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

Newspaper stories. At first I told myself that I should be able to lose weight and keep it off without surgery but finally I realized that I needed surgical intervention to really give me a chance to be normal or at least what society deems normal.

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

Patty Maycroft at Liv-Lite handled all the insurance approval

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

I liked him. He was warm and the first doctor I ever had that I didn't feel like was judging me by my weight. I felt very comfortable with him and that is a rare thing with a new doctor.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to be able to do things I was missing out on. Amusement parks, vacations that required walking and also it was becoming more and more difficult to take care of some aspects of daily hygiene since I couldn't reach parts of my body very well.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I initially wanted lap but the only people in my area doing that weren't covered by my insurance so I decided that the open RNY was worth the results.

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 only fear was from dying under anesthesia and when I related this to Dr. Stevens, he reassured my of the quality of the anesthesiologists he uses and assured me that it would not happen. Also with over 200 patients, he and Dr. Bollman have not had any patients with serious complications

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?

They were supportive. Some were a little fearful but when I shared with them all the research I had done and since most had read about Carnie Wilson, they became more relaxed and all are very supportive now.

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

No reaction from supervisor. Co-workers very supportive. I will be off work for 6 to 7 weeks

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

I was in hospital for 6 days. All the people were great I really didn't need to bring any thing. I took books but really was not comfortable to want to read.

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

No complications

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 only anxious fo the date to arrive. I was a little nervous about "dying on the table" but my family, friends and doctors and nurses assured me that would not happen .

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

I have only been home 2 weeks but the first few days are miserable especially if you have not had to have people do things for you before. You HAVE to have someone there for at least 3 to 4 days. You are just too sore and tired to get yourself liquids every hour, you need help drying off from the shower , etc. The pain will get better and you will stop asking yourself if you made a mistake having this operation.

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

We drove about 120 miles. The ride home from hospital was not fun. We drove back for 2 week check up and will continue to go back for further checkups.

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 was lucky in that very little bothers me. I don't tolerate bread very well. I also still can't eat very much firm meat like steak, roast, turkey, chicken. At six weeks after surgery, when I was on a regular diet, I could only tolerate minute quantities of anything solid -- like maybe two bites. Now I can eat quite a bit more like a half cup and sometimes more of soft foods like pasta. I did avoid sugar pretty much the first 6 weeks but then forgot and ate a sugar cookie and discovered that it didn't make me sick. However I don't want more than one so it is not a problem In fact it is a blessing because I don't have to deprive myself of anything I just eat so much less of everything that I still lose weight.

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

Childrens chewable vitamins 2 a day. Doctor gave me a B-12 shot at two week checkup.

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?

No side effects yet except pain from surgery but it is becoming less and less as days go by.

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

I think I hated the gastric tube that they left in until the 2 weeks checkup. It was always getting bumped and was painful.

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

I go to the support group at hospital where I had surgery once in a while. I also go to a support group of WLS patients here in town about 1 a month. I enjoy the groups but but my real support comes from co workers who constantly tell my how great I look and from my family who worry about me and praise me too.

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

My scar is approx 12 inches long and 3/8 inches wide. It is wder and darker than I expected but it doesn't bother me at all. I am sure it will fade someday but if it doesn't, so what. It is a reminder that I did the best thing for me I have ever done

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I seem to plateau about every three weeks. I will go for 7 to 10 days without losing any weight and then I will lose 5 pounds within 3 days. I have quit worrying about plateaus. Overall I am steadily losing weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, I don't receive as many stares from strangers. I suppose because even though I am still overweight (obese technically) I am not gigantic like I was.