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

A girl I know here in my town had it done and the moment she told me about it I knew it was for me and that I didnt mind a lot of pain for a healthier lifestyle!

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

I have state medical card and they approved me after the first letter

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

My Dr was very informative i suggest that you make a list of questions before you go and then it will go a lot smother

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my health

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Well i have a lot of scar tissue from previous surgeries and the Dr and I both agreed it would be safer and easier just to go ahead and make the cut on my belly but it was only 4 1/2 inches long and now you cant even see it. they did not use staples to close me they used glue and sterie-strips

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?

It was weired, I was excited,nervous,and scared all at the same time.However I did write letters to my children and loved ones before surgery and put them in my top dresser drawer so that if something did happen I could tell them good bye and how much I loved them

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 was geat and they helped afterwards more than I ever dreamed they would. I had an open wound for a long time and my husband was wonderful he learned to pack it and clean it and he took great care of me

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

The first stay was good but then I had to be put into the hospital a few other times and 90% of the nurses were awful! They weren very friendly and if you asked for something ,even pain meds you were lucky to get it in a few hours. I do believe they need some new nurses

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

I had to have a blood transfusion from the bypass itself and then I had to have a hernia repair and a tummy-tuck about 5 months later and the wound was open and had to be packed and cleaned 3 times a day i had a homehealth nurse and my husband helped a lot and then in November of 2003 the had to revise my surgerrry because i cant quit losing weight and they found another hernia but its all taken of now i hope

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

Honestly for a few months i felt awful! i was weak and tired and didnt get out much but now i am starting to feel a lot better the only bad thing is even though i am on vitamins for it i am losing my hair something awful but the dr says it will quit and get better

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

DONT DO ANYTHING YOU AENT SUPPOSE TO !!!!! YOu dont want a hernia it hurts and it can be prevented!

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

200 miles from my home to my Dr and it is a pain because if you have a problem like me he wants to see you each time and that is a long drive when you dont feel good its even worse

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.

At first it was all liquids and the first real food i could eat without making me sick was a salad and it was about 4 weeks after surgery and now I eat what i want but not much greasy food and by the way sweets dont hurt me as long as i dont eat a bunch

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

At first all i done was lay and walk to and from the kitchen for drinks and the bathroom but I did lose a lot of blood and i ws really weak

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

multiday with iron calcium vit E zinc and vit c B12 Shot every 2 weeks

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 hair loss is awful and i am trying still to deal with it and at first i stayed sick to my stomach a lot even from water but the dr gave me medicine for it and it really worked

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

Honestly after all of the pain and problems the worst part was having to stay in the hospital for 10 days and 200 miles away from my family

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

none i support myself and so does my family and that is all i need because i am healthier now i no longer take blood pressure medicine and as soon as i completely heal it is going to be a great life for me and my childen

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

You cant even see my bypass scar and no i thought it would be awful but the tummy tuck scar is from one side to the other and it is light nothing a good tan wont hide but with my clothes on you cant see it either

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE i am still losing and fast i went from 247lbs now i am 113lbs

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

oh yeah they all say "I didnt even realize you" and they seem to want to do things with me or include me in their conversation but you know they weent that way when i wsa fat so i dont need them now either i have a new life and with it new friends