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

I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY FROM A TV COMMERCIAL..I FIRST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A BIT EXTREME, BUT WHEN I SAW THE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES, I WAS SOLD.

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

I HAVE BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD HMO..ACTUALLY, MY MEDICAL GROUP APPROVED MY SURGERY. I TRIED THIS BEFORE IN 1998 WHEN I HAD HUMANA HMO AND IT WAS DENIED..I HAD TO WRITE A VERY LONG, SAD LETTER EXPLAINING HOW HARD IT WAS BEING OBESE..BY THE TIME THEY APPROVED IT, I WAS WITH ANOTHER EMPLOYER AND INSURANCE CO..

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

MY FIRST VISIT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. ASK AS MANY QUESTIONS AS YOU CAN AND GET ANSWERS.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

THIS WAS MY LAST RESORT. I KNEW THAT THIS WOULD WORK..I TOLD MYSELF, ITS THE SURGERY, OR STAY 250LBS OR MORE FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

MY DECISION WAS BASED ON HOW OBESE I WAS

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 FEARS I HAD WERE: WILL I WAKE UP AFTER THE SURGERY (THIS WAS MY FIRST). WILL INFECTION SET UP? WILL I WORK HARD ENOUGH TO KEEP THE WEIGHT OFF? BEFORE HAVING THE SURGERY, ASKED A MILLION QUESTIONS AND WEIGH YOUR PROS AND CONS..

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE. I WAS THERE FOR 3 DAYS. THE NURSES TOOK GREAT CARE OF ME..THE ONLY THING I BROUGHT WAS UNDERWEAR, TOOTHBRUSH, AND DEODERANT..FEMALES MAY WANT TO BRING SANITARY PADS- MY PERIOD STARTED EARLY DUE FROM STRESS OF THE SURGERY.

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

I HAD A HIGH FEVER OF 105 FOR A FEW HOURS.

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

ONCE I GOT MY SURGERY DATE, I WAS SO HAPPY BECAUSE I KNEW THAT SOON AFTER I WOULD BE LOOSING WEIGHT. I JUST PRAYED THAT EVERYTHING WOULD GO WELL AND IT DID

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

EXTREME PAIN FROM GAS!!! IT WAS WORSE THAN THE ACTUALLY INCISION..I HAD THE HARDEST TIME PASSING IT..AND NOTHING HELPED..IT TOOK ME ABOUT 4 DAYS TO GET COMFORTABLE.

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

ABOUT 30 MILES

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.

THE FIRST WEEK I HAD JUICE, WATER, AND FUDGEPOPS..IM STARTING MY 2ND WEEK TODAY, I CAN HAVE CREAMY SOUPS, PEANUT BUTTER, YOGURT, CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP(IN A BLENDER).IM TOLD THAT MY 3RD WEEK I CAN HAVE PEANUT BUTTER ON A CRACKER AND TOAST. CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP (WITHOUT THE BLENDER). MASHED POTATOES.

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

IM MOVING AROUND PRETTY WELL. I WALKED AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES 1 WEEK POST OP.

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

NONE YET. BUT I WILL BE TAKING MULTI-VITAMIN, CALCIUM, 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?

N/A

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

THE 2ND DAY OF THE SURGERY, I BEGAN HAVING SPASMS WHERE THE CUT IS LOCATED..IT WAS VERY, VERY, PAINFUL!! ALSO SINCE I TOOK A LOT OF PAIN MEDS AT HOME FOR BACK PAIN, THE MORPHINE DIDNT DO SO MUCH FOR ME..ALSO I HAD TO HAVE A CATHETER TWICE..

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

I DONT HAVE A SUPPORT GROUP YET..BUT I MET A LADY TODAY AT THE DR'S OFFICE WHO TOLD ME ABOUT THIS WEBSITE..I WILL JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP.

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

I WILL BE TAKING MY TAPE OFF TONIGHT IN THE SHOWER.ITS A STRAIGHT LINE FROM MY BREASTBONE TO ABOUT 2" ABOVE MY NAVEL

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE YET..8 DAYS POST-OP

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

N/A