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

I first heard about it from a friend who has passed away because of blood clots from after the surgery..I was scared because she was younger than me and died..My daughter was even more scared than I was..But I started doing alot of research on my own and I trust my family physician completely and he put me through a string of tests to make sure there was no blood clots in my legs before surgery..

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

I have medicare..Make sure that you get a written statement from your doctor before you even go to see the surgeon on why it is necessary for you to have the surgery..That was a big help..I know some insurance companies are more difficult than others but just keep on them and definately have that letter of medical necessity from your doctor.

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

He was very nice and put up with alot of questions from not only myself but my two friends and my daughter..He managed to ease all of our minds alot more. I also met with his bariatric coordinator and he did a check up and weighed me..I was given a list of things that needed to be done to get the surgery date moved up quicker. I didnt have to have the gallbadder screening because I had mine out years ago.The psychiatric exam,bloodwork,support group meeting,meeting with the nutritionist and also with the bariatric coordinator was on the list of things to be done.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I went and talked to one hospital who does the open and then I spoke with the surgeon who I finally had do my surgery who goes with the lap procedure..I choose the lap because its less invasive and less time to heal and less of a chance of infection.

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 biggest risks are complications with the anthesia and bloodclots.If you have had surgery before than you would know if you have had problems with the anethesia..The risk of bloodclots my doctor had ultra sounds of my legs done prior to surgery.And once you have the surgery then you cant baby yourself you have to get up and move so that none form..that is the best advice..

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?

Some of my friends were supportive and others weren't.My family wasnt..But ultimately it is your decision and not theirs..Everyone is telling me how great I am doing and to keep up the good work.Now my daughter is picking out clothes for me because since she is getting a new mom she doesnt want me wearing something that would embarrass her in public..

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

Does not apply I am on disablity

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

Well I really didnt have a chance to get that nervous..They had given me two dates for my surgery Dec.4th and Dec.11th..I was hoping for the 4th but the one test took longer to come back so on the friday before the 4th I was told it would probably be the 11th..I was upset because I was anxious to get it over and done with..On Mon morning the bariatric coordinator called me to ask me if I still wanted to come in on the 4th that they got the test results back and I had two days in order to get my preadmition tests done and get things ready at home for me to go in so every thing was done very fast so that I couldnt really dwell on it..

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

Use that time to rest since alot of people will be returning to the work force..But do not baby yourself by not moving..You need to move to prevent bloodclots from forming..Your taste buds will have changed.You wont feel hungry like you did before..You will get the staples out in about a week..Learning to lie in different positions from what I was used to. The hardest thing really to do is to remember to chew, chew,chew and also to drink at least a half hour to 30 min before you eat so you dont fill up on liquids..

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

About a half hour..It kept me in the hospital because of a major snow storm noone could get me..

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 learned really fast that rice you need to cut the portion in half because even though its cooked it still expands in your pouch and causes pain..Everyone is different on what they can tolerate..I found that eating tofu is easier for me than most meats. I still have not tried pork yet.Steak has to be very moist and tender and cut very small.I also tried alcohol for the first time..I tried that at home..And it took me 3 hours to drink one shot of tequilla rose and you do get drunk on a little bit..Watch your surger intake that will also cause the dumping syndrome..Splenda is the closest tasting to real sugar..I have tried different recipes with soy and tofu..You learn to really eat healthier..

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

the day after I came out of the hospital I was riding for over an hour to go see a surgeon for my child. And that same night I was at bingo.That was a tues,on thurs I was out shopping,and on fri night i was at karaoke..So i made sure I was moving around

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

I take a daily vitamin..I found the cvs brand has all the vitamins I need at half the price and its also small enough for me to swallow without trouble..

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?

Nausia was the worst because of the taste in my mouth..I would literally brush my tonuge and that still didnt help with the foul taste..There was some hair loss but not enough where you have bald spots..The taste lasted a little over a month and finally disappeared one day..Sleeping was difficult because everytime I tried to switch positions I would wake up for fear of laying on the spots where the incisions were..I used a pillow to put behind my back when i was laying on my side to help keep me from rolling backwards and pulling and one for under my stomach for support..

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

It had to be a toss up between the pain that I felt from the gas and the taste of bile in my mouth constantly..But so far out of the people who I have talked to that have had the surgery I am the only one that had that taste..Lucky me LOL

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, I am getting compliments that I look better..Also my daughter is now interested in helping me pick out new clothes and helping me do my makeup which is fun..