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

I knew bariatric surgery existed, but never thought it was something for me until I saw an advertisement for Lap Band. I then started researching it because I thought it would be less invasive. I eventually went with laproscopic RNY.

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

My experience with insurance approval was a piece of cake. The six month program I went through took care of all the paperwork, and I had no problems with approval.

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

My meeting was very short and brief, as I had no questions. I think I didn't know enough about what could go wrong. I wasn't worried, just wanted to get in, meet the doc and get my date and get it done and over with.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I realized that I was 31 years old, and I shouldn't be starting with the health problems I was. I was having pains in my left knee, and I was missing out on a lot of things I wanted to do in life because of my weight.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I originally wnet in wanting the Lap Band procedure, but the more I learned and thought about it, the more I wanted something permanent. This was a life changing decision and I didn't want to have to visit a doctor for fills, or be able to cheat!

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 didn't have any fears. I figured I had more of a chance of dying from being overweight and those complications than I did from my 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?

My parents were not very happy with my decision. Most of that stemmed from my father knowing someone who had the surgery about 12 years previous and had died because he ate through his staples. It took a lot of convincing and conversations, but eventually they accepted my decision.

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 concerned about the surgery, but was supportive of my decision. I was out of work for 3 weeks.

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

My stay in the hospital was short. I checked in at 5am on a Wednesday morning, was rolled into surgery at 7am, and I remember waking up around 12:15pm in my room. I had one dose of morphine afterwards and slept most of the afternoon. I had visitors in the early evening and was lucid and happy to see them. I dozed off for several hours, but woke up in pain in the middle of the night - probably because I didn't take any pain meds before I went to sleep. The next morning was waling laps around the floor and have my guts scanned for leaks. Once that was ok, they gave me SF jello and juice and waited for the doc to release me. I was home that day by 3pm. I took nothing with me to the hospital, as they said not to. My boyfriend brought along a toothbrush and my cell phone for me.

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

No complications what so ever.

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 for the first few weeks. When it got down to two weeks before my surgery, I started having doubts and I actually went into what I call my period of mourning. I was mourning the loss of my best friend - food. I had explained to friends and family that this would probably happen, so anytime I started having anxiety or doubt, they reminded me that this was normal and I told them I would be like this. That reassurance got me back on track.

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

The first two days were horrible for me. I had so much gas build-up in my gut that it was uncomfortable to walk or move. I knew this was normal and I just had to walk it off. After I could move around and start sleeping in my bed, life went back to normal, except for eating habits. I found that I just wasn't hungry at all, and I had to remind myself to eat.

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

The hospital was only a 15 - 20 minute drive from my home, so 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 home for the first week I was on liquids and SF jello and pudding. After my week check-up with the surgeon, I was allowed to start eating regular foods as long as I chewed them thoroughly. They pretty much said to try it all and see what stays down. As time progressed, I was trying more foods. Some meats I had problems with. I found that greasy foods would make me feel nauseous. Too much sugar did the same thing, as well. I wasn't on a strict diet from the surgeon, so i tried pretty much everything. I could eat rice, bread, steak, etc. but in small amounts.

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

The first three to four weeks I had no energy at all. I just wanted to lay around. I feel this was due to the little amounts of food I was eating. When I would exercise, at about 5 minutes I was exhausted and tired. After about 4 weeks, my energy level increased and I felt better than I had in years.

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

I take one multi-vitamin in the morning with breakfast, and one calcium supplement with lunch. My bloodwork has come back fine with all my levels where they should be.

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?

In the first few days after surgery, sleeping was the worst for me, because I could not get comfortable. My incisions hurt when I would lay in bed, so I slept in a recliner for about a week to two weeks. At about 4 months, my hair started falling out. I think that was the worst one for me because it was a constant reminder of my surgery, and my hair had always been the feature I was most proud of. At about 7 months, the hair loss slowed down.

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

The worst part for me, and still is today the parties and celebrations when my family goes out to eat. I still get a twinge of sadness when I hear what they are ordering. But then I remind myself that I feel better than I have in years and I have a great life now where I can do things I never could before. I push that twinge of sadness right out of my head!!

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

For me personally, I don't like group meetings. I have seen my personal therapist when I need to talk about something. Looking in the mirror every morning is all the support I need to keep going! I do attend monthly group meetings at the hospital on occassion. But only about every 4 months or so unless a really good topic is presented.

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

At first the scars were red and really noticeable. They are smaller than I expected and are fading with time.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit my first plateau at about 6 weeks out. It lasted for almost two weeks and was very frustrating. You know it happens to everyone and to expect them, but it is still disheartening to get on the scale and not see it move knowing how little you've eaten. My second plateau came around 6 months out and lasted a month - I was gaining and losing the same 2 - 3 pounds for a month. I was more nervous with this one because I was further out and I was worried that this might be it, and I was done losing. Once the pounds started coming off again it was a relief.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I do get treated differently, but I think a lot of it is my own perception. Being overweight I just wanted to be un-noticed. Now I dress differently and am doing activities I never would have before. I'm also not embarrassed to be the center of attention. So I believe my new outlook on life is the reason I'm treated differently.