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

I didnt like the things and the deaths i had heard and read about with the stomach stapling but I was at the end of my rope so i decided it was a HAVE to thing and I settled my mind to make it a success

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

i have to admit I didnt have any trouble getting approval so i wouldnt know what to say except "DONT GIVE UP" write and or call them everyday EVERYDAY

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

It was absolutely FANTASTIC he was kind compassionate and very very caring

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had already decided I wsnt against surgery I just needed to talk to a few patients and that did it for me

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided on the Fobi Pouch after talking at length with Jerry Poole he is a Fobi patient that was a bit smaller than me but he had answered all my questions and made me feel like i was a MILLION bucks

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?

when i decided to have the surgery my wife and i werent getting along very well, I was going to have this surgery NO MATTER WHAT I was either gonna die on the table and she would be happy (i thought) or I would survive and I would be happy,,,,,,,,,,,Now we are very happy together

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?

This is the best part,,,,,,,ALL of my family was VERY VERY VERY Supportive friends and family They are so glad i made this decision

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

I had been retired because of my weight about 6 years so i didnt have an empolyer to be happy or mad for me so I dont know

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

I have to say that the Center for the surgical treatment of Obesity was absolutely fantastic,,, the Drs the nurses the staff were ALL great and kind people. They treated me like a normal patient did everything i asked and even more. THANK YOU

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

I now have (after 17 months) a incisional hernia that is the ONLY problem i have had with this surgery. Dr Fobi will take care of it around August 2000 when he does my revision and my Panniculactomy (the removal of the excess skin)

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 was very determined to have this surgery although i must say that i went to die,,,,,,,,,,I really thought that i would die on the table because a Dr in Texas had told me that they couldnt keep me breathing BUT I and Dr Fobi's medical team proved that all wrong even though i believed the texas Dr I am aloive and well here in South Texas

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

since i was so large (768lbs) i did not do much of anything for the first 3 months pretty much just sat or layed around then i slowly started feeling better and the weight loss was getting bigger I soon ventured out and started doing more and more Now I go go go go Its a miracle But I am happy that i did what i did

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

I am in Corpus Christi Texas ( south Texas ) I had to fly to LA to have this surgery

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 at first didnt eat much at all I didnt feel like eating and then when i did eat I just threw it all back up so it was a relatively sdhort period of very very little food but after a few short weeks i started eating more and more and losing more and more. To date I eat anything and everything i want I have No off limits foods altyhough I dont eat a lot of bread it fills my pouch too fast

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

absolutely no activity the first 6 weeks remember i was 768lbs but slowly i started doing more and more til, now I feel like i am 22 years old and I GO GO GO!!!

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

well I am supposed to take about 7 different ones but I havent started yet and its been 17 months

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

the worst part was the ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I havent hada "WORSE" part the entire process has been GREAT I truly mean that.

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

I dont have one But I would love to be part of one

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

I have a scar that runs from the bottom of my breastbone to just above my bellybutton,rather have scar than fat

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had a few palteaus but I always lose more weight the next month they are to be expected

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OH Yes people dont recognize me now