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

I first found out about bariatric surgery 20 years ago and what I knew of it first hand, I was not impressed. I worked with a lady who had had the surgery done about 30 years ago. By the time I worked with her, she had gained all of the weight back that she apparently lost. She had chronic runs and could clear out a bathroom in no time flat. It was disgusting. I wanted no part of it. Thank god things have changed in the surgery game since then.

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

I called my insurance company intitially to ask if they covered bariatric surgery. It is really important when you call your insurance company that you have the correct terminalogy for them and remember, the people you initially talk to are customer service representatives. If you aren't satisfied with what they have to say, ask to speak to a supervisor. Remember, you are the consumer and they work for you. Your company pays good premiums for their service so if you're not getting what you need answered, ask to talk to their manager. If the manager is not available, leave a message on their voice messaging service. Keep calm, cool and collected when talking to the insurance company. Don't beg, your not asking for their permission, be cool and in-charge. I knew, after speaking with the initial representative, that I qualified for the surgery. They told me that it needed to be medically necessary and I have to be at least 100 lbs. overweight. I told them that I didn't even have to list any co-morbidities, my weight alone qualified me for the surgery. The guy asked me, "Well how do you figure?". I said, 'I weigh 438 lbs.. I think I meet the 100 pounds or more overweight. Don't you?'. He couldn't argue with me there.

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

I took with me several questions on a piece of paper to ask Dr. Weber. He was very patient with me and went over every question I had. I recommend that people research this surgery as much as they possibly can. I became a licensed massage therapist 3 years ago. During my training, I had to take 1 year of anatomy and physiology. I know, from my schooling, what extra weight does to the body on a celluar level, not to mention, what it does to the heart, lungs, joints, muscles, everything about the body. People of weight are very intelligent people. We know how to research and find things out for ourselves. That is why Dr. Weber has a soft spot in his heart for is WLS patients, because we are not stupid, we are well informed. The more questions you have, the better off you'll be.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I finally decided to have the surgery because I was gaining weight at an excellerated rate and I knew it would be a matter of time before I could no longer walk or I would die. It's as simple as that.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After I went to the orientation with Dr. Weber, I heard the differences between the VBG & RUY and decided to go with the RUY. I am a sweet eater and I know that I am a charbohydrate addict. I needed to do everything I can to ensure I have a fighting chance. Being brutally honest with myself was the key.

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?

Because of my weight going into the surgery, 475 pounds, I knew that I was high risk for any surgery let alone this one. The more faith you have in your surgeon, staff and number one, God, the better off you'll be. I think that your mental attitude plays a huge roll in your process through surgery. To be honest, the only thing I was concerned about was how I was going to wipe my ass. I didn't want to put anyone through that humiliation but once I voiced my concerns to the pre-op nurse and even the nurse in the recovery room prior to surgery, they were very understanding and reassuring. I know that my concern seems trite, but it was true. I prayed alot and had other people praying for me and my surgeon prior to, during and after surgery. You have to put your faith in something tangible and I put my faith in God and my doctor.

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?

I told everyone I knew that I was having in the surgery from my closest and dearest friends to the people I work with. Everyone that I know were exteremly supportive of me and my decision because they know me and they know the struggle I have been through over the years. I have always been an honest up front person and so it was no surprise to anyone when I decided to have the surgery. I wouldn't change a thing in how I communicated what my plans were. I believe that with me going through with this surgery, alot of people are watching with anticipation, how I come through this, possibly because they too are thinking of having the same procedure done themselves. I haven't been back to work yet, but the people I have talked to on the phone have been extremely supportive and tell me how proud they are of me. I can hardly wait to get back to work. I have changed quite alot. Since my surgery, a little over 4 weeks ago now, I have lost 55 pounds. That's incredible!!!

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

My bosses were extremely supportive of me and my decision. Especially since I told my boss how much I weigh, she was 100% in support of my decision and excited for me. She got me in touch with my benifits office and my case worker there has been great. The case worker did her graduate paper on bariatric surgery so she know first hand how long I needed to be off of work without hesitiation. I have been on benifits for 6 weeks. My surgery was 10-19-2000 and I go back to work 12-4-2000.

