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

I WAS WALKING IN THE MALL DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND I CAME ACROSS A FRIEND WHO WAS OVERWEIGHT. SHE HAD LOST AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF WEIGHT SINCE THE LAST TIME I SEEN HER. I REMEMBER ASKING HER WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO LOSE THE WEIGHT, (WHILE I ROLLED MY EYES AND THOUGHT WHY AM I EVEN ASKING BECAUSE I KNOW I WILL NOT BE ABLE DO WHATEVER FAD DIET SHE WAS ON). SHE STARTED TO EXPLAIN HOW SHE FLEW OUT TO ARIZONA AND HAD HER STOMACH STAPLED. I IMMEDIATELY PERKED UP AND ASKED HER TO CALL ME WITH THE INFORMATION. I CALLED THE NEXT DAY AND NEVER LOOKED BACK OR QUESTIONED MY DECISION.

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

I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM-EITHER TIME. MY APPROVAL(S) WENT THROUGH QUICKLY.

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

THE FIRST MEETING WAS OK. I WAS A LITTLE UNSURE BECAUSE THIS WAS TO BE A REVISION SURGERY AND I WAS ON THE BORDER LINE WITH THE BMI REQUIREMENTS. BUT THE DOCTOR WAS STRAIGHT FORWARD ABOUT THIS AND IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF WAITING TO SEE WHAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD TO SAY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

THIS IS EASY. I KNEW I COULD LOSE THE WEIGHT ON MY OWN BUT I ALSO KNEW THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP IT OFF FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I WAS TIRED OF STRUGGLING! I WAS TIRED OF WORRYING ABOUT IT EACH AND EVERY DAY. EACH DAY I WOULD WAKE UP AND SAY "TODAY, I START MY DIET" AND BY 9AM I WOULD HAVE EATEN SOMETHING, THUS GIVING ME THE EXCUSE TO START MY DIET TOMORROW. BY TOMORROW I WAS SO OVERWIEGHT AND OUT OF CONTROL I COULDN'T FOCUS ON ANYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE. MY WHOLE LIFE REVOLVED AROUND FOOD OR DIETING. IT MADE ME FEEL LIKE A FAILURE! TO HAVE THIS SURGERY WAS THE BEST THING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE. THE PRICE WAS HIGH BUT WELL WORTH IT! IT CONTROLED WHAT I COULD NOT CONTROL!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE FIRST TIME, I DID NOT REALIZE THERE WERE CHOICES, SO I DID NOT MAKE A CHOICE ON WHICH ONE. THE SECOND TIME, THE DOCTOR EXPLAINED EVERYTHING TO ME AND I FELT COMFORTABLE WITH HIM AND HIS EXPLANATIONS.THE RYN WOULD HELP ME WITH MY SUGAR ADDICITON.

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 FEARS WERE PROBABLY THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE'S. DEATH. NO ONE WANTS TO DIE. BUT I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR EVERYONE. IF HE CHOSE TO TAKE ME DURING THE SURGERY, THEN SO BE IT. (I WAS HOPING HE WASN'T DECIDING THAT). THERE WERE SO MANY DAYS OF BEING FAT AND FEELING HOPELESS AND USELESS THAT ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS DIE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE SURGERY WAS REVERSIBLE, SO IF I DID NOT TOLERATE IT WELL, IT COULD BE UNDONE.

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?

THEY WERE DEAD SET AGAINST IT. ESPECIALLY THE SECOND TIME AROUND. THEY LOVED ME THE WAY I WAS BUT I DID NOT LOVE ME. AT 6 MONTHS OUT MARRIAGE IS A STRUGGLE. AT 7 MONTHS, MARRIAGE IS GETTING A LITTLE BETTER. AT 1.5 YEARS OUT, MARRIAGE IS DOING BETTER EXCEPT WHEN ANOTHER MAN PAYS ME ANY KIND OF ATTENTION, NO MATTER HOW INNOCENT. AT 2 YEARS OUT, I AM NOW SEPERATED AND HEADING FOR A DIVORCE.

