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

MY AUNT HAD THE SURGERY DONE IN 1989 AND MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THIS IS SO DRASTIC!! I ONLY WEIGHED 180 AT THE TIME AND I THOUGHT IF SHE REALLY WANTED TO LOSE THE WEIGHT SHE WOULD DIET. WELL, AFTER HAVING KIDDS AND GAINING 80 POUNDS, I CHANGED MY ATTITUDE WHEN MY OTHER AUNT HAD IT DONE. IT SCARED ME BUT I KNEW THAT I WOULD FAIL ON ANOTHER DIET. ONCE YOU GO OVER A CERTAIN SIZE, YOU FEEL SO HELPLESS, AND I FELT THAT WLS WAS THE ONE TRUE ANSWER.

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

I WAS DENIED THE FIRST TIME AND SUPPLIED THEM WITH WHAT THEY WANTED. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL. I ADVISE PEOPLE TO BE PERSISTENT AND NOT GIVE UP.

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

MY FIRST VISIT WITH MY SURGEON WAS A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE MY SURGERY. I MET HIM AT THE INFO SESSION BUT I DIDNT REALLY TALK TO HIM UNTIL MY PRE-OP[ VISIT. I SUGGEST PEOPLE MAKE A LIST OF THEIR QUESTIONS BECAUSE I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE WHERE I WAS AND SO CLOSE TO MY DATE THAT I FORGOT A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY MOM AND I DECIDED TO DO IT TOGETHER. SHE WEIGHS MORE THAN ME AND I KNEW THAT SHE NEEDED MY SUPPORT. I NEEEDED SOMETHING DRASTIC TO MAKE ME CHANGE MY BAD FOOD BEHAVIORS AND THIS SEEMED LIKE THE ONLY REAL ANSWER.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

MY AUNT HAD THE ROUX EN Y LAPROSCOPIC AT 370 LBS AND SHE HAS MIMINAL SCARRING, SO THAT IS THE ONE THAT I WENT WITH. PLUS RECOVERY IS SHORTER. I WENT BACK TO WORK IN 2 WEEKS.

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 DID HAVE FEARS OF DYING, I WROTE LETTERS TO MY LOVED ONES IN CASE I DIED, BUT THEN I THOUGHT, LLIFE IS A CHANCE AND I HAVE ACHIEVED EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE THAT I HAVE WANTED TO EXCEPT TO BE THIN. I BELIEVE THAT GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS AND THAT THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON. IF I HAD DIED FRM THIS SURGERY, MY FAMILY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT I STILL WOULD HAVE DONE IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT BECASUE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO ACHIEVE. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN, 5 AND 3 AND I JUST SPENT QUALITY TIME WITH THEM PRIOR TO THE SURGERY JUST IN CASE. THEY KNEW MOMMY WAS GOING TO HAVE HER TUMMY CUT, BUT THEY ALSO KNEW THAT WHEREVER I AM, THAT I AM WITH THEM. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT QUALITY OF LIFE VERSUS QUANTITY OF 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?

MY HUSBAND STOOD BEHIND 100%, AS WELL AS MY MOTHER AND AUNTS. MY FATHER WAS KINDA SHOCKED AND MY INLAWS THAOUGHT I WAS CRAZY. MY CO WORKERS WERE OKAY, THATS DRASTIC, BUT THEY ARE NOT SAYING IT NOW. THEY ARE ACTUALLY STARTING TO DIET TO KEEP UP TO MY WEIGHT LOSS. I LOVE IT THAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO EAT HEALTHIER BECASUE THEY SEE WHAT I AM EATING. EVERYONE IS VERY SUPPORTIVE AFTER THE SURGERY.

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

I TOLD MY IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR THAT I WAS HAVING WLS. BUT MY HIGHER UPS WERE ONLY TOLD THAT I WAS HAVING ABDOMINAL SURGERY. I AM A POLICE OFFICER AND GOSSIP RUNS WILD THERE. SO, IT IS STILL PRETTY MUCH HUSSH, HUSH RIGHT NOW. I ONLY HAVE LOST 36 LBS SO UNTIL I AM REALLY SMALL, I AM GOING TO KEEP IT TO MYSELF. I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR APPROXIMATLEY 2-3 WEEKS AND CAME BACK WORKING PARTIME.

