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

I saw an ad on TV for the Right Weigh program in May of 1999 while my mother was in the hospital and my daughter was leaving home for the first time in search of a new career several states away. I wrote down the toll-free number and filed it secretly in my wallet. I never called until about 6 weeks later. I attended a seminar and saw the surgeon in July and got the process started for the insurance approval. I still wasn't convinced that I could go through with the surgery. I never even told my husband about it until we got the approval in Nov.

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

The Cleveland Bariatric Surgery Center took care of all of that for me. We got the approval letter in Nov, and surgery was scheduled for 1-12-00. After the presurgery testing, we got a notice from BC saying that this wasn't a covered benefit. I panicked up until the day of surgery when we learned that the code was wrong, and they would pay.

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

He was straight-forward and informative. I felt that things were moving a little too fast that day. I hadn't made up my mind to have the surgery, but I'm glad that I did. People should go in with some knowledge of the surgery beforehand. There are a lot of good information sources on the web.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had just turned 50 and decided that I wanted to enjoy the rest of my life. I had spent too much time and energy wasting what should have been fun times with my family. I was tired of feeling sorry for myself and all the previous failures at weight loss. I had recently lost several friends my age, and didn't want to become a fatality due to obesity.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I just let the doctor decide what he felt would be the most sucessful for me.

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 was afraid that I might die. I labelled freezers, canisters, and food storage areas just in case for my husband. I think that those fears are normal when you are facing a major operation. There are no guarantees in life, so you have to prepare yourself for anything.

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 husband didn't know that I was thinking about the surgery until I got approval from the insurance. He was behind me 200%. I didn't tell my children or mother until the week before surgery. I didn't tell my boss until the schedule was due to be made out. I didn't tell my co-workers because I didn't need their input and comments. I had my boss tell them the day of my surgery. I figured that they would just roll their eyes and say, "There she goes again." I was embarrassed that I had failed in all the other attempts at losing weight, and had to resort to such drastic measures. They were pretty surprised when they found out. They have been interested in my progress and are quick to notice the changes in my weight. I never told my sister, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law in FL until we went to visit in April, 3 months after the surgery. They were pretty surprised. It took about 50# lost before most people noticed that I was losing weight(again). Now that it has been 75#, everybody is noticing, and I am admitting that I had WLS.

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

They were supportive. I explained the whole thing to them. I took about 6 weeks off.

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

I am an RN, and was a little disappointed in the nursing care. I had to ask for fresh water, etc. They were OK, but I didn't see much of them. I had surgery on Wed. and went home on Sunday. Important things to bring were a small pillow to splint your incision when moving, coughing, and riding home.

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

No, but I thought I was getting a blood clot. Make sure the nurses put the compression boots on whenever you are in bed. I also had excruciating abdominal muscle spasms. I don't like the feeling you get from pain medicine, buit I needed it to get past those first few days.

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 excited, but scared. I wasn't sure it was the best thing to do. I knew of another gal who had had the surgery a couple of years ago. I called and talked to her about it for a long time. I didn't admit that I was having WLS, just that I was getting information about it. I got teary-eyed thinking about undergoing the surgery, but I tried to think about how I would be six months to a year down the road to recovery. I got a lot of support from my husband, but I didn't want anyone else to know about the surgery, so I missed out on support(or critisism) from others.

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

I was sore and tired easily. I was able to care for myself and do little things around the house. It was difficult getting comfortable enough to sleep at night. Using a LaZBoy chair was helpful. I eventually graduated to sleeping on the couch, and finally returned to bed when the staples came out. I tried to be as active as possible and walked around our block two days after I got home from the hospital. The more active you are, the better you'll feel.

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

We live a good hour away from the hospital. I look forward to my post op visits.

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.

I was able to eat just about anything that was pureed and soft for the first four weeks. I cooked regular food and used a hand-held stick blender and extra liquids to puree the food. Then I was able to eat soft foods for two weeks and regular except for sweets after that. I haven't had much trouble with any foods. Sometimes cold cereal goes right through me, so I usually choose to have toast for breakfast instead. I can eat bread without any problems. If I choose to eat potato chips even the baked kind, I get a lot of "gas". If I decide to eat sugar-free frozen yogurt, I have a problem with it going right through, also. I have to decide whether eating it is worth the consequences. Now I eat just about anything, just small portions.

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

I was tired, but each day got better. I had a cast on my left leg two weeks after surgery, but I still was able to ride my Air-Dyne bike.

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

I took two children's chewable vitamins and calcium daily right after surgery for the first several months. Now I take calcium, regular vitamins and Vit B12 daily. I used a high protein supplement shake for the first month after surgery. Now I just try to get plenty of protein in my diet each day.

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 only experienced "Dumping" once when I had cocoa on an empty stomach. I didn't like the feeling, so I have steered pretty clear of high carbohydrate foods. I have had no vomiting, but get the hiccoughs occasionally. I haven't had any sleep disturbances, and my hair seems thinner and loss was appearing on my comb and in the drain after shampooing, but it has gotten less. My hairdresser hasn't said anything. It seems as if it is growing slower.

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

The worst part for me was the fear that the insurance would deny payment. After I had "psyched" myself up to having the surgery, I was afraid that insurance would say "no way". They have come through pretty much with flying colors. There are a few bills I may have to pay, but that's OK.

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

There are meetings monthly in Cleveland, but it's at least an hour drive. One guy has meetings closer to me,and I try to attend them. He gets info from Cleveland to share. It's good to talk to others who have gone through the same thing. It's nice for people who are thinking about it to attend and get more information to hepl them decide whether or not it is for them.

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

It's about 7" long, and still big and not too pretty. I get keloids, so that hasn't helped. I'm self-conscious of it, but as my husband says, "Who's going to see it?" It was a small price to pay to live normally...not obsessed about food anymore. It's a good reminder of what I went through. It's not exactly straight like I thought it would be, but then my abdomen wasn't flat when they cut it, either.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've had a pretty steady weight loss all along, about 1-2# per week. A few times I didn't lose at all. Last week after being on a big vacation, I was down 4#. I am happy knowing that each ounce should permanently stay off now.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

They seem more interested in my success. They ask a lot of questions, but I'm not embarrassed to tell them what I did now. One lady responded with an "OH, I hope you don't have any problems," last week when I told her about the WLS. She must have heard about someone who did have problems. One guy from our hometown had the surgery in June and died of complications in July. He had had surgery before and had a lot of other problems. One co-worker keeps asking me how low I want to get. Someday I'm going to tell her, "Lower than your weigh!"