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

I OWN MY OWN BUSINESS SO THIS WAS NOT AN ISSUE

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

THE FIRST HOSPITAL IN ARIZONA, I WAS ALL BY MYSELF. THE DAY OF THE SURGERY, I WAS PACING THE FLOOR AND THE NURSE CAME IN AND SAID, "DON'T DO THIS, I HAVE HEARD TOO MANY HORROR STORIES." I PANICED BUT WENT AHEAD WITH THE SURGERY. THIS WAS EXTREMELY FRIGHTENING. LATER I REPORTED THE NURSE FOR HER ACTIONS. THE SECOND HOSPITAL STAY IN UPMC IN PITTSBURGH WAS BETTER BUT THE STAFF WAS RUDE AND SEEMED TO HAVE NO TIME FOR ME. I FELT IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS FAT AND DID NOT DESERVE FOR THEM TO GIVE ME THE TIME.

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

NONE EITHER TIME.

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

EXCITED, SCARED, NERVOUS, COULDN'T WAIT JUST WANTED TO DO IT THAT DAY. I ATE EVERYTHING IN SITE MAKING THE EXCUSE THAT I SHOULD EAT NOW BECAUSE AFTER THE SURGERY I WON'T BE ABLE TO. IT IS A BIG MIND GAME! VERY EXHAUSTING AND EMOTIONAL.

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

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS WERE VERY TIRING. YOUR FOOD INTAKE IS NON-EXISTANT. I DID NOT DO VERY MUCH OTHER THAN LAY IN BED AND LET MY HUSBAND AND SON WAIT ON ME HAND AND FOOT. I SLEPT A GREAT DEAL. GOT FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I AM NOT A "SLEEP DURING THE DAY" PERSON. I REFUSED TO TAKE TOO MUCH PAIN MEDICATION, WHICH WAS PROBABLY A MISTAKE, NOT THAT I WAS IN THAT MUCH PAIN, JUST UNCOMFORTABLE.

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

FOR THE FIRST SURGERY, IT WAS ABOUT A 3-4 HOUR PLANE RIDE WITH TRANSFERS. THIS WAS HORRIBLE! FOR THE REVISION TO THE RYN, 120 MILES. IT WAS A LONG DRIVE HOME BUT WE TOOK IT SLOW. MY HUSBAND HAD BROUGHT A PILLOW AND BLANKET FOR ME TO LAY DOWN IN THE BACK SEAT AND I TOOK A PAIN PILL BEFORE GETTING INTO THE CAR.

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 COULDN'T EAT ANYTHING BUT BROTHS FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 3-4 MONTHS. NOT A LOT STAYED DOWN. CHEESE SLICES,BROTHS,POTATO CHIPS(SUCKED ON THEM TIL THEY BECAME MUSH), PUDDING(NON-FAT) ARE FEW OF THE OTHERS I COULD ALSO EAT. I AM NOW 6 MONTHS OUT AND AM BEGINNING TO EAT NORMAL FOODS SUCH AS CHICKEN, RICE, EGGS, BREAD, TOAST, GREEN BEANS, CUCUMBERS, FISH, BAKED POTATOES, MASHED POTATOES, ETC. AT 7 MONTHS OUT, I NOW CAN EAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING. SOMETIMES EGGS WON'T STAY DOWN. OFF LIMIT FOODS: REGULAR PUDDING, CANDY, SWEETS, CAKES, COOKIES, ICE CREAM, ANYTHING WITH SUGARS OR MILK. YOU JUST KEEP RE-TRYING FOODS. THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS EAT SMALL BABY BITES (SOMETIMES EVEN SMALLER THAN A BABY BITE) AND CHEW COMPLETELY. AT 2 YEARS POST-OP, I CAN EAT EVERYTHING EXCEPT MILK PRODUCTS AND TOO MUCH SUGAR ITEMS AT ONE TIME.

