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

TWO YEARS AGO I CALLED A PLACE AND THEY SENT A VIDEO! IT SET IN THE CABINET FOR ONE YEAR BEFORE I DECIDED TO LOOK AT IT! AT THAT TIME I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE VIDEO AND MY GIRLS WATCHED IT AND WE WERE INPRESSED THAT THERE IS HOPE FOR OBESE PEOPLE! AND I WENT FULL FORCE AND LOCATED A SURGEON THAT WAS CLOSE TO ME ( WELL 1.5 HOURS AWAY) SO I COULD COMFORTABLY GO BACK AND FORTH. AT FIRST I WAS UNSURE, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE STAPLING AND IT DID NOT WORK! I NEEDED ALOT OF INFO BEFORE I WOULD MAKE A DECISION! I CALLED A LOT OF BARIATRIC CENTERS AND GOT LOTS OF INFO! i DECIDED THE RNY OPEN WOULD BE THE BETTER SURGERY FOR MYSELF. I ALSO LOOK AT THE SATISTIC RATE AND RNY RATE THE HIGHEST! I KNEW I WANTED TO BE THINNER BUT I ALSO WANTED TO LIVE THRU THE SURGERY TO SEE ME THINNER! (LOL) I AM WELL EDUCATED ON THE SURGERY AND MORE THAN READY! I AM SO GLAD THEY HAVE A SURGERY TO HELP OBESE PEOPLE! JUST REMEMBER, YOU MUST PLAY YOUR PART IN THE SURGERY! WITHOUT YOU THE SURGERY IS NOT A SUCCESS!

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

MY INSURANCE WOUDL OF BEEN A LOT QUICKER IF THE SURGEONS SECRETARY WOULD OF HAD HER DUCKS IN A ROW! MY PAPERWORK WAS SENT TO THE WRONG PLACE! CALL AND GET ONE PERSON TO TALK WITH AND GET THEIR NAME, NUMBER AND FAX! oK! SO THEREFORE I WAS DENIED! I STARTED DOING A DISCOVERY AND FOUND OUT ALL THE INFO AND THE PAPERWORK WAS RESENT TO RIGHT PLACE! YES!!!!!! I WAS APPROVED BUT NOW I HAD TO BE PRE CERTIFIED! OK! THIS MEANT ALL TEST HAD TO BE DONE AND THEY WANTED A COPY, PHYSC EVAL, AND THEY WANTED A COPY, NUTRITION CLASS MUST BE COMPLETED AND ALL THIS MUST BE TO THE PRE CERT. BOARD SO THEY CAN DISCUSS! THEY ALSO WANTED THE STATISTIC RATE FOR COMPLICATIONS AND SUCCESS! ALL WENT WELL AND I WILL BE HAVING THE SURGERY!!!

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

YOUR FIRST MEETING MAKE SURE YOU ASK ALL AND ANY Q'S YOU HAVE! YOU MAY NOT SEE YOUR SURGEON AGAIN UNTIL SURGERY, SO ASK NOW!! AFTER THE MEETING YOU SHOULD HAVE A ONE ON ONE WITH YOUR SURGEON! DONT LET THEM STICK YO WITH THE NUTRITIONIST LIKE THEY DID TO ME! YOU SPEAK TO THE SURGEON AND BECOME COMFORTABLE WITH THE SURGERY! THIS IS IMPORTANT!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

aFTER THE BATTLE WITH MANY DIETS AND SIET PILLS AND ALL THEY REVERSE ACTIONS AND ENDING UP IN ER MANY TIMES FOR SIDE EFFECTS ON PILLS, I DECIDED TO LOOK FURTHER AND FOUND THE RNY SURGERY! I TALKED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE, MEN AND WOMEN AND GOT HONEST OPINIONS ON THE SURGERY AND THEY WERE HANDS ON! I WAS TOLD THE GOOD/BAD AND I KNEW AT 33 YEARS OLD I WAS NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER AND MY FAMILY DR TOLD ME MY HEALTH WAS STARTING TO FAIL AND I NEEDED TO GET SERIOUS! SHE ALSO SUGGESTED MAYBE CHECKING INTO THE SURGERY! i HAVE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT AND THIS HELPS!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

