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

Several of my friends have had the surgery, and all with good outcomes. I was fearful of possible long-term complications that may arise, but some of them are 10 years out from surgery and living normal lives. I told myself that I would rather be fat then have all that excess skin...that was a self-lie. Dying young from obesity related illness is far worse than some unsightly skin.

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

I had a very easy time checking all the boxes to get insurance approval. I had to have a 3-month doctor supervised weight loss program, a psych eval, registered dietician consultation, plus the standard pre-surgical physical, EKG, blood work and chest xray. My surgeon has a coordinator that gave me a roadmap outlining all of the requirements your specific insurance company needs before approving. I consulted her frequently to ask about timing of these visits in order to reach my surgery date, and she helped me quite a lot!

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

My first meeting with the surgeon was a group meeting, for educating us on what each procedure is, what the expectations are after surgery, and to discuss which is best for you. The other attendees asked lots of questions I wouldn't have thought to ask, and I'm sure some of mine were helpful too. The doctor gave us each a folder that had lots of information to review. Think about what questions you may have and write them down before going, as there is so much information going in that you may not remember what you wanted to ask. Make sure to take a pen & paper so you can take notes, I referred back to mine a lot afterward.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Having lost and failed to maintain hundreds of pounds in my lifetime, I realized that maintenance is a problem for me. Also, now that I'm older (49) my metabolism has slowed down to the point where, even when I do try to lose weight, it just doesn't come off like it used to. By physically altering my anatomy to restrict my food intake, I have the opportunity to achieve weight loss that I believe will be truly permanent. I do not want to spend the second half of my life the same way I spent the first half....obese and on a constant yo-yo merry-go-round.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon recommended the Roux en Y for me, he said it has the highest success rate for weight loss and maintenance.

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 no fears going in. I have had a few surgeries in my life (gall bladder, hysterectomy,etc) and have always bounced back faster than most. I'm a good healer and have a high pain tolerance. I did have one very painful complication; the surgeon made the opening out of the stomach very small, and then I had swelling that caused it to close. After two doses of steroids (both of which helped but only temporarily) I landed back in the hospital and he did an endoscopy, checking me out for leaks (none found, thank God!) and used a small balloon to stretch the opening. After this was completed I have had a completely normal experience. While I was going through this (it took 5 days and 2 trips to the ER to finally get done) I started asking myself, "what have I done? I was fat, but I wasn't miserable, and this isn't going well." I didn't fear death, but I did fear I had done something that would lessen rather tha improve my quality of life. My surgeon reassured me that it was a bump in the road, unusual but not unheard of...but that I was still on the same road and would still have a good result. He told me "Hang in there, it will get better and you will be fine." He was right!

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 was 100% supportive! They want me around for a LONG time. My friends were kind of a mixed bag. Many of my friends are also overweight, and some of the reacted negatively, almost jealously. One friend said, "That's cheating!" when I told her I was having surgery. She was on a treadmill and trying to 'cut down.' I was appalled! I told her, "I'm trying to save my own life here, so if I have to "cheat" as you put it, I'm willing to do whatever it takes!" I was surprised at the number of people who told me I wasn't big enough (338lbs, size 26/28 clothing? really?) or that I could do it myself, or some even liked me just as I was, and that sounds good, but they didn't support me losing weight for that reason. I made the decision to do this FOR ME so anyone who wasn't on board just wasn't entertained. I shut them out and ignored their advice on what I should do instead.

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

They were very supportive. I am very fortunate to work for a company with something of a family environment, so when I told my boss and my associate of my plan, they just wanted me to do what I need to do to get healthy. I was really pleased to not meet any resistance there. I had my surgery on Oct 2 and returned to work (desk job) on the 14th.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I was glad that I attended, because I learned exactly what to expect and what the procedure entailed. I was under the impression that the stomach that was bypassed would be removed, and that was wrong. Also, the other attendees asked good questions that I hadn't thought of, so it helped me learn a lot.

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

Initially I had a one night stay and was released in the evening on the day after surgery. However I had complications arise that sent me back to the ER twice, on the second ER visit I was re-admitted and spent another 2 nights there having the endoscopy & stretching procedure, then for observation to make sure everything was working well. The only things I brought with me were my slippers, iPad, phone & charger. Everything else was provided by the hospital. One tip; wear sweats or comfy stretchy clothes on surgery day. You can wear the same ones home and they will not hurt your incisions like jeans or snug fitting clothing might.

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

The surgeon made the opening out of the stomach very small, and then I had swelling that caused it to close. The 'dead end' of my stomach rejected the water I tried to drink, and the subsequent vomiting was painful. The esophagus had excruciating spasms for hours before the water finally came up. Because nothing would stay down, my prescription of Percocet did nothing to help, and I suffered without any pain medication. After two doses of steroids (both of which helped but only temporarily) I landed back in the hospital and he did an endoscopy, checking me out for leaks (none found, thank God!) and used a small balloon to stretch the opening. After this was completed I have had a completely normal experience. During the endoscopy the doctor had to put gas into my belly and intestines to see what he was doing, and the passage of that gas through my digestive tract was the worst pain of my life...worse than childbirth, and no pain medicine touched it. This agony lasted for a few hours until it began to pass naturally, much to the amusement of the nursing staff.

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 was all straightened out, I felt physically better, yet somewhat fearful of re-entering the world of food. I was on clear liquid for two full weeks before I felt safe enough to try something with more body to it. I tried cream soup, yogurt, pudding and everything passed normally. Once I felt good about that, I tried soft foods, chewing extremely carefully and thoroughly, and that has been fine too. That is where I am at this point, not ready to venture into full regular diet yet. It's OK to take things at your own pace, there's no rush to get back onto regular foods. Take the vitamins, drink plenty of fluids and you'll be fine. (I take gummy vitamins and calcium chews)

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

I was VERY tired and slept a lot the first few days. Have someone to help you, and LET them help you! Expect to try very hard to reach the 64oz water requirement...and to fail. I've only hit that number twice in 3 weeks. I do try, but I'm usually around 50ozs. I just can't seem to force that much down. Take your time and don't rush into solid foods too fast. Take tiny bites and chew them very well. When you do eat, focus on protein followed by veggies.

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

Not far, only about 40 miles to the hospital that my surgeon works from.

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

I did some walking the day of the surgery, slowly and carefully. I didn't have much pain from the incisions. Since then I've been walking more and more. I went back to work (desk job) 10 days after surgery. It's now been 3 weeks since my surgery, and I feel fine. I really feel like, if I hadn't had any complications, my experience would have been entirely easy! The laproscopic bypass surgery isn't terrible at all.

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

Gummy multi vitamins for women, Calcium chews, Bcomplex drops, and Biotin.