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

I read about some celebrities that had it and I was intrigued.

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

Relax and if its meant to be it will hapen. I was approved within about 10 days of everything being submitted to insurance company.

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

Surgeon and all of his office staff was great. They put me at ease. I suggest having a list of all questions with you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After being hospitalized with possible heart blockage, that turned out to be nothing. But it was scary to think about what could have happened and being morbidly obese made it worse

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I opted for RNY because I needed something more restrictive than lapband and I didnt want to be bothered with having to go back and get fills. Also my insurance company didnt approve lap band at that time.

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 had a lot of fear of the unknown. I have heard some horror stories of things going wrong during the surgeon and the possibility of even death. I would say research your surgeon and see what kind of track record they have.

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?

Some family and friends were very supportive and others were not. I wish I hadn't told so many that I was thinking of having it done. My own mother even said, that I should just go on a diet and lose weight the natural way. Well IF I could do that I certainly would have. Once I had the surgery and they could see I was fine they were happy with my decision and supportive.

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

My employer was awesome! My manager supported me every step of the way. I was out of work 3 weeks.

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

My stay in the hospital was comfortable. I was so groggy from the anesthesia but I do remember the staff was so supportive and understanding. Important things to bring are your own gowns and robes and of course slippers that you can easily just slide your feet into. You dont want slippers that you have to bend over and put them on your feet. Also I think its important to bring comfort things such as pictures of kids and grandkids.

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

I have had no real complications from surgery. I did have one small sidee effect from the surgery. The day after the surgery I had nausea and vomitting. My surgeon expained that it was because I had a lot of swelling in my stomach. They gave me meds that took care of it. I had never heard anyone speak of that before so I wasn't prepared for it.

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

After I got my surgery date I was happy, excited, scared, nervous, anxious and wondered if I was doing the right thing. I had to just keep reminding myself that I had worked so hard to get to this point and I was going to become a new and smaller person

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

I was so very tired the first three weeks. I had little to no energy. It can seem like a full time job just making sure you get your protein and fluids in. Walking is also important during this time. Just remember that fatigue is normal.

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

A little over an hour. When I was released from the hospital my surgeon made me stop halfway home and walk around for 15 minutes to avoid blood clots.

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 two weeks after surgery I could have protein shakes and water, chicken broth, crystal light and jello. Then after that it was pureed food for 6 weeks. I couldnt tolerate eggs, though that is one of the first foods that most people can have. I am about 10 months post op and I still cant eat eggs, rice or fried foods. I can tolerate many things now that I couldnt tolerate in the first few months after surgery.

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

I was fatigued for the first three weeks that I didnt really feel like doing much. Though I must say that I had no pain. I slept a lot those first couple of weeks.

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

mutli-vitamin, super b-12 complex, calcium citrate, Biotin

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 nausea and vomitting the day after surgery. But was given meds in the hospital to help. I dont have any sleep disturbances, if anything I sleep much better than I did prior to surgery because I no longer have sleep apnea. I have had dumping syndrome a few times. About 2 months after surgery was the first time I dumped. I had eaten Meso soup and to this day I am not sure why I dumped. The second time I dumped was from eating a small amount of rice. It tends to swell in the stomach and can make you very miserable. I am 10 months post op and havent had any hair loss. I think it is because I have been taking biotin and I am sure to get in at least 60 grams of protein per day.

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

The waiting is the worst! And all of the testing. It can get very frustrating but you must remember its so that you can be kept safe during the whole process. It is so worth the wait.

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

I attend a support group in my city. It meets once a month. It is important to get the support. I also come to Obesity help chatroom. The people in there are awesome! I also have a couple of friends that have had bariatric surgery so they have been very supportive. It seems that no matter what is going on with you or if you have questions you can always find someone that has been through what you are going through and can help you.

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

I have 6 tiny scars and they are barely even noticeable now. I was expecting them to be much worse.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I had a plateau at just one week after surgery. I felt like I was a failure. I thought it meant the surgery wasnt going to work for me. I cried everyday. I wasn't prepared for that That plateau lasted for about three weeks. Looking back now I see that plateaus are just a normal part of the process and our bodies adjusting to the smaller size.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, people treat me much differently now. There are people that had nothing to do with me when I was heavy and now that I lost weight they speak to me and treat me with respect.