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

I had heard about bariatric surgery through a friend of my daughter. Her mother had it 5 years ago and her friend had it 3 years ago. They did and are doing great. I started going to websites reading posts and researching what was out there. Then my son's ex-mother-in-law had the surgery 9 months ago so I was able to interact with her on a personal level and follow her progress. Everyone that I contact with that has had the surgery did very well.

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

I have an excellent insurance so I am not one to give advice on this one. I can say that Dr. Irani's office and staff of Mercy Hospital in Bakerfield, CA. Bariatric program made it all very easy. They knew exactly what I needed, made sure I had it completed, and once submitted, it only took a couple of days for approval. I can not sing their praises too loudly.

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

Write down your questions before you go in. Your mind will usually let you forget something you feel is very important. Dr. Irani was very informative and friendly but I did forget one or two points I wanted to ask him about.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

3 plus different blood pressure meds and my blood pressure was still climbing. I couldn't walk a half block without stopping from the pain in my back (had back surgery Dec. 2006). I didn't even recognize myself in the mirror anymore because my face was so swollen/puffy all the time. I was really afraid that I would either stroke like my Mom did or go into cardiac failure if I didn't do something.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew myself well enough to know that I could not go half way with the lap band. I had spoken to others that had it and were going back for the bypass. I needed the strongest tool I could get to beat the beast that was obesity.

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?

If I had still been healthy, I might not have had as easy a time having the surgery but I have had surgeries in the past and knew that there is always a risk. You have to weigh the risk and check out your doctor. I felt more afraid of dying from my weight than I did from surgery. Of course you always wonder going in to have surgery. And yes, I was nervous the morning of surgery. I would be lying if I tried to say I wasn't. It is always nerve-racking. But I had confidence in my surgeon and knew he had put me though all of those tests so that there wouldn't be any unwelcomed surprises.

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?

At first, my youngest (my son is 30) was against me having surgery. I think it was the combination of fear for my safety and lack of information about the surgery. My 3 daughters were supportive from day one. And my son came around once we had the chance to talk a few times about it. They were all very supportive after the surgery and have given me praise on a regular basis.

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

My supervisor wanted to give me guff. She didn't want me to be out and did not appreciate me scheduling without consulting her first. Luckily, I am needed here and she relaxed once I told her that if I did not do this now, there was little chance I could go on like I was very much longer. Then I would have been out on medical leave from whatever horrible thing happened to me for being grossly obese. I was only off work 2 weeks and could have gone back in 2 weeks but wanted the extra couple days.

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

The hospital was wonderful. Of course the pain the first day sucked but they did let my best friend stay in the room with me so I felt more at ease. I would have been able to leave the hospital in 3 days but Dr. Irani wanted me to stay an extra day since I had to travel over 80 miles to go home and I would have had to see my own doctor if there was a problem. I felt better with the extra time because of the drive home.

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

No, no complications thank God.

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 may be strange but I was excited about the surgery. I was looking forward to getting control of my body again. I know the day of surgery, that morning, there was anxiety. I did have one surgery that was very uncomfortable for me so I relayed that experience to the anestesiologist so that he would medicate me before we went into the operating room so that I wouldn't be aware of the lights/moving to other table/putting mask over face (I have claustrophobia). They will make it as easy on you as possible.

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

Well, I have to admit that I made use of the little carts at Walmart. lol But that was as much because of my back as it was the surgery. I also have to admit that a day or two after I got home, I went to Walmart, forgot about the drain, and bent against the basket which made the tube really uncomfortable for a couple of days. Main point here is, remember that you have a drain in for the first 10 days and not to lean against anything to make it hurt.

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

I traveled over 80 miles to the hospital and to have the pre-op testing etc. I had to plan in advance but other than that, it was worth it to go to such a good doctor and great hospital. I have a flexible job that allows me to take a day off during the week and make it up on Saturdays.