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

UNTIL NOW, I HAD NO ENERGY OR MOTIVATION-6 MONTHS OUT. I DID NOT WANT OR HAVE THE DESIRE TO EVEN GO WALKING. I WOULD COME HOME FROM WORK AND SIT UNTIL ABOUT 7:30PM AND THEN GO TO BED AND SLEEP UNTIL 6AM WHEN I WOULD GET UP AND GO TO WORK WHICH IS A SIT DOWN DESK JOB. NOW, I HAVE RETURNED TO THE GYM 4 DAYS A WEEK AND I AM DOING A SMALL WORK OUT. RIDING THE BIKE, WEIGHT EQUIPMENT AND WALKING. MY GOAL IS TO RETURN TO AEORBICS AT 7 MONTHS. AT 2 YEARS POST-OP I TRY TO WORK OUT 3-4 DAYS PER WEEK FOR ABOUT 45-50 MINUTES. AEORBICS AND WEIGHTS.

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

2 CHEWABLES,B-12, 2 CHROMIUM PICOLONATE, 2 TUMS, 1 MAGNESIUM- PER DAY. I HAVE FOUND THAT I NEED TO CRUSH THE PILLS OR ELSE THEY ARE STICKING AND I CAN'T EAT OR DRINK FOR 12-15 HOURS AFTER TAKING THESE PILLS. AT 1.5 YEARS POST-OP, I NOW DON'T HAVE TO CRUSH THE PILLS. AT 2 YEARS POST-OP I FAITHFUL TAKE MY DAILY VITAMIN REGINE: CALCIUM, B-12,MAGENSIUM, 2 CHILDRENS CHEWABLE VITAMINS,VITAMIN C.

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?

DUMPING: ABSOLUTELY AWFUL. NOW AT 6 MONTHS I AM EXPERIENCING HAIR THINNING. I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THE PROTEIN SHAKES SO I TAKE OTHER SUPPLEMENTS THE DOCTORS SUGGESTED AND EAT PROTEIN BARS AND FISH AND CHICKEN. SLEEP: OFF AND ON PROBLEMS, BUT I HAD THAT BEFORE THE SURGERY ALSO

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

THE FIRST TWO WEEKS. NOT EATING AND FEELING VERY WEAK. JUST FEELING YUCKY. LAYING AROUND DOING NOTHING AND GETTING BORED. REALIZING IT WAS JUST GOING TO TAKE TIME. I AM NOT THE MOST PATIENT PERSON IN THE WORLD!

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

I DO NOT BELONG TO ONE. THE ONE MY SURGERON OFFERS IS TOO FAR AWAY. I WOULD LIKE TO START A SUPPORT GROUP HERE IN ERIE, PA. I DID START A SUPPORT GROUP IN ERIE AND THERE ARE A FEW OF US WHO MEET EVERY 2-3 MONTHS.

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

FROM THE FIRST SURGERY I AM CUT FROM BELOW THE BREAST BONE TO THE BELLY BUTTON. BUT IT HEALED NICELY. THE SECOND SURGERY WAS DONE LAPEROSCOPY.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

IN THE FIRST 12 WEEKS I LOST ABOUT 5 POUNDS PER WEEK. AFTER THAT, I AM LOSING 2-3 POUNDS PER MONTH. AFTER THE FIRST 6 MONTHS I HAVE NOT LOST MORE THAN A TOTAL OF 2 POUNDS AND I AM 7 MONTHS POST NOW (9/99) AT 1.5 YEARS POST-OP, I HAVE LOST ABOUT 63 POUNDS.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES, YES, YES! IT IS AMAZING! PEOPLE LOOK YOU IN THE EYE (OF COURSE MY CONFIDENCE IS UP SO I AM LOOKING THEM IN THE EYE, TOO). I FEEL THIS HAS TO DO WITH ME AND MY ATTITUDE ALSO. I AM MORE FORWARD AND CONFIDENT IN WHO I AM. CONSEQUENTLY, I APPROACH PEOPLE WITH MY HEAD HELD HIGH.