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

Carnie Wilson's operation was the first I heard of it. I wasn't sure about it at first, and then I did my homework. I went to every web site possible and I talked to my doctor. My first thought was "will this REALLY work". I had been dieting since I was 10 years old, so I had to do a lot of research to figure out if this was for me. Obviously it was, because 1 and 1/2 years later, I did it.

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

Getting approval took about a year. I had to go through some programs reccommended by my insurance. After that my doctor submitted the request and my insurance approved it almost immediately. My advice is that you listen to your doctor and make sure they are familiar with the requirements your insurance company outlines. It was a great help that my doc knew what I would have to do so the insurance wouldn't turn me down.

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

My first visit was wonderful. I had a list of questions and he took time and answered everyone. As a matter of fact, we went down the list one question at a time and he made sure I understood his answer before we went on to the next. What helped me get the most benefit from my meeting is having my list of questions ready.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The thing that sealed my decision was a day at the park with my kids. I took them to a local park by our house and some of their (I have 3 kids) friends were there. I tried to sit in a swing to swing with one of my kids and I got stuck. My kids were embarrased when their friends started laughing. I was done being FAT! I figured I had nothing to loose. It couldn't have been any worse than what I was going through at that moment. My children and my husband were ok with me doing it, so I began the process and completed it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor decided which method to use. I was his FIRST lap patient. He had worked with the tools and stuff, but had never done the procedure by himself. I was very comfortable with him and his skills, so I figured why not. Someone has to be the first don't they? Anyway, I was hoping for Lap to begin with just to minimize the scarring. Turns out I have the body shape of a Pear, which is ideal for Lap! At the point when I met Dr. Potts (my surgeon), I just wanted surgery and I was not picky on which way they did it. I let them decide in the end.

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 petrified about every possible complication. I am generally the one percent of the population that will have a complication if there is one. I hemoraged from my tonsilectomy for gosh sakes! It was NOTHING like I imagined! Everthing went very well and they offer a slepping pill when you check in, so that helped a lot! If you are considering surgery, just think of the good that will come of it. Some (very few) people do have complications, but most of us don't. You need to figure the good out weighing the bad.

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 family FREAKED out! My kids were ok, and so was my husband, but everyone else was against it. Now they are extreamly supportive. They were concerned about the risk part of it and the knowledge that I might die. At first they wanted me to go on more diets, but I knew I was beyond that. They didn't try to stop me. Instead, they learned more about it. After awhile, they calmed down. Now they call me excited about how much weight I have lost so far. They also ask about my nutrition and stuff. It is all ok now.

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

My employer freaked out only because surgery was scheduled for the end of January. I work for a group of accountants and it was the beginning of tax season. I was out of work for two weeks and then I came back part time for another two weeks. I was back full time in four. Now my employer is happy with my decision.

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

The hospital was ok. I am alergic to Morphine and didn't know it. After we figured out what was making me sick, my stay went a lot smoother. I was in for three days. The nursing staff was great. They were very attentive and made sure I got up and walked. The most important thing would be a comfy pillow. Since most of my hospital stay was fuzzy (due to the Morphine thing), I didn't need too much stuff.

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

I didn't have any complications from surgery. I did find out, however, that I am alergic to Morphine. That took two days to figure out. I had never had morphine before, so I had no idea that it was making me sick. Once they took me off the drip I was 100x's better. Other than that my surgery was uneventful.

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 my approval came through, I was full of emotion. I talked out my feelings with my best friend who had surgery a year before me. I also discovered message boards. They are a great source to have questions answered.

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

My first week home I slept, drank water and walked. I thought I would be in a lot more pain than I was. I was mostly tired. My second week out, I couldn't believe how good cream soup tasted. You will find that loose clothing is your friend! I didn't want anything touching my incisions. Since I had Lap, it was easy to wear an old pair of sweat pants. I tried to do too much too fast because I wasn't in much pain, so I reccomend that if you can, take it easy.

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

I live in El Cajon, CA and my surgery was in Poway, CA. It is about 1hr drive. The distance wasn't bad, so my aftercare was good.

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.

Month one. Soft food like mashed potatoes, creamed soup and Sugar Free jello and pudding. Month two. I was able to start fish because chicken made me sick. I started eating veggies too. The veggies had to be steamed and mushy. Month three. I introduced chicken. Salads also became my friend. I am now up to month four. I can eat almost anything except dairy. I have to take a dairy digest pill and I can get away with a 1/2 a piece of cheese. I can not do milk in any form and yogurt is questionable. Small amounts of yogurt will go down, but I have to watch it very close. Fried food still won't go down. One french fry and I throw it up immediately. I prefer fish, chicken, and veggies now. I tried a juice drink one day about a week ago that had too much sugar in it, and I dumped. As long as I stay away from dairy and sugar I am good!

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

My original activity level after surgery was minimal. After 2 1/2 months I am up to a 3 mile walking video that I do in my home. It is 45 minutes and I do it at least 3 times a week. I do weight training as well. I have a torso track from Suzanne Sommers. It works my belly quite well.

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

My daily vitamin routein isn't as bad as I thought it would be. I take one Centrum multi-vitamin, one Beta-Keritin vitamin (doc's orders because mine was low), and a hair and nail vitamin because I am going bald. They cliam that after 8 months my hair will stop falling out. Only 4 more months, so I take the extra vitamin. It makes me feel better.

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 am still a little new, so I am going through all of the above. The only problem I don't have is sleeping. Or maybe I do, because all I want to do is sleep. I am four months out so, my hair has started falling out. Vomiting was the worse. I tried to introduce foods that I was not ready for, and they made me throw up. I hated it. Once I went back to basics, I stoped throwing up. Imagine that!

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

The worst part of surgery is not knowing what you can and can't eat. Now that I am four months out, I am supposed to eat regular food. I am now at a point where I try SMALL amounts of anything new. SMALL meaning one bite. If I keep it down, I continue, if it makes me nausious, I quit. It is a learning process and I know it will get better. Even though I have to figure out stuff the hard way, at least I have learned how to minimize the pain. I now have to think and question if I really want to eat something. If I would have done this before surgery, I might not have needed surgery. I am greatful that I have to go through this process. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!

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

I use this web site, the Web MD site and my doctors web site. There is also a support group that meets once a month in my area. It is extreamly helpful and important to me to have these. A place for me to post any question and get a responce from someone who has been there before, is a great resource. I don't think I would have made it through a couple of bad spots if it weren't for these groups. They are a invaluable tool for anyone and everyone to use.

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

My six scars are minimal. They are only about a inch long and the color is pink. I was expecting a huge line down the middle of my stomach, so the six little lines I have are great. They go along with the c-section scars I have from child birth.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I thought I had a plateau, but it didn't last long enough. A true plateau is supposed to last four or more weeks. Mine only lasted two. It happened after I began truly working out everyday. My weight stopped at 200. I haven't been below that in 9 years, so it wasn't anything new. I e-mailed my support group and that is when I found out that my body was adjusting and I had to deal with it. I was out about a month when it happened. I step on the scale less now so I don't notice if my weight stops going down.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Everyone I am around tell me every day that they notice a difference. I don't see it, but others do. My husband is more attentive now also.