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

My wife told me about a friend that had the surgery. I thought it was a little extreme. After listing all the diets that I had been on and the Dr. telling me that he doesn't know what to do about my Blood pressure, blood sugars, sleep apnea, etc. I wanted to give up when I remembered the surgery.

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

My insurance turned me down. I have CIGNA. My wife's insurance picked up and paid for my surgery. I didn't have to deal with the insurance company. Dr. Stewarts Office did all the foot work. I just had to give them the information and did all the hard work. Thank God for all of them. They are great.

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

My first meeting with Dr. Stewart was most informative. He is very knowledgeable about the RNY. Write down all the questions you have. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone knows that there are no DUMB questions. (if they don't the they are the dumb ones).

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I felt I was at the end of my rope. I was gaining weight even when I was dieting. The only way to loose weight was for me to stop eating. I talked with a few people that had the surgery and everyone said if asked to do it again would they. They all said YES. I felt it was the only thing left to do. If anyone tells you that it the easy way out, tell them they don't know what they are talking about.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr. Stewart only doeas the RNY. It sounded the best for me. The others seamed to have too many problems or drawbacks or failure rate. Also by attending meeting on the RNY I learned about the other types of surgery.

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?

It is only natural to worry and stress about going into the hospital. There is a chance that we could be killed the next time we drove our car or walked across the street. It is a risk that I was willing to take because I knew that if I continued gaining like I was that I would be dead in a matter of months.

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 of my family and friends we supportive of the surgery. I have a sister that didn't want me to have it. She said I could loose it on my own. I explained that I have been trying for the last 12 years and not been able to control my weight. My friends didn't like the idea of me having major surgery for my weight but they said if it was what I feel I needed to do then they were with me.

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

I work for myself now and didn't have to worry about a boss. I was off work for three weeks for the surgery. I had a stress ulcer develop and had to go back into the hospital to take care of it and a staff infection. I was off another three weeks.

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

The first night my potasium level was very high and they pumped fluids into me to where I could hardly bend my fingers. My kidneys started having problems and my ekg came back abnormal. My blood pressure was 60 over 40 and my pulse was 138. Needless to say my first night wasn't the best. They got me leveled out by the next morning and everything seemed fine. I was in the hospital for five days. I really enjoyed my pillow for home.

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

Yes, I developed a stress ulcer after surgery. I went to the Dr. on a thursday and he remove the tube from my stomach. (I had a drain tube in my old stomach because I sleep with a CPap machine). That Saturday the hole in my stomach leaked about a liter of fluid during my sleep. It didn't hurt but scared me. They said as long as it sealed back not to worry about it. Everything was going fine until I notice my bowel movements we black on Wednesday. Thursday night at about 10:30pm I developed severe stomach cramps. It was like someone was poking me with a ice pick. I developed cold-sweats, fever, and sick. Called Leah and ask if this is normal. She said it sounded like I had a blockage. I mixed the meat tenderizer, lemon juice & water mix and drank it. She said if it didn't get better in an hour to go to the emergency room. I sat in the bathroom floor upchucking and sweating. I thought I was going to die. Finally my wife took me to the ER and they admitted me. They started and IV (it took 4 sticks, OUCH). They gave me some morphene for the pain. At this time I couldn't sit still I was wanting to bang my head on the table to knock myself out. It was that bad. The drugs took the edge off but the pressure pain was still there. The kept telling me that you have enough drugs in you that you should not feel anything. It was still hurting. I was in the ER till 6:45am then they transfered me to a room. Dr. Stewart was out of town and Dr. Charney was on call for him. Dr. Charney and Dr. Hailey were my attending doctors. Friday they did testing to see about the blockage. The stuff they make you drink is really nasty. I thought it was going to make me puke. The found that I had a partial blockage and I was given grapefruit juice to break it up. Friday night or 2:30am saturday morning I had to use the restroom. I was sitting on the toilet when I felt something warm on my belly. I looked down to see my T-shirt turning black. I called for my wife and the nurse. The hole that had the tube in it had ruptured and was spewing black tar looking stuff out of it. We put the trash can in front of me and let it run into the trash can. There was about 2 liters that drained from the hole. We drained some into a container for the Dr. to see. The pain let up after the pressure was releaved. They gave me three units of blood and decided to go in Sunday morning and see what was going on. Sunday morning they took me in and scoped my new stomach. It was clear and no blockage anymore. They used a bronchil scope and went into the hole that had the tube in it. That is where they found the stress ulcer and all the bleeding. The carterized it and a couple of other places and put the tube back in my old stomach. They gave me two more units of blood and now the skin around the hole had gotten infected and they had to do IV therpy with antibotics. I was in the hospital for six days. I am now writing this with the tube still in my stomach. I go today at 4pm and have blood work and visit with the doctor tomarrow.

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 and scared. I took each day, one day at a time. It was like a roller coster ride. One day excited the next scared. But I kept telling myself that it was for the better and that I wanted to live to see my grand children.

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

I was very shocked. I never had problems getting out of bed or sitting up, or rolling over. I didn't expect the pain to be as bad as it was. I thought that I would be back at work and feeling great in one week. WRONG! Was I ever wrong.

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

I was one of the lucky ones. Dr. Stewart and Denton Reginal Medical Center were both located in my hometown. I had to drive about 6 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.

The second day I was soooooo excited because I was going to get ice chips. I know it sounds bad but by the second day you would do almost anything for something wet. The I was allowed 1 oz per hour of water, then juices. By the end of the first week I was eating Jello and Creamed Soups. The second week I was able to eat mashed potatos and mac and cheese. I had no problem with natural surgars. I havn't tried processed sugars yet. I am now at 2 months and eat chicken nugets. The fats don't bother me. I have to eat really slow and chew the food until it is mush. If I eat too fast or don't chew really well I will get sick and it will come up.

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

I was walking in the hospital six times going up and down all the hallways. I had always heard that getting up and walking was the best way to get past the pain and help with a speedy recovery. I run out of energy really fast right now but I know that after I get back to normal that I will have more energy.

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

There is a meeting once a month for the Denton Area. It is very helpful. I wish I had know about it before my surgery. It is very informative and important.

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

I have a scar about 12 in. long where the surgery was and a hole the size of a pencil where a drain tube was in my old stomach.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am just 2 months post op and have not reached a plateau.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Some people are more frendly now that I have lost weight. Some people don't feel comfortable around obease people. I think they are afraid that we are catching. If they hang around us too much that they will gain weight.