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

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

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

DR.O IS SET ON THINKING THAT I WAS NOT HEAVY ENOUGH AND I KEPT SAYING TO HIM BUT I MEET THE CRITERIA HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT OKAY IT IS NOT UP TO ME IT IS UP TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I STARTED RESERCHING WLS FIVE YEARS AGO NOT BEING ABLE TO LOSS WEIGHT HAS DROVE ME CRAZY FOR YEARS

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE PROCEDURE I AM HAVING IS THE ONLY ONE THEY DO AT THIS HOSPITAL (ROXE-N-Y) SO THE CHOICE WAS VERY EASY TO DECIDE.

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 HAVE NO FEARS ABOUT DYING IF IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO THEN I WILL GO IF NOT I WON'T. IF I KEEP GAINING WEIGHT I AM MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO DIE FROM WEIGHT RELATED PROMBLEMS.

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 IS NOT SUPPORTING MY DECISION.THEY THINK THIS IS A DRASTIC DECISION AND THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOSS WEIGHT ON MY OWN MY GRANDFATHER SAID ALL I NEED IS WILLPOWER AND DOESN'T HE KNOW IF I COULD GET RID OF THIS WEIGHT I WOULD. MY BOY FRIEND THINKS I AM GOING TO DIE AND SO HE'S MORE UPSET EVERYDAY. MY GRANDMOTHER THINKS THE DOCTOR IS GOING TO CUT THE FAT OUT OF ME . I CAN'T GET HER TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCEDURE. SOMEBODY HELP ME,PLEASE.

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

MY BOSS ALSO THINKS THIS IS A DRASTIC MEASURE. AND SAYS SHE WISH I WOULD CHANGE MY MIND I HAD TO CHANGE MY SURGERY DATE FROM 6/25/02 TO 7/16/02 BECAUSE SHE WOULDN'T GRANT MY FIRST REQUEST IT MAY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH 6/21/02 BEING HER LAST DAY AS MY BOSS SHE CHANGING JOBS AND WILL BE WORKING AT ANOTHER FACILITY.

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

I HAD A GREAT STAY IN THE HOSPITAL. I WAS UP IN THE CHAIR THAT EVE. AND UP AT 5 AM. THAT NET MORNING (BY CHIOCE) I WALKED WITH THE PT ON MY OWN AND WALKED EVERY TIME I THOUGHT I WANTED TOO. ABOUT 4X ADAY AND MORE. JUST WHENEVER I FELT LIKE IT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY WHENEVER. THE NURSE AT CARLE FOUND. HOSP. WERE GREAT AND EVERY ONE COULD NOT BELIEVE I WAS DOING SO WELL

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

I HAVE NOT HAD ANY COMPLICATIONS WHAT SO EVER

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 HAD NO ANIETY ,ATE ALL THE DAIRY QUEEN ICE CREAM I COULD GET

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

I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS ONLY TRYING TO FIND A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO SLEEP I WAS FROM THE BED TO THE COUCH TO THE CHAIR AND ALL OVER AGAIN FINALLY ON DAY 12 I CAN SLEPP FLAT AND ON MY RIGHT SIDE A LITTLE.

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

I LIVE WITHIN A MILE FROM MY JOB ABOUT 20 MINS. WALKING AND 8 MINS. BY CAR.

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.

WELL I TRYED BABY FOOD AND IT MADE MY BREATH STINK SO I CHANGE TO PROTEIN SHAKES AND IT'S BEEN SMOOTH SAILING EVERY SINCE JUST WISH I COULD DRINK MORE THEY ARE SO DELICIOUS WITH FRESH FRUIT

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

I WAS UP DAY TWO AND I HAVE BEEN UP EVERY SINCE I STARTED WALKING 15 MIN. AT A TIME AT FIRST AND NOW ON DAY 12 I CAN WALK 30 MIN. I ALSO GO SHOPPING AT THE MALL TOTHE LAKE FISHING TO CHURCH AND ANY WHERE ELSE I WANT TO GO . NOBODY BELEIVES I HAD SURGEY, MAJOR SURGERY 12 DAYS AGO

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

TWIN LAB PROTEIN SUPPLEMENT ; ONE ADAY KIDS CHEWABLE VITAMINS;TUMS E- STREGHT;SUNRIDERS ENERGY SUPPLEMENT WITH IRON.RUGBY VITAMIN B12; MET-RX RTD SHAKES 40 GRAMS OF PROTEIN PRE 15 OZ. CAN.

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 HAD OLNY MINOR HAIR DAMADGE JUST AROUND THE FRONTAL AREA AND AFTER 1 YEAR OF WEAVE AND FAKE PONYTAILS I AM WEARING MY OWN HEALTHY HAIR. NO DUMPING A LITTLE DIAREHHA FROM ALITTLE SUGAR I TRY NOT TO GO OVER 18GRAMS.

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

THE WHOLE PROCESS WAS A EPERIENCE THAT I WILL REMEMBER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE . A GOOD ONE IT WAS NOTHING BAD THE FIRST DAY RIGHT AFTER SURGEY WAS A LITTLE BIT PAINFUL BUT AS SOON AS THE MORPHINE KICKED IN I WAS FINE AND HAS BEEN FINE EVERY SINCE

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

THER IS A SUPPORT GROUP HERE IN THE HOSP. WE MEET EVERY SECOND THURSDAY . IT'S EASY FOR ME BECAUSE I WORK HERE ALSO. THE SUPPORT IS GOOD THE GROUP IS LARGE AND THERE ISONE MEMBER 7 YEARS PO-OP, THER ARE PRE-OP,PO-OP, RESARCHERS, PEOPLE WAITING FOR APPROVAL PEOPLE IN THE APPEAL PROCESS AND ALL OTHER WALKS OF LIFE . 10/27/03 AT CARLE HOSP. THEY ARE STARTING A NEW SUPPORT GROUP FOR PEOPLE 1 YEAR OUT OF SURGERY.

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

IT'S A LINE DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MY CHEST FROM MT STERNUMTO ABOUNT 2 INCHES ABOVE MY BELLY BUTTON. SINCE I HAD STAPLES ITKINDA LOOKS LIKE A MINUTURE TRAIN TRACK. NO IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT I EXPECTED. IF I HAD KNOWN THAT I COULD HAVE HAD IT GLUED I WOULD HAVE.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OH HECK YEAH.( THAT'S THE SOUTHERN GIRL COMING OUT OF ME) GUYS WHO NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO ME ARE ALWAYS TALKING TO ME NOW BUT I AM STILL THE SAME GIRL SO I JUST ACT LIKE I DON'T HEAR THEM. THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED WHEN I WAS HEAVY THEREIS NO REASON TO BE TALKING NOW.