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

I first learned abut it when my pcp recomended that I look into it, she thought that it would be very beneficial to me. At first I thought "wow this is going to be a piece of cake", but its not, it is alot of work, you have to change your whole life.

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

Getting insurance was easy for me, my pcp submitted my request and thats all there was to it.

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

The first visit was interesting, my surgeon laid it all out there for me and my husband. He answered all our questions frankly. Make sure you write down all your questions, you will inevidably forget to ask something if you dont.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I fell and broke my back about a year before my surgery and my doctors said I had to do something to get the weitght off quickly, or else I was looking at back surgery, which I did not want under any circumstances. So I decided to get the surgery. I met Dr. Caruana in the end of Sept. 2007 and had my surgery Nov. 27, 2007.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr. Caruana only does the open gastric bypass, so that made my decision easy. He was the dr I had chosen.

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?

You are gonna die anyways, God decides when and where, if He wants you, Hes gonna take you, one way or another. You cannot live your life in fear, that is not a life.

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 husband was reluctent at first, but then I talked him into it. I decided not to tell most of my family, for persoal reasons. Everyone I did tell was really rooting for me. I am happy to say now that I would do it again in a heartbeat.

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

She handeled it very well. I told her flat out that I was having gastric bypass surgery and when and that I needed some time off work. She was fine with it. I only took 2 weeks off. My Dr said to take what I felt ncessary.

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 nice. I was supposed to only be there for three days (two nights), but on the day I was supposed to come home I started throwing up and couldnt stop for a few hours, so they made me stay an extra night. I recomend that you take slippers, and a cough buddy (a pillow or stuffed animal to hold against the incision for coughing and such), and chap stick.

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

No complications.

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

I got my surgery date about 3 weeks prior to surgery, so I didnt have alot of time to think about it and I think that was best. I was anxious to have it done and over with. I talked about it alot with my twin sister, she really helped me get through it, even though she lives far away.

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

They were ok. I was paranoid about doing something wrong, I was so careful. I look back now and laugh at how paranoid I was. Remember if you are unsure about something, call your dr thats what hes there for.

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

I only traveled about an hour to the dr office and hospital.

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.

I have not "dumped" yet. I eat mostly what I want to, just smaller portions, and I make sure to get my protien before anything else.

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

I gradually worked up to an hour of walking a day. I do tae- bo ocassionally.

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

I take Optisource bariatric vitamns religiously.

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?

What has been the worse for me has been the regurtitation. If you eat too fast or take too big of bites and dont chew good enough, it will cause this to happen.

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

When they removed the drainage tube on the day you go home from the hospital, and thats not that bad.

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

I do not attend a support group.

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

My scar is about 6" long going from my sternum down towards my belly button.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

So far I havent hit one.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, and it really irritates me.