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

I HAD HEARD ABOUT IT ON A NEWS PROGRAM ,THEN HEARD THAT MY NEIGHBOR'S MOTHER HAD IT WITH MAJOR COMPLICATIONS. I THEN HAD MY HUSBAND GO ON THE INTERNET AND GET ME AS MUCH INFO AS I COULD GET. MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS OF HOPE!! MAYBE THERE WAS A WAY OUT OF MY MISERY!

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

I WENT TO MY SURGEON'S OFFICE AND THEY APPLIED TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY FOR ME. IT WAS NO TROUBLE, I GOT APPROVAL IN ABOUT 1.5 WEEKS.. I DID HAVE TO GO FOR A PSYCOLOGICAL PROFILE FIRST,THOUGH.

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

MY FIRST MEETING WAS FULL OF QUESTIONS. MY SURGEON HAS A WEEKLY SEMINAR AT HOLY CROSS HOSP. IN FT LAUD., IT IS VERY INFORMATIVE AND ANSWERED MOST OF MY QUESTIONS. I MADE AN APPT TO TO SEE HIM THAT NIGHT.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WHEN I MET MANY PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD SUCCESS WITH IT. CARNIE WILSON HELPED ME MAKE THE DECISION TOO. I PRAYED ALOT ALSO.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I DECIDE WHEN I HEARD THAT THE RNY METHOD WAS THE ONLY ONE AUITHORIZED BY THE AMA. AT LEAST THAT IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD AND READ.IT SEEMED THE MOST BENEFICIAL ONE FOR ME.

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 WAS A BIT SCARED OF THE PAIN. I KEPT TELLING MYSELF, I KNOW THAT I CAN GET THROUGH THIS . I KEPT PRAYING AND TALKING TO ANYONE THAT WOULD LISTEN. i KNEW THAT THIS WAS RIGHT FOR ME. THE MOST FRIGHTENING PART WAS SEEING THE LOOK ON MY HUSBAND'S FACE, RIGHT BEFORE THEY WHEELED ME INTO SURGERY. I TOLD HIM NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE GOD WAS GOING INTO THE ROOM WITH ME AND THAT I WOULD BE RIGHT OUT!

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 HAS BEEN WONDERFUL. MY MOTHER CALLS ME EVERYDAY WITH LITTLE COMMENTS HOPING THAT I WILL CHANGE MY MIND. MY 8 YEAR OLD SON IS SUPPORTIVE AND MY FATHER AND BROTHER UNDERSTAND AND ARE THERE FOR ME. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL THE DATE WAS CLOSER (LIKE THE NIGHT BEFORE) TO TELL MY MOTHER. I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY REACT POST OP. POST-OP UPDATE-I am 6 months post op and my family is singing a different tune . They are so proud of my weight loss. They brag about me now!!

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

I AM SELF EMPLOYED AND I HAVE A THRIVING REAL ESTATE BUSINESS WITH MY MOTHER WHO HATES THE IDEA OF SURGERY, SO, WE'LL SEE ......... Well now that I am post -op my family has changed their tune. They see the differnce in the way I look and the way I eat. I went back to work after 2 weeks but i was very tired I came home at lunch time and took a nap.

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

I stayed at Holy Cross Hospital in Ft Lauderdale for 5 days and the staff was wonderful. They treated me with dignity and compassion.

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 was so excit4ed after I got my insurance approval and sugery date. I ate everything in sight. I gained about 12-15 lbs in a 2 week period.

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

The first 2 weeks I just laid around and took it easy. Which was not easy for me. I knew that I should so I listened to positive affirmation and healing tapes and napped alot.

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

I live about 25-30 min from my surgoen's office and the 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 ate pureed meat of all kinds the first month. i haven't really had too much problems from anything that I ahave tried. I still eat only PROTEIN until 75 % of my weight is off and then I can start introducing other foods. I just know that I get nautious if I eat to fast and really sick if I don't chew well!

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

I walked the night I had the surgery and I have tried to walk almost every day since.I also try to bicycle ride a few time a week now.I was very tired the first month but once i started taking my vitamins my energy level went skyhigh.

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

I take Adult Chewable Vitamins 2 MultiVitamins Daily 2 Calcium 2 Vitain C Vitamin B-12 Shot once a month

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 have been nautious a few times . it usually happens if I eat to fast so I try very hard not to do that. I had a problem not chewing well enough once and I had chest pains and felt ill for about 1/2 an hour. Hence, I really try to chew my food well now. My latest side effect is hair loss. It started in my 4th month post-op and it is still falling out. I had thick hair before and I am told this only lasts until 8 months post op. I'll keep everybody posted.

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

The worst part of the entire process was the waiting for insurance approval. The rest was icing on the cake!!

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

I go to my doctor's monthly aftercare meetings.

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

My scar is about 5 inches long from bottom of my breastbone to the top of my navel. Once my scar was healed I went and bought silicon gel patches and cut them in one inch wide strips and I keep it on the scar still now and my scar is not raised at all and it seems to be smaller that most people's that I have seen.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have hit some plateaus but they don't usually last too long. As soon as I go back to eating only protein I break through.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, men are starting to look at me and trying to flirt with me.