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

MY STEP SISTER HAD THE SURGERY A FEW YEARS BACK. WHEN I SEEN HOW MUCH WIEGHT SHE HAD LOST AND HOW MUCH BETTER SHE FELT ABOUT HERSELF I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.

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

I WAS VERY FORUNATE BECUSE I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE ANY PROBLEMS GETTING MY INSURANCE TO APPROVE THE SURGERY. I HAD SEEN SEVERAL DOCTORS BEFORE I CONSIDERED GASTRIC BY-PASS SURGERY AND I WAS REFERED TO DR. LUTRELL FOR THE SURGERY.

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

I HAD A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT I TOOK WITH ME AND DR. LUTRELL WAS VERY DIRECT AND INFORMATIVE WITH HIS ANSWERS. HE MADE ME FEEL MORE CONFIDENT IN MY DECISION TO HAVE SURGERY. dR. LUTTRELL MADE MY EXPERIENCE AS GOOD AND EASY AS HE POSSABLY COULD.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WAS SO TIRED OF PEOPLE JUDGING ME BECAUSE OF MY WIEGHT AND THEN WHEN I MET DR. LUTTRELL AND HE ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTION SO HONESTLY I KNEW THAT I HAD MADE THE RIGHT DECISION. THE THING I LEARNED AFTER SURGERY THOUGH IS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO JUDGE YOU NO MATTER WHAT AND I LEARNED TO LOVE MY SELF AND NOT WORRY AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK. I AM WHO I AM.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i WANTED TO HAVE GASTRIC BY-PASS BECAUSE THE SUCCESS RATE WAS BETTER WITH IT IN THE LONG RUN. I AM IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL.

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 REMEMBER BEING WITH MY HUSBAND THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY AND I WAS SO SCARED THAT I MIGHT DIE DURING SURGERY AND I WAS WORRIED WHO WOULD TAKE CARE OF MY HUSBAND AND KIDS. MY HUSBAND HELD MY HAND AND KISSED ME ON THE HEAD AND TOLD ME TO KEEP MY FAITH IN GOD AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FINE. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR ALL OF US AND WHEN IT IS OUR TIME TO GO WE WILL GO NO MATTER WHAT WE ARE DOING. I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HE SAID AND I ACTUALLY FOUND PEACE AND COMFORT IN IT. I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT HE SAID ALL THE WAY UP TO WHEN THE DOCOTRS PUT ME OUT. SO, IF YOU ARE SCARED THEN MY ADVICE WOULD JUST SIMPLY BE KEEP YOUR FAITH IN GOD AND LET HIM CONTROL THE SITUATION.

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 VERY SUPPROTIVE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO MY FAMILY WAS THAT I WAS DOING IT FOR MY SELF TO STAY HEALTHY. I HAVE A WONDERFUL FAMILY. I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AND I COULDN'T HAVE MADE IT THROUGH SURGERY WITH OUT THEM ESPECICALLY MY HUSBAND DAVID. HE IS THE BEST!!

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

I HAD A DESCENT STAY IN THE HOSPITAL. I WAS THER FOR 3 DAYS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BRING IN MY OPINION WOULD BE A COMFORTABLE PAIR OF PJS, A HOUSE COAT, CLEAN SOCKS, AND HOUSE SHOES.

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

I HAVE HAD A FEW PROBLEMS. THE FIRST THING TO HAPPEN WAS MY INCISION BUSTED OPEN AND WE HAD TO KEEP IT PACKED UNTIL IT HEALED. IT IS MUCH BETTER NOW. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY BLOOD SUGAR GETTING LOW SO I TRY TO EAT SEVERAL TIMES A DAY AND I TAKE A LOT OF VITAMINS INCLUDING VITAMINS B12 SHOTS ONCE A WEEK.

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 EVERY EMOTION THERE IS!! MY HUSBAND KEPT ME GROUNDED.

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

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS I WAS HOME I FELT LIKE I HAD MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. IT WAS SO HARD LEARNING HOW TO EAT AGAIN. IT TAKES A WHILE TO LEARN PRTION SIZE AND THE PAIN FROM THE INCISION WAS HORRIBLE. I GOT SICK A LOT AT FIRST AND THINGS THAT I COULDN'T EAT RIGHT AFTER SURGERY I CAN EAT NOW.

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

I HAD TO TRAVEL ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS FROM MY HOUSE TO HAVE SURGERY. FOR THE SURGEON I HAD I WOULD HAVE TRAVELED 12 HOURS IF NECESSARY.

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.

RIGHT AFTER SURGERY I COULDN'T EAT ANYTHING WITH MILK IN IT. I ALSO COULDN'T EAT A LOT OF MEAT. WITH TIME I WAS ABLE TO EAT MEAT AND I CAN EAT THINGS WITH MILK IN IT IF IT IS COOKED IN IT.

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

I WAS VERY TIRED AND MY ENERGY LEVEL WAS LOW UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO EAT MORE FOOD LIKE MEAT THEN MY ENERGY LEVEL WENT UP.

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

I TAKE 2 MULTI VITAMINS A DAY, 1 ZINC, 1 BETA CARTIN. 3 BIOTINA DAY. I ALSO TAKE 100 UNITS OF VITAMIN B12 ONCE A WEEK.

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?

I HAD A LOT OF NAUSIA AND VOMITING BUT AFTER I LEARNED HOW TO EAT THAT HAS GONE AWAY ALOT. I AM STILL EXPERINCING HAIR LOSS NOT AS SEVERE AS AT FIRST BUT ENOUGH TO BOTHER ME.

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

i HATE HAVINF TO TAKE SO MANY PILLS EVERYDAY AND HAVING LOW BLOOD SUGARS IS THE WORST!!! IT JUST HAPPENS BEOFRE YOU REALIZE IT. MY SUGAR HAVE GOTTEN AS LOW AS 49. I TRY TO STAY ON TOP OF IT THOUGH BY EATING SEVERAL SMALL MEALS ADAY.

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

MY SCAR ISN'T AS BAD AS I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BUT I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SHOW MY STOMACH BECAUSE MY SCAR IS STILL VERY NOTICBLE.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES!!!! PEOPLE TREAT ME WITH MORE RESPECT NOW THEN BEFORE AND IT MAKES ME SO MAD BECAUSE I AM STILL THE SAME PERSON INSIDE THAT I WAS BEFORE I JUST LOOK DIFFERENT. IT JUST SHOWED ME HOW FAKE PEOPLE CAN BE. AND STUPID FOR THAT MATTER.