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

I wrote a detailed letter of my significant weight loss attempts since childhood. I went to see my pcp and gave it to him; he wrote a letter to my insurance company. I got on a friendly basis with a gal in the insurance company (on the phone). I faxed her information every few days and called her every few days. I always tried to be friendly and asked if I could send anything else. I would "forget" to send something and fax it after a few days and then call to make sure it got there. I was approved in a couple of weeks.

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

I live in Oklahoma, and I chose Dr. Champion in Atlanta because he was rated to be one of the best bariatric surgeons in the U.S. So, my first visit with him was the day before my surgery. I was so well researched by then that *I* could have conducted the meeting. However, I had some questions I wanted to know; and he answered them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was desperate...there was no other alternative for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After researching AMOS and other resources and talking to folks, I felt most comfortable with a lap rny.

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 confident and very determined in going through the pre-op hurdles to getting surgery. About a week before the surgery, I began to get very nervous...but I was not about to turn back now. I remember lying on the table waiting to be taken up to surgery; and the nurses were tending others...and I just bawled. I was so scared.

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 parents were furious when I told them I was going to get the surgery. My mother said it was death dealing; my father, a retired surgeon, said I was making the biggest mistake of my life. Each day they called me long distance, crying and begging. I finally told them that I had rethought my decision. And I did...and after rethinking it, I still went through with it. I hid it from them... they still don't know

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

I did not go into detail about what the surgery was. I said I was having a gastric bypass. They didn't really know what it was; I didn't go into details... I had a lap rny and have a light working schedule...so I went back fairly quickly.

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

I was not thrilled with my hospital stay. Some folks go in and have no trouble and need no help; but that wasn't my case. I would not dream of going back for major surgery without someone with me (whether family or private duty nurse). I had an ileus after surgery which caused me to have projectile vomiting for a day; the nurses couldn't really be bothered... Chap stick, your own pillow, walking in the halls apparel...those were the most important things to have. My stay in the hospital should have been 2 days...but because of the ileus, I was there 4 days. I had a lap rny.

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

I had an ileus. An ileus is a paralytic condition of your bowel after surgery. Since the bowel is not "awake", everything has to come out somewhere (vomiting). Dr. Champion put me on nothing by mouth, chemo anti-nausea, and a drug (ragland?) to stimulate my bowel... I got well pretty quickly after that.

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

My energy came back a little more each day. I felt pretty good from 3 weeks post op on. I haven't felt much anxiety. My worst problem is finding something to eat. I am never hungry and don't really like eating unless it's something really tasty...and I can't find anything that I consider really tasty. In fact, there is hardly anything that I liked pre-op that I like now... I hate chewy things, beef, pork, bread, eggs... the list goes on and on!

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

I was kind of tired and lathargic. I needed rest time. I needed time to experiment with food without being worried that I would get sick in public.

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

I traveled from Oklahoma City to Atlanta. I have communicated with Dr. Champion's office by phone. I haven't needed to see anyone about my health, yet. Dr. Champion's office sent some post op paperwork for me to take to my pcp when I have an appointment. I have to have blood work at set intervals...which will be sent by my pcp back to Dr. Champion.

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.

Dr. Champion has a very specific diet for the first 6 weeks postop. You can go to www.drchampion.com to learn about it. After those first few weeks, I began to try things. I had a terrible time with salad and any kind of meat and yakked most meals up that contained any of that. Dr. Champion even had me do a barium swallow here in Oklahoma to ascertain if I had a narrowed stoma (I didn't). But at three months postop, things lightened up; and I began to be able to eat again...only rarely getting sick. I learned to eat teeny tiny bites and then wait and see if everything went down well. The ticket for me was learning to know what it felt like for something not to go down and then waiting for it to go down before putting more food in... this (at 6 months) has been very important to know. When I am really, really hungery (which doesn't happen too much)... I eat soup because then I know I won't eat too fast and make myself sick. I have eaten sweets...but only tiny amounts... a bite or two... because I don't want to dump... I have dumped a couple of times... it makes me feel nauseated and then after the nausea passes...I am so exhausted I have to go sleep for a while.

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

My surgeon wanted me to walk every day for 30 minutes; and I tried...but I was still MO...and any activity was still more trouble than worth. At about 4 months, I had lost enough that getting active became a part of my life...I gardened for 1-3 hours a day (still do) and walked all over the place...and now at 6 months I have taken up bike riding and golf. The more I have lost, the more I have found that not only do I get more active...I WANT to get more active. I am also swimming. I don't work at getting active; it's just happening that exercise is becoming a part of my life. I kept looking for things that I wanted to do... and eventually found things that I enjoyed.

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

I started out with Flintstones vitamins and Tums. Now, I take an Easy Iron pill, Nature Valley multivitamin with iron, calcium citrate with magnesium. Also, I was bruising ALOT; so I asked my pcp to prescribe vitamin b-12 shots; I even give them to myself...but you don't have to...I just don't like having to go and wait for them. I notice that this really has helped me.

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?

Nausea and vomiting were the worst...and they subsided after the 3rd month. I lost very little hair and have slept like a baby since the surgery.

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

I think that worrying about dying and complications was the worst part. Next, I would have to say that learning how to re-eat and all the yakking until I did was pretty obnoxious. BUT none of these things would dissuade me from getting the surgery. It was the ONE best thing I have ever done for myself.

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

My surgeon has a yahoo group where all of us who have had him or will have him... can read or do daily postings. I also created a yahoo group for those who have had or will have the RNY in the Oklahoma City area. We meet in person once a month. THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! A support group is a bunch of folks who have been through what you are going through and can help you with any concerns, questions, suggestions. I have made some friends who are also postop; and that really helps when I have questions about what I am currently going through.

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

I had six tiny little port holes. Now, at one year postop, only two of them are visible.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I seem to lose weight 3-5 pounds and then sort of nothing for several days to a week or more and then drop again; it's kind of strange that way. At four months post op... I hit a kind of plateau for about a month..it was discouraging. Then, the weight started coming off. But when you are eating such a tiny amount and the weight doesn't come off...you start to think... am I going to be one of the ones that this doesn't work for?

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I am definitely (at 9 months postop) noticing a change in my treatment. I am getting attention from men... this seems funny to me. My husband is more attentive, and he was great before.