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

long ago in o.a. people had done it and talked about gaining weight back, but never went into detail and i never really tought about it after that. then carnie wilson had it done also i had seen it on 2020 a whole family had it done.so i resurched it then a little biton the internet. some family member metion it to me that i should think about it and i thought no thats not for me. but then the last three years my health had gotton worse the knees were going and it was hard to walk hard to breath hard to move and i got so tired of being sick and tired. i started looking on the internet and doing all the research on it talking to people looking at profiles looking into insurance if mine would over the surgery and people that had done the surgery living in my area with my type of insurance that i had. then i went to my doctor with all the information then the surgent office and so on.the internet has been very helpful for me this site is just great and thank god there is so much support on here it feels so good that so many others are feeling like me have gone the things that i have and they know what it is like so you do not feel so alone and if i need to find out about something i can find it on here.i love the before and after pics. i love that everyone is so willing to help out.

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

my insurance was great no problem then just befor my surgery my in oct. i found out in sept. that the hospital was no longer taking my insurance. so right away well a few days later cause i was so bummed. i started checking what other insurance my husbandscompany offered and started on all the stuff that they needed to switch and thank god it all worked out.i hung in there it was not always easy but i did not give up and called if there was any hang ups in my paper work and faxed it all again stayed on top of things and do not give up it will work out in the end. i also let go and told myself if it was ment to be it will happin. but at the same time i called and checked on things always very polite.

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

it went very well see was very helpful. be ready with your questions write them down if you can take someone with you.i did not but you might.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

health reasons my knees got so bad that i can hardly walk. i want to live life not just watch it go by as i have for to long. i want to be here for my kids.i also have a c-pap machine to sleep with that i do not like all this in the last two to three years and thats enough for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

reseach on the internet rny will be the best for me in the long run.

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 some but i try not to worry about it to much i just look at the postive side and know that i will be better off. my surgent is good and i trust her i know that i will be fine any thing is better then what i have now it is not a full life and thats how i look at it.god will be with me either way.

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?

everyone of my family is for the surgery they love me and want me to live longer.they want me to be happy.

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

my stay was just fine a great group at the hospital i was in no hurry to go home so fast because of the care at the hospital i recived was just great.i was in for 4 days.your own underwear and pads just in case you start your peiord.tooth brush maz. to read for me ear plugs would have been nice there was a man screaming next door after a while it got on my nerves because of lack of sleep.

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

no everything has went well

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 very happy. i just thought how much better i would feel and all the things i would be able to do afterwards. i thought about the postive and knew that god was there with me.also i knew that my surgent was very good at what she does and she and her team had perpared me ahead of time.

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

i was tired and weak and i just took it easy.i tried to do everything they told me to do walking breathing drinking water but it was a little hard to get everything in because its all new just give yourself time to heal.just remember no one does it perfect eveyone is different just give yourself time you have been threw alot and your body needs time to heal. take that time for yourself.

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

about an hour away but could be longer durring rush hour an hour and a half. no as far as seeing the surgent again and the apts. i always made them but the support group meetings i go to at least one per. month.i wish i could go to more but i get back so late and its so dark and driving over hwy.17 is not good very bad hwy.

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.

first week all liquids tea[decaffeinated] apple juice, sugar free jello, broth, bouillon, cranberry juice, week two same stuff also mashed potatoes thined with lactaid milk, cream of wheat, i loved v-8 juice,cream of chicken soup strained, mushroom soup strained, snapple diet,apple juice,s.f. putting, popcycles s.f.,yogurt s.f., apple sauce s.f.,1 egg scramble with one pice cheese so good. this was weeks 2-4. then month two same adding soft foods one at a time to make sure it was all right. i did cheat some by adding hambugar, porkchop, for some reason i was really craving meat like crazy. no more liquids with any meals ever now also no more diet soda of any kind also no more coffee just tea. sometimes its hard not drinking while eating i was a big water drinker.well now its only been two and a half months for me it will be three months on March 4th. oh also no milk for me s;f;frozon yogurt i like but but sometimes it gives me gas.also no sugar i do not have dumping so i've found out .i wish that i did.

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

i was walking the day of surgery and after that not very far at all but i did walk eveyday just around my block so i would not get any blood clots. i would get tired for the first week. my week apt. with my surgent i went x mas shopping at wal mart for three hours i was wiped out afterwards for a cupple of days. i tryed to do to much but i learned to just let things go and let other people help.but still to this day i can not even lift more then 10 pounds for at least 6mos. so i have other people cary my landry then i do it and cary small loads back and i won't even go to costco by myself everything is way to heavy.i started water aerobicsat 6 weeks and i loved it but sometimes i need a nap afterwards.also i do rehab for my knees and i just started doing arm stuff tread mill other machines but i am careful not to over do anything i take it easy.i listen to my body taken care of my self.

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

b12, calcium citrate chewable,chewable nutrinate tablet.protine supplements drinks bars.plus i try and eat healthy every day

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?

for some reason i had a hard time after coming home sleeping at night i stayed up really late it took about 3 weeks to settle back down again sleeping normal.right now im about a week in to the hair loss thing. that sucks so will wait and see kinda thing let it flow day by day?

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

being ready and having to wait. i had to lose 30 pounds before hand and that took me 6mos. i know that it was for my own good. plus i had some ins. problemsi had a date and had to switch my ins. that was stressfull for me wondering if it was going to be a yes or not i guess it took about one month or less to fine out. i also had all my paper work done before hand so that helped the process move along faster for me.

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

great we all meat three times per month for support also they started a group in jan.2003 for nutritional support which meets four times per month also for pre-op people needing to lose weight. which i went once per. week before hand but after surgery have not been to the nutrition one i want to start going in march sounds like some great class in march. but the support group meetings i try and make two per month but sometimes its hard because they are an hour away and at night and i really do not like to drive at night in bad weather the hwy. is very bad vey curvery hwy.17.the meetings are very helpful plus its nice to see everyone and how they are doing plus if i have any questions i can ask someonme eles or the nurse.i think meetings are very important to stay in contact with everyone plus they all know what your going through.plus seeing all the people that have lost weight it makes you no that you will get there. because we all have good days and bad days and everyone is so different with different things going on you get to ask many of questions about meds. workouts weight loss all kinds of things in fact this week comming up we are having a protine potluck how cool is that.i love it.

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

five very small ones. very happy i thought forsure that i would have to have an open but i did not very happy.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

well right now i have been up and down with 7 pounds i have been stuck here scence january it makes me mad. but let me tell you that also scence january i have lost 6 inches from my breast, 4 from my knees, 2 from my arms 1 in my ankles, 1 top thighs, 2 on my tummy, so maybe im bulding mussles. i feel great about that.i was 297 when i went in after losing 27 pounds now im 257 up and down here like i said. i need to quit getting on the scale cuz then i get pissed and thats so dumb.its 11 weeks this week. that is all those inches in just one month.yippyyyyy

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

well i still have 135 pounds to go but yes i have it seems people look and smile now more. my husbend has been so much better he has waited 19 years for me to lose weight o yes he is very happy with me.also helping me to go work out and taking me shopping for some new underwear, bras and shoes which i could not even wear before still only tennis shoes before i wore only sandles for the last 15 years.