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

I have a good friend who had her "stomach stapled" several years ago and I knew it had been successful for her. I guess my initial impression was that it was a drastic yet positive step.

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

5/13/03 Had my initial consult with my surgeon today. The office gal said they haven't had an approval from Cigna since the first of the year. That's really discouraging! But we'll see - I can hope. I finally got approved in late July after a 2nd appeal letter as wellas a letter from my attorney. My advice?? Hang in there and be persistant.

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

Saw Dr Pettine for my initial consult today (5/13/03). He was very friendly and knowledgeable. Answered all our questions. He seemed genuinely concerned and caring!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

When I was diagnosed with hypertension I think it finally hit me that my weight was going to slowly but surely kill me. Hypertension is probably just the first step. I've come to the realization that this is the only way for me to permanantly change my eating lifestyle.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After talking to Dr Pettine, I decided on the Laproscopic Roux-en-Y -primarily due to it seems that the risks are about the same(maybe a bit longer in surgery) but the recovery period is less.

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 have a few fears about complications but certainly no more than the fears of not doing anything and not being around to enjoy my kids and grandkids and retirement. Death is not an issue for me other than the burdon it would put on my family. If God wants to take me in that manner then so be it.

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 daughter (21 yrs)did not react well nor as I expected. she was upset and commented "Why don't you just get some will power?" My son (25 yrs) reacted better - at least in my judgement - so far. He's a little harder to read but he pretty much took it "matter of fact" and didn't say much one way or the other.

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

Overall, I can't complain about my hospital stay. Except for not getting very much sleep because a) I'm a stomach sleeper and of course I couldn't sleep on my stomach and b) someone had to come in every 2 hours and take my vital signs. I understand that and I know that it was neccessary to properly moniter me. The staff were very professional and very caring and nice. I was there for 2 days. Surgery was Thursday morning and I went home Saturday afternoon.

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

So far I've had no complications.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

There were only 3 weeks between the time I got approved and my surgery date. I have never been concerned about the surgery itself. As the date gets closer I find myself becomming more and more apprehensive about the changes I'll have to make in my eating habits. How did I cope? I believe my faith in God has helped me. I truely believe God does not allow us to have problems that He knows we can not handle. So between talking to God and to my wonderful and supportive wife, I'm copeing pretty well.

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

The first two weeks were pretty dull. The first couple of days everything centered around getting the required amount of protien and fluids in me. And then it wasn't long before I just knew what I had to do and did it. About a week out, I started to want to really chew something. And that was tough for a few days until my first post-op appt when Doc said I could start soft foods. I've been blessed in that I had had NO pain since leaving the hospital so it has been somewhat of a struggle to comply with the physical restrictions imposed because I feel so good.

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

Fortunately, surgery was performed in the town I live in so I didn't have to travel at all.

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

I started taking walks the day after I got home from the hospital and gradually increased the distance and the speed of my walks.

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

I take a high potency multiple vitamin every day as well as a sub-lingual b-12 tablet. Also I take calcium 500mg 3 times a day although I am not as consistant with the calcium as I should be.

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've had very few side effects from the surgery. The only problem I have had I know I've brought on myself by not doing what the doctor said, namely sometimes I forget or get distracted and eat too fast and/or don't chew well enough. That feeling/pain of having that "lump" in my stomach is by far the worst thing I've experienced so far. The worst part is there's nothing I can do to relieve it until I vomit it out of there.

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

I'd have to say the worst part has been the mental adjustments I've had to make (and still do) to not being able to "pack it away" like I used to. Especially when eating something I really like - like pizza or a good steak etc. It's been a hard adjustment to realize I can eat only one piece of pizza, and sometimes not even the whole piece.

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

There is a support group at my hospital that I've attended just one time. I'd attend more often but I have another conflicting meeting those same nights.

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

I had laproscopic surgery so I have 5 little scars on my stomach. They're about what expected and are not a problem.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The only short plateau I've had was around 60 pounds. I stayed stable there for about a week.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really