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

I actually had a friends who's mother had this surgery 15 years ago and it worked but i never even thought of it for myself...then i seen Carnie Wilson on Donny and Marie on TV in January of 2000 and i knew it was for me!

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

OHIP in canada paid for this surgery...which i am very thankfull for...hopefully they will not change this with all the cutbacks.

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

Dr joffe was straight to the point and told me what he could do for me to help me loose weight....there was no pressure and he made sure that i knew what i was having done and that i knew all the facts and risks.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I knew that i was in good hands for the moment i went into his office and he put his hand on my back and actually touched me....as we all know that people think fat is contagous.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided on the VBG becuase i was too optimistic about the gastric bypass at this time....it was just a little to intrusive to my body i think.

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?

The only thing i was scared about was not waking up for the anestetic.....but that fear comes with any surgery......no fears now i would just tell ya to do it!

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 mother was very supportive...my husband was scared to loose me...but everything worked out for the best and now my husband is glad that i had it done as he sees me grow into the person that i was 10 years ago that he married..

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

i was off work for 2 and a half weeks and my employer was fine with my leaving to go and have surgery as she was overweight herself and could understand why i wanted to have it done.

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

Five days at the Scarborough Grace Hospital in Toronto. Just bring normal stuff that you would need for example toiletries and Bring your own NIGHTGOWNS just to be more comfortable.....do you really think the hospital has big enough ones...ya right....

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

None

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 felt like i lost my best friend....food. I remember crying because i could not eat and i could smell supper cooking which is the worst ever and watching everyone else eat is like torture. I just had to wait it out and it changed over time....thing get much better and you really realize how much your life depended upon food.

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

It was very emotional...feeling like something or someone had dies...grief that i did not expect came from this surgery. I just had to wait it out until i think i could see a difference and started to feel better....peoples comments really helped my get over this stage.

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

2 hours and it was worth it! my family doc took out the staples though and i went back for a check up two weeks later to toronto

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.

For the first while i thought i was starving to death...or atleast my brain thought that and my stomache didn't. At first i stayed on liquids for about a week and a half and then proceeded to things like yogurt and cottage cheese and mashed potatoes. Then started working everything in slowly and had problems with meats and starchy foods. which i still have problems with today.

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

Slow at first and then i went back to work in 2 and a half weeks. Felt fine.

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

Just a chewable multi vitamin

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?

Hairloss and heartburn came first and it was terrible i thought i was going bald for a while and the heartburn lasted about 3 months but then went away thank goodness. Gaviscon was my best friend.

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

The rib pain afterwards i found was hard to deal with becuase you cannot really tell where the pain in coming from and it makes you panic and feel like something is wrong with your insides that is not right...but the pain went away and everything was ok then after about a week,

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

None and i feel that it is really recommened to see someone or a group becuase i lived so far away there was no goups available.

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

it is about 7 inches long and is still pink after a year but is fading and getting better

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

yes some weeks you loose some and for a few weeks you won't ...just be patient

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes i don't feel like so much of a society scar now. But it is amazing that people still tease and stare at you and you feel like just saying hey i have lost almost 90 pounds so why don;t you just shut up and mind your own business.