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 first, popscles were my bed friend. Cottage cheese and cream of wheat were great. I found out that I can't have tomatoes for the time being. I have always loved them but they upset my stomach. I would recommend anything new very slowly. After about 6 or 8 weeks, small portions of chicken breast were comfortable as long as they were moist. Even shrimp was good. Man is it strange having 3 shrimp fill you up. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter is grand. It goes on the cream of wheat along with Splenda and the occassional piece of baked red potatoe. I have had (at 4 months now) baked Salmon and I eat frozen peas often. It is hard to make sure you have enough protein so I have continued with the protein drinks and since my appointment 3 days ago, have increased the protein drinks. It appears that I have lost around 20 pounds of muscle so have to stop that. As far as off limits, as I said tomatoes are not my friend at this time. Onions are out of here too. Unless you want to blow up like a ballon, pass cabbage by and even avoid the potatoes you might have cooked in the corned beef and cabbage for your family. Of course red meat is not good for the first year. I did have a piece of turkey jerky when I felt a need for beef and it took care of that feeling. Just have to make sure it is moist and if you can not chew it good enough, spit it out once you have the satisfaction of the flavor and chewing.

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

Once the drain was out, other than not being able to pick up my grandkids or anything heavy, I was back to the same. As a matter of fact, before surgery my activities were none existant. Now, I go to water exercise class 3 times a week (back surgery and arthritis in back/hip make impact exercise too painful) and walk every chance I get. Sedintary job prevents much during the week though.

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

Very good multivitamin twice a day. Vitamin B-12 sublingual every morning. Slow Fe Iron every morning. Thyroid pill in AM also.

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?

Nausea and vomiting was not an after effect of surgery for me. It was the after effect of stupidity. I was warned to avoid gassy food and without thinking, ate a piece of potatoe from the dinner I had cooked that absorbed cabbage juice. It did cause nausea and I did vomit but once I eliminated the potatoe, the vomiting stopped. I never tempted myself with sweets so haven't actually experienced the dumping. I did eat a piece of chicken that was too dry and had to throw up. All of these happened at about 8 weeks after surgery or whatever time frame it was that I was allowed to added food. I do not credit any of it to the surgery since I knew better and did it anyway. Shame on me.

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

I think the fear that I would not lose like I should. That is a fear that years of dieting has emplanted into my brain so deep it is hard to shake. Logically, I knew that if I was honest with myself, I would do well. Know my shortcomings and prepare to avoid them. And it did work for me and I am delighted with my progress (starting weight at beginning of 2 weeks clear liquids before surgery Jan 30: 292 Weight as of Dr appt June 22: 211). Correcting my head is the big job. The surgery was like falling off of a log. But I am working on it and I actually see me in the mirror not some strange woman that has crept into my house and put on my face. I am beginning to actually see the old me now and am getting comfortable in my own skin again.

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

I would not recommend anything in this box to anyone else. Everyone is unique. I have support groups available to me locally but have not attended one yet. That is shameful and dangerous and my only excuse is the great support I get from my family some some major crisis going on in my life/family lately that always seems to happen when I should be attending group. That is no excuse since I manage to attend my water aerobics 3 times a week but these are not on the weekend. I do promise myself to get to these in the near future especially when I am getting close to the goal weight to help with maintainance but please, do not take this as a good way to go. I just felt like I had to say something here because it is part of the survey. Attend your groups, please.

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

The scars are 5 little lines in different places around my stomach. They are much smaller than I expected. To think, they pulled my gallbladder out of one of those little holes. How facinating is that. If I enjoyed those hospital shows I might want to see how they did that.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Recommendation: If you are an obsessive compulsive like I am, don't run out and buy a scale. OK, since you had to buy that scale, don't weigh every day. It will make you nuts. At first, it drops fast but as your body starts to adjust, you will be at the same weight for days and then drop. It made me half insane until I broke myself of the weighing every morning. I even caught myself waking up early and not drinking water until I weighed so I would get a lower weight. That is how bad I can be so it is every 4 or so days. Well...when I go to conferences etc and come back, I do weigh 2 days in a row to make sure I was paying attention while I was there. Main point being, you will hit plateaus and as you get smaller, they can last a week or so so try not to get too obsessed with weighing yourself.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Unfortunately, yes. Only unfortunately because it is so NOT OK for people to be that way. I raised my kids different than that so don't see the behavior in them (lucky for them lol) but I assume that a lot of people were raised by intolerant, mean spirited people. Of course women do not avoid noticing how you look and men actually look at you with a friendly smile, not disgust. Too bad you have to lose weight to be accepted, isn't it?