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 pleasant. The staff was great and everytime someone came in to take my vitals I asked them what their name was and I never forgot it. I was in the hospital a total of 5 days. I really didn't bring anything with me. The hospital provided a gown, they gave me slippers to wear when I took my walks. I did have a brush and toothbrush with me. I also brought magazines and things but I never read them. They were there mainly for the people that came to visit.

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

I really didn't have any complications from the surgery. The doctor thought I might have developed a leak because I had a unexplained low-grade fever, but they did an upper GI before the NG tube was removed and there was no sign of a leak. Once the tube was removed from my nose, I blew my nose for what seemed like days. After that I felt fine. I think my sinuses were angry from having a tube up my nose.

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

In the weeks following surgery, it has been a time of discovery. I have discovered that I can reach places on my body I haven't been able to reach in years!! I am finding it hard to eat every 2 to 3 hours like I'm suppose to but I know I have to eat to keep my strength up. I find that by talking things out, it keeps the anxiety at bay. I am losing weight at about 8 lbs. per week and thats pretty overwhelming at times. I know I have a long way to go, so by doing emails and going to my support group, talking to friends and family, I'm going to make it through.

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

If you have a recliner chair, it will be your friend. I think I slept in the recliner for 2 weeks prior to surgery and 3 weeks after being home. That was the most comfortable position. After I got my staples taken out, the top part of my incision hadn't closed all the way and it freaked me out. I got in touch with the doctor and I got in to see him right away. He looked at the incision and said it looked fine and if he put a stitch in it at that point it would cause more harm than good. He said it wasn't infected, so just keep it clean, but neosporen & a gause bandage to protect my clothes and it will close in a few weeks. It's common for a little part of an incision not to close completely at first. I didn't know that. I found also, by keeping a chart of my meals and medications helps me keep things straight and keep track of everything.

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

My surgery took place at Swedish Hospital in Ballard, which is approximately 45 miles away from my home in Tacoma Washington. I work in downtown Seattle, so traveling to doctors appointments for aftercare won't be such a burden once I'm back to work. My appointments will be after work around 2pm in the afternoon.

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.

My doctors orders are for liquids for the first 8 weeks post surgery. The dietician, along with the doctor said that I could eat anything I could suck through a straw, but don't use a straw because I would get too much air. I tried to liquify chicken, but that was just too grainy and gross. I've basically blend everything. I ate 2 poached eggs the second week I was home and they stayed down. I cannot eat scrambled eggs however, they seem to be to rough on my stomach. They don't pass through my stoma very well, no matter how well I chew them. Last time I tried to eat eggs without yolks and I threw them up. I also threw up with turkey and chicken. I cannot tolerate deep fried foods of any kind because I had my gall bladder removed at the same time as my gastric bypass. I can't tolerate the grease. I seem to do well with yogurt, blended soups, protein drinks, water, coffee, popcicles, applesauce, jello, milk, cream of wheat, peanut butter (in small amounts), oatmeal, cheese hard & cottage, saltine crackers and juice. I'm at week 6 so I only have 2 more weeks to go before I can incorporate more solid foods. My next doctors appointment is on Dec. 19th, 2 months post-op.

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

I felt it was very important to be pro-active in my own care and also the doctor required me to walk at least 6 to 7 times per day. I made it a point to get up more and more everyday. I discovered that when I went home, walking around my house is way different than walking in the hospital due to gravity and air flow. We don't have air-conditioning or filtered air in my house, and of-course that probably has nothing to do with it, but I felt heavier and different. I'm walking more and more, I just feel that I could do more activity. I sat on the floor and did a one hour foot massage yesterday. I haven't sat on the floor in years. It felt good. My mobility is increasing everyday. My mother mentioned today that I was walking better than she has seen in years. My girlfriends husband noticed that I hop up and move around more than he has ever known me to do in all the years that he as known me.