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

I STAYED AT HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL. I WAS THERE FROM FRIDAY TO MONDAY. MY SURGERY WAS FRIDAY MORNING AND I LEFT MONDAY AT 3PM. MY STAY WAS QUITE NICE, I HAD A MORPHINE PUMP TIL SUNDAY AND THEN PAIN PILLS UPON MY REQUEST. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A NICE NURSE. MAKE SURE YOU BRING SOMEONE WITH YOU TO HELP YOU TAKE A BATH. THE NURSES KIND OF WERE BUSY AND THEY FORGOT ABOUT ME. TAKE A FAN, PILLOW, HEAD CASSETTE WITH RELAXING CASSETTE, HOUSECOAT, SLIPPERS, BRUSH, TOOTHBRUSH, CHANGE OF CLOTHES TO GO HOME, GOOD LUCK CHARM, CROSS,

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

I DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS FROM THE SURGERY.

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 DIDNT START FEELING NERVOUS UNTIL THE NIGHT BEFORE. AT THAT POINT I JUST WANTED IT TO BE OVER WITH AND ON THE OTHER SIDE.

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

I WAS SORE INT HE STOMACH AREA, AND I SLEPT IN A RECLINER. EXPECT TO WANT TO SLEEP ALL THE TIME. I WOULD GET UP EAT BREAKFAST AND TAKE A LITTLE NAP AND THEN USE ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEN EAT LUNCH AND THEN NAP. I WAS VERY TIRED IN THE FIRST 2 WEEKS.

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

4 HOURS AWAY. DID NOT AFFECT AFTERCARE. I STILL PARTICIPATED IN IT.

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.

IN THE WEEEKS, MY SURGEON DIDNT WANT US TO EAT CARBOHYDRATES, BUT I GOT CONSTITPATED. SO I ENCORPORATED CARBS INTO MY DIET BUT KEPT IT UNDER 10 A DAY. I STILL LOST THE WEIGHT AND I DONT EAT SUGAR FOODS. I TRIED TAKING A SWIG OF CHOCOLATE MILK BUT I GOT SICK. I HAVENT DUMPED OR VOMITED, BUT I DONT EAT SWEET FOODS.

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

VERY LOW INT HE FIRST TWO WEEKS, BUT AT 3RD WEEK WENT BACK TO WORK, COULD NOT WEAR ANYTHING THAT HAD TIGHT FEELING ON WAIST.

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

KLOR CON, ZANTAC, AND AFTER ONE MONTH, MULTI, VITAMIN C, CALCIUM CITRATE, AND B-12

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?

THE WORST SIDE EFFECTS WAS SLEEP DISTURBANCE AND GETTING COMFORTABLE IN THE RECLINER. I JUST DEALT WITH IT.

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

GETTING THE TUBES REMOVED AT 10 DAY POST OP, IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE STABBED IN STOMACH. I HAD LAP RNY AND THEY TOOK THE JACKSON GRENADE TUBE OUT ON DAY 3. DIDNT HURT AT ALL. I HAD ANOTHER TUBE THAT MY DOCTOR KEEPS IN FOR 10 DAYS THAT GOES TO OLD STOMACH IN CASE OF COMPLLICATIONS. THEY PULL IT OUT WITH NO ANESTSIA AND IT HURTS LIKE HELL BECAUSE THE STOMACH MUSCLES ARE HEALING AND HOLDING ON TO THIS TUBE AND THEY ARE PULLING IT OUT. IT IS OUCHY OUCHY OUCHY, THE BLOOD GAS WAS NOTHING. PIECE OF CAKE

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

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, DO NOT USE IT BECASUE 4 HOURS AWAY, BUT I DO GO TO FOLLOW UP APPT.S WOULD USE IT IF LIVED CLOSER

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

VERY MIMIAMAL, AM HAPPY WITH IT

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

HAVE NOT HIT A PLATEAU YET

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET, THEY ARE NOTICING THE WEIGHT LOSS THOUGH