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

I heard about it years ago and said I would never be that desperate to lose weight. Guess what! I'm desperate. I want my life back and I want to live a healthy life and I want to wear thin clothes again.

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

Kaiser has finally approved my surgery. I will get my consult date as soon as kaiser sends my lab work to Pacific Bariactric. It won't be long.

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

Dr. Zorn was very nice and caring. I really liked him.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was tired of not wanting to wear nice clothes and I wanted to get of the CPAP machine, which I did. I was disgusted with myself because of my weight but nothing worked, so my doctor and I opted for surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My doctor decided, I didn't any different. I'm happy now with the one I had. My scar is healing great, it is fading.

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 afraid of complications and at first I would not recommend this surgery to anyone, I am to afraid that something might go wrong. Now I'm now happy I did this,even though it is hard to eat the food I love. It's hard to cook a big meal and not be able to eat very much, or throw it up after eating it. It is hard to get used to eating like that. I'm trying and eventually I will make my goal weight.

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?

At first they were for it, then the closer my surgery date came, then the more that my husband and sons didn't want me to do it. My husband had me talked out of it but my daughter talked me into going through with it. Everything worked out fine.

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

They were very supportive, even though we knew there was a risk. Now my co-workers compliment on how I look. That feels great.

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

It was crowded. The nurses were so busy, I was glad that my husband and daughter was there to help me everyday. One nurse thanked my daughter for her help. For 4 days I ate nothing but ice chips. My two roomates were strange. Not much of anything. They furnish everything but the clothes to wear home.

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

Just depression, but my PCP warned me that I would have a hard time dealing with my new stomach, but 6 months down the road, i would be happy. So far she is right.

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

By taking medications, seeing a therapist and the support of my best friends.

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

People should be prepared for a lifestyle change. It was and still is not being able to drink and eat at the same time. It is frustrating to sit down and eat a great meal that you have been looking forward to, then to be able to eat a few bites. You want to keep eating but if you do, you will be sorry. I found if I serve myself small portions then I'm not tempted to eat more. I fill faster on protein.

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

I ahd to go to San Diego, calif. from bakersfield, Calif. But after care the doctors come to Bakersfield once a month and hold a clinic.

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 have trouble with Orange Chicken. No sodas, I stay completely away from anything carbonated. I found that to get all your water in, then you don't have time to drink anything else. I still can eat dairy foods, but if I need a BM movement, then I eat some ice cream and head straight for the bathroom. It has been almost a year and I eat pretty much what I want but in small portions. Eating really sweet things, like birthday cake, the next couple of days I am out of it. I am so tired and sick to my stomach. All I can do is barely keep my head up until it wears off, then sometimes if i eat too much sweets, I get a sugar high and then coming down is rough. So I am very careful of sweets, also it is trial and error in finding what you can tolerate.

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

Right aftr the surgery my activity level was high, even though I was sorry for having the surgery. The last three months my activity level is way down, I think its because of the cold weather. This week I'm going to more motivated.

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

I take a multivitamin, chromium, B6, Calcium,C, B12 once a week. I probaly missing one or two.

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 just went with the flow, I knew pretty much what to expect. Hair loss began at 3 months and it only lasted for a couple of months, my hair was so thick that I didn't notice hair loss until I saw it falling all over the place. I have had one bad case of dumping and I thought I would die. I' rather suffer through childbirth before going through that again. I didn't if I felt like throwing up or go to the bathroom, I couldn't sit on the toilet, I couldn't stand and broke out in bad sweat and I had to go lie down for awhile. I'm very careful about how much and what I eat now.

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

Not eating very much of my favorite foods. Right after surgery the pain was pretty bad.

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

There is a support group in my town,but I have agoraphobia and haven't been to one since the surgery. Eventaully, I will go to one. I ahven't been to the support group for a long time, it wasn't what I expected. I didn't get the feedback that I needed.

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

No, it was long. But now it's not bad since it is fading. After a year my scar has faded so much that I have to really look hard to see it. It looks more like a stretch mark. Dr. Zorn did a great job.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Every 5lbs I seem to hit a palteau and it seems to tak forever to go down to the next level. I'm on one now. I still hit a plateau when I get ready to another level, like 150lbs, 140lbs. weight not weight loss pounds.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I get more compliments. I do not look like the same person of a year ago.Other people don't treat me different, its that I feel different, even though I still have the "Fat" mentality. It is hard for me to get rid of that image.