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

I eat a chewable muliti vitamin, an Iron supplement, a B-complex supplement, a calcium supplement and protein powder containing 25 grams of protein per day. It's pretty hard for me to take all of that stuff because I hate to take pills or medicine, but I also know that I have to take these things to prevent potential problems in the future.

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 have only thrown up 3 times since surgery. I hate to throw up, but if I think it's gonna happen, I do it. Luckily my stomach doesn't contain very much food, so the vomiting didn't last long at all. Once you can start to eat different foods, you have to experiment to see what will stay with you and what won't. Sometimes even though I blend food up, it doesn't necessarily mean it's something I should eat because it causes pain when it tries to pass through my stoma. Having the runs have been the most disturbing thing for me. The doctor told me that taking iron will be a binding agent for me and will help with the diarreha. Depending on what I eat, will determine my stools. I know that's kinda gross, but it's a fact of life.

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

The waiting until all of the tests where in and the doctor saying he would do the surgery. I understand that before the doctor would commit to doing the surgery, he needed to make sure that I was a good candidate for surgery. It's one thing to meet the physical criteria, yet it's another to me the pyschological criteria. I had no problem with meeting everything, put the process is what was the hardest for me.

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

Since I am 7 weeks post-op, I still see Dr. Weber. I understand the routine after any surgery is 90 days aftercare. Although I am part of a local support group here in Tacoma that meets every 4th Thursday of the month at the Martin Luther King Library on 19th & Oakes at 7pm. I find it very important to be in contact online as well. This website is an invaluable tool to people who are seeking information on this life changing surgery. I have had people contact me by email after they have read my posting because they are seeking more info.

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

My scar is from the bottom of my breast bone (at the bra line) to just one inch above my navel. About 1/4 inch at the top of my scar took a while to close so now, from my point of view, it kind of resembles a thermometer! I was thinking about having a tatoo at the top that said "Hot". LOL You have to have a sense of humor about these things! The scar is everything I expected, I've seen other post-op patients scars, so I knew somewhat what to expect.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I really haven't experienced any plateaus as of yet. I know they're coming but at the rate I'm losing, I'm kinda looking forward to the break. My muscles need a chance to tone up before the next wave of weight loss. Right now I'm averaging 6 pounds of weight loss per week, and if going to 2 pounds per week is considered a plateau, I welcome it with open arms! Update 12-31-2001, I have been experiencing a plateau for the past 2 months. I have been playing with the same 8 to 10 pounds, but I'm ok with it. I have lost, a total of 195 lbs. since my surgery 10-19-2000. I go from having 195 back to 183 to 190 to 182 so I have decided to leave the scale alone for awhile. The realization hit me that this surgery is definately a tool and I want to lose another 110 lbs. but if it takes me 2 to 10 more years to accomplish that, so be it. I'm in this for the long haul, for the rest of my life. This is not a competion with anyone else, let alone myself. I just need to experience where I am, here and now in this new body and get use to the quirks of weightloss.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely! My co-workers are so proud of me. I have an incredible amount of weight to lose, but I've already lost 72 pounds in the first 8 weeks post-op. I was off work for 6 weeks and after being back to work for 2 weeks, I had dropped 12 pounds because of increased physical activity. The people are so happy for me and celebrate with me with every weigh-in! I'm very lucky to work with such nice people. There are a few people who are jealous or more envious of my progress and kind of pooh-pooh it because I had surgery and I'm not losing it "naturally". That's ok though, I love the fact that with every pound I lose, I'll never gain it back again. This surgery has saved my life. I'm very greatful for this wonderful tool. Update 12-31-2001, I would say with a very energetic "YES", people do treat me better and some look at me, that I have known for years, seen in the building, in the elevator or pass in the hallway, as if they have never met me before. It's pretty bizarre. One person, I had not seen for a few years, saw me and asked if I changed my hair or something different and I said that I had lost a little weight, about the amount of a single mother and her child!!! People are funny.