AT FIRST I WAS INTERSTED IN THE LAP RNY! MY SURGEON I TALKED TO SADI SHE WOULD NOT DO THIS BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS SURGERY! SHE DOES THE OPEN! I WAS WILLING TO CHANGE TO THE OPEN! SHE TOLD ME SINCE HER HANDS ARE SO SMALL AND SHE CAN GET INTO EVERYTHING IN THE STOMACH ON A 3" INCISION! eVEN WITH LAP IT WOULD OF BEEN 5- 1" INCISIONS SO THEY AVERAGE ABOUT THE SAME!

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 AM MORE NERVOUS ABOUT WAKING UP TO THE TUBES DOWN MY NOSE! I FEEL VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE SURGERY AND GOD BY MY SIDE THRE IS NO DYING! EITHER I MAKE IT TO BE WITH MY FAMILY OR I VISIT THE MAN ABOVE! I FEEL I AM LIVING IN HELL EVERYDAY BY SUFFERING, THERE MUST BE A BETTER LIFE!

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 MY FAMILY WAS NOT REACTING LIKE I THOUGHT! BUT AS I TAUGHT THEM ALL I KNEW, THEY ARE READY FOR THINNER TIMES WITH ME! MY HUBBY ON THE OTHER HAND WAS NOT VERY SUPPORTATIVE! BUT I LET HIM DO HIS THING! MAYBE HIS INSECURITIES ARE GETTING THE BEST OF HIM! HE HAS NOT ATTENDED ANYTHING WITH ME AND THATS OK! MY GIRLS ARE SO EXCITED FOR ME THEY TELL EVERYBODY! I WANTED THIS KEPT QUITE BUT THEY KNOW AND NOW SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE! LOL KIDS, GOTTA LOVE THEM! LOL

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

I DONT WORK BUT I DO GO TO SCHOOL!

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

Hsop stay was ok! Stayed five days! Really only needed to bring neccessities! And the tong did not work for me! Made things worse!

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

Allergic to morphine! has spasms and felt sick all the time! I was very sore and i have a low pain tolerance! I dealt the best way i could i took lots of pain meds and suffered only a few days! But it is much better now!

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 happy i started to gather all my plans for protein and what nots to take to hosp! I chatted day and night to take in all info i could!

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

I was very sore and slept in chair! I could not do any protein drinks everything tasted nasty to me! THis caused me to hav eto go back into hosp due to low protein the body started to shut down! It took me about 5-6 weeks to really be on my feet!

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

I traveled 1.5 hours and went to the best hosp around! I was very happy with the travel time!

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.

When i first came home- liquids and slowly went in to soft foods cannot to this day eat meat except in Wendys chili and taco bell nachos. I can not eat any sugar things and no breads or i dump!

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

I had a low activity level for 4-5 weeks then i walked a lot and my energy level kicked in and 6 weeks i had a high energy level.

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

B-12 sublingual and flinstones complete kids chewable and halls vitamin c and for my loss of hair i use E C MODE hair product and it works!

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 bad buring and heat throbbing at my left leg and hip at 2 months it is almost gone! I dont sleep well till about 2 months adn hair loss stopped with using E C M ode products I hated trying new foods with fear i would throw up! My biggest problem is my bowels they hardly move and most of the time i have to use something to go to the bathroom!

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

Worst part is teh paim after surgery and trying to get up and move then it is hard to wipe yourself!

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

I have a good friend that had the surgery two months before me so i really dont attend any support groups

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

My scar still has a opening and leaks (liquid fat) at first there was three openings but i am down to one now and i have to change teh dressinf twice a day but it is starting to close slowly!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

In two months i have lost 45 pounds and i know i can loose a little faster! But not to bad for just 2 months and 3sizes down!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

You bet that is the first thing i notice! I just laugh cause they use to talk over me and now talk to me! I am the same Lori just smaller!LOL