.

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

I moved out of the city to a small rural town. I basically had not support so this website is what kept me going. Also, I emailed a gal that went through my pre-op support group. She was very encouraging.

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

I had laparascopic so I have 6 scars. They are about an inch long and are in various spots on my stomach. I pretty much expected what they are. They might be a bit bigger than I imagined, but maybe that's because my stomach is so much smaller now that they just look bigger!! :)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At about 15 months, I gained about 20 pounds back. I joined weight watchers and have lost 13 of those pounds. Right now, I weigh 135 which is exactly where my surgeon said I needed to aim for. Eating will always be a struggle for me, but Weight Watchers is helping me with that. I have made a lifelong commitment to my health. By eating correctly and by exercising, I am living up to my commitment.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People really look me in the eye now. I see men and even women checking me out! At Weight Watchers, one of the gals said that someday she wanted to look like me!! Imagine that - no one had ever told me that before!! My friends husband just saw me last month at my wedding and asked me what I'd done with the other half of myself!! I told him that I'd gotten rid of it forever!!