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

I first found out about bariatric surgery about 30 years ago. My insurance would not cover it. My sister-in-law had a RNY in Oct of 2002 and had a really good experience with it. She lost 120 lbs in 1 year. I decided then that I really wanted to have this surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My sister-in-law had the open RNY and I wanted the same procedure and the same doctor.

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 didn't have any.

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?

Everyone was very supportive.

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

My supervisor was very supportive. I was off work for 6 weeks.

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

I was there 3 days. I had surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in Carmel, IN. Everyone was wonderful at the hospital. The nurses were very attentive and willing to do anything they could to help you recover faster.

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

No, I did not have any complications from the surgery.

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 felt fine. I was confident that God was going to protect me and that I was doing the right thing for me.

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

I was weak and didn't have much energy, but I moved around as much as possible--I walked every day working up to 25 minutes on my treadmill.

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

About 1.5 hours. I make all of my appointments with the doctor and dietician for the same day. I see the doctor first and make my next appointment. Then I travel to the dietician and make the next appointment for the same day but 2 hours later in the day. I haven't made it to any of the support sessions though.

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 first 4 weeks I was on the Bariatric full liquid diet. Puddings (sugar free), custards (sugar free), cottage cheese, low fat cheese, scrambled egg, oatmeal, cream of wheat, pureed fruits and vegetables. 2 little 1 oz cups only at each meal. From 4 weeks out to 3 months out I was on the beyond full liquid diet. Add chicken breast, turkey breast, pork chop, fish, beans, canned tuna, canned ham, canned chicken, canned lump crab meat and tofu. (Meats should be pureed in a blender or ground to a fine consistency in a food processor.) Canned sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potato wuthout skin, sugar free dry cereal and saltine crackers; green beans, peas, carrots, beets, squash, asparagus, zucchini, cucumbers, mushrooms, water chestnuts, okra, turnips, cauliflower, broccoli, and tomatoes; peaches, pears, pineapple, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, fruit cocktail, watermelon, mango, papaya, kiwi, strawberri9es, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and prunes. fruits and vegetables need to be chopped to a fine texture and cut into small pieces. 3 oz at each meal. at 3 months after surgery increased volume to 4 oz at each meal. Changed to fat free cottage cheese and fat free yogurt and added lobster, scallops, shrimp, rice, pasta, greens,scallions, celery, corn, peppers, onions, eggplant, radishes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, endive, raw vegetables, peeled apples, grapes, raisins, apricots, oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, nectarines, plums. also added a snack to include foods such as one cup air popped popcorn one rice cake, or one oz pretzels, fresh fruit or raw vegetables. At 6 months after surgery increased volume to 5 oz each meal. Added baked potato with skin.

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

I worked up to 25 minutes of walking on the treadmill each day and did light housework and gardening.

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

2 childrens complete formula chewable vitamins, 1000 mg of calcium, 100mg of thiamine, 1000 mg B-12 sublingual each week.

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 had none of these complications.

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

None of it!!! I would go through it again in a heartbeat.

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

I haven't made it to a support group.

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

I only have a 4 inch incision. I didn't have any drains or a g-tube.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My first plateau was 3 wks after surgery and lasted 3 weeks. Once I got back to work and started working out more, I started losing more weight. Second plateau was at 4 months and lasted 3 weeks. Upped exercise and then took a few days off to start weight lose up. Third plateau was at 6 months and lasted 2 and 1/2 weeks. Upped protein and water.