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

I found out about it from hearing about it when Carnie Wilson had it done, i was very sceptical about it at first also a co-worker of mine had the surgery

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

i had no problems getting my surgery approved my surgeons office was great in handling the matter

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

my appt is 4/10/03 i will let you know how it goes, I had my meeting with my surgeon he explains some of the things that is going to happen and change, he answered all my questions and he was very patient. Please always ask questions

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my health, i am borderline diabetic and i have high blood pressure

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my surgeon recommend for me to have laperscopic rouen y gastric bypass

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?

my fear is losing my hair, it does grown back, make sure u take all your vitamins and lots of protein

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 & friends are 100% supportive.

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

all my co workers are great they totally understand and are like family to me and the owner and his wife were also very supportive of me

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

I was in the hospital 3 days i went in on monday and was out by 6pm on wednesday. My hospital stay was very decent, the nursing staff there was great. Must bring a brush, toothbrush & toothpaste, and a suggest slide on shoes. I dont suggest you bring your pj's they dont let u were them anyway

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

I had slight complications i was in alot of pain, i was dehydrated, and i had dry heaves. I had great pain killers, i started to drink more and the dry heaves went away on there own after the 6th week post op

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

Mu surgery date got moved from august 19, 2003 to july 8, 2003 and i was a nith nervous and had severe anxiety because i had so many things to do before my surgery i was afraid i woudldnt accomplish all of it and i was kinda scared too

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

my frist 4 weeks were the worst, i was in pain i didnt want to eat i didnt want to drink and i hated the taste of food & water after about 2months out my taste for water came back

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

I traveled about a little over an hour for my surgery, i just made sure i took my pain killer about 20mins before i left so the ride home would be smooth sailing

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 cant eat mushrooms as aof yet i tried many times but they hurt my tummy, i am finally starting to tolerate meat it took me about 3 months out to be able to eat meat, it would make me throw up when i ate it. And i cant drink the protein shakes they make me sick.

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

I didnt do much of anything until i guess my 5th week i was in pain and had no energy

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

liquid multivitamin, b-12, and iron

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?

vomiting i get now & then depending on what i eat, i no problems sleeping and i get nausia once in awhile

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

the pain from the surgery

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

MY SCARS ARE VERY SMALL NO MORE THAN AN INCH LONG

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

PEOPLE TOTALLY TREAT YOU SOO MUCH BETTER NOW SINCE I HAD MY SURGERY