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

I have been reading about it for years in magazines and news stories. I always wanted to do it but thought it was elective surgery that I would never be able to afford. Then a woman at work had the surgery and it turns out it was covered by my insurance. DUH! All of those wasted years.

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

My Surgeon's office took care of this. I did provide them with a very detailed history of all of my diet attempts.

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

It was good. My surgeon made sure I understood everything about the surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My last failed attempt at dieting (weight watchers).

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Research on this site!

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?

The fear of dying and complications. I try to tell myself that Morbid Obesity means that I already have a chance of dying. I feel that the surgery gives me better odds on living.

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?

I know most would try to discourage me, so I have only told two people.They are my most trusted and supportive people, so they have been good about this. I know that they are very worried.

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

I am not letting my employer know.

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

I slept most of my stay. The nurses were great. I didn't end up using anything that I brought. I used their gowns and slipper socks. They provided me with toothpast and a brush. I was so out of it, I didn't care/

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

no

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 tried to keep a positive attitude. I read the WLS site constantly! It helped me a lot.

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

It was a time of great adjustment. There was no pain, but a lot of discomfort. I was allowed only liquids. I had a lot of head hunger and needed to avoid the family when they were eating. By week three it sunk in that I really wasn't that hungry. It was better after that.

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

I was lucky. I live on Long Island. There are many bariatric surgeons here. I traveled 15 miles, but could easily have found a surgeon within 5-10.

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.

First week was a liquid diet. Water, clear soups, jello. Week two and three was liquids: Milk, cream soups, yogurt and cream of wheat. Week three adds mushy and crispy foods: Eggs, cottage cheese, tuna, salmon, melba toast crackers. After week four a slow introduction of all foods as tolerated. So far at week four, I find that the mushy diet can be uncomfortable and any attempts at more solid food has been painful. Update at month six: I had a very hard time introducing solids. A great deal of vomiting. It has only been since month five that I can pretty much eat everything if well chewed. I find it easier to live on soups, but I know I must eat real food. Update at 15 months. I can eat just about everything except dry meats and pasta.

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

My activity level is higher early in the day. I tire out much more easily and with very little warning. At week four I find that each day the energy levels increase. By six months, I have a great deal of energy.

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

My surgeon has me on 2 Flintstone chewable vitamins with iron until 2 months. Then I will be taking four Vita4life vitamins daily. Month six: I take four Vita 4 Life vitamins daily. I also take extra Zinc and Biotin to deal with the hair loss and I take liquid B-12 to boost my energy levels.

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?

At week four I find that I am not able to sleep well. I can never sleep for more than 3 hours. This is not due to pain. I just wake up. I have learned to just get out of bed and keep busy until about 2 hours later when I can sleep again. I get very nauseous at this point when I try to eat anything but liquid or mushy. I think I have experienced mild dumping twice. I threw up only once - when I attempted to eat all of the cheese off of a small slice of pizza.

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

The pain the day of surgery. Much worse than I had imagined.

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

My surgeon has a support group the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8. It is great. The doctor will speak, we speak, and he has a nutritionist come in. It is a very nuturing environment.

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

At four weeks post-op, it is healing beautifully (open RNY). My only complaint is that it is not straight! It goes off to an angle at the top. At six months it looks very good. It is a thin line that I think will eventually fade. At eighteen months it is a thin pink stripe.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateau quite often. I seem to lose 1-3 pounds and then plateau for two weeks. It is good not to fret at the plateaus. I lost down to 144 in about 16 months.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

At month six, yes. I am down 81 pounds since surgery, 134 from my highest weight. People don't stare at me. I am treated with courtesy and respect. I had some wonderful job interview experiences that I don't feel would have gone as well if I was still very heavy. At one year and 157 pounds I am treated much better. It is sad how badly you are treated when you are obese.