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

FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SURGERY FROM A COUSIN WHO HAD A BAD EXPERIENCE AND I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER DO IT. BUT ANOTHER COUSIN HAD IT DONE AT A DIFFERENT HOSPITAL AND SURGEON AND HAD A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE AND I SERIOUSLY STARTED TO THINK ABOUT IT.

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

I WAS TOLD THAT MY INSURANCE WAS THE WORSE TO GET APPROVAL, BUT I SENT THEM 2YEARS OF DOCUMENTATION FROM MY GP DOCTOR AND A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION TO HAVE THE SURGERY FROM HIM ALONG WITH THE PAPERWORK AND ALSO SENT 4YEARS OF RECORDS FROM MY GASTRO DOCTOR. THEY APPROVED ME IN TWO WEEKS, WITH NO PROBLEMS. THAT IS MY ADVICE. SEND THEM EVERYTHING THEY ASK FOR, PLUS ANY OTHER RECORDS THAT WILL VERIFY YOUR HEALTH CONDITION.

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

I WAS SCARED TO DEATH OF THE WHOLE THING, BUT KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE. DR. NADZAM, WAS VERY INFORMATIVE, AND VERIFIED THAT I WAS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR THE SURGERY, AND THAT WAS THAT. I HAD TOTAL CONFIDENCE IN HIS EVALUATION OF ME.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY HEALTH AND KNOWING THAT IF I DIDN'T DO SOMETHING THAT MY HEALTH WOULD ONLY GET WORSE AND I WOULD BE SUFFERING MORE LATER ON. IT WAS WORTH THE CHANCE I WAS TAKING TO HAVE THE SURGERY.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE WITH. I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH FOR FILLS, LIKE THE LAP BAND, AND HAVE THAT PORT THERE FOREVER, AND THE CHANCE OF THE BAND SLIPPING. TO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT FOR ME. I KNEW THAT THE RNY WAS THE ONE FOR ME, AND I WOULD DO WELL, IF I FOLLOWED THE DIRECTION OF MY DOCTOR, (DR. NADZAM), AND MY NUTRITIONIST,(DIANA ROSA).

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 DEFINETLY HAD GREAT FEARS, RIGHT UP TO THE MINUTE OF SURGERY, BUT MY FEARS WERE GREATER FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY HEALTH PROBLEMS LATER ON IN MY LIFE. I'M TWO YEARS POST OP NOW, AND NO LONGER HAVE THOSE HEALTH ISSUES, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS SURGERY.

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 FAMILY WAS FEARFUL AND WORRIED ABOUT THE CHANCES I WAS TAKING TO HAVE THE SURGERY, BUT SUPPORTIVE PRIOR TO AND AFTER.

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

MY EMPLOYER WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE, DIDN'T GIVE ME A HARD TIME ABOUT IT, AND GOT THE TIME OFF WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR SIX WEEKS.

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

MY STAY AT ST. RAPHAEL'S HOSPITAL WAS OUTSTANDING. THE STAFF THERE WERE UNSURPASSABLE. THEY WERE THE BEST. ALWAYS RIGHT THERE WHEN I PUT ON THE CALL LIGHT. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD ABOUT THEM. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 3 DAYS. JUST BRING A CHANGE OF CLOTHS TO GO HOME IN AND YOUR PERSONAL ITEMS. THEY SHOULD SUPPLY EVERYTHING YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED.

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, AND I AM NOW TWO YEARS POST OP.

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

THE FIRST WEEK WAS THE WORSE, AS FAR AS THE PAIN GOES. AFTER THAT IT WAS OKAY, NO PAIN MEDS NEEDED. IF I HAD ANXIETY, I JUST TOLD MYSELF, "THIS WILL ALL BE WORTH IT WHEN THIS WEIGHT IS GONE". I REALLY DON'T EVERY FEEL HUNGRY, EVEN NOW AFTER 2 YEARS.

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

MY FIRST FEW WEEKS WERE THE HARDEST. YOU CAN'T BEND TO PICK UP ANYTHING SO YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE GRABBER GADGETS TO PICK UP ANYTHING YOU DROP ON THE FLOOR. I DIDN'T THINK I EVER DROPPED ANYTHING, BUT BELIEVE ME YOU WILL AND U WON'T BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP. YOU WON'T FEEL LIKE EATING ANYTHING, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE PROTEIN IN, SO MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR'S ORDERS ON DIET. WALK AROUND THE HOUSE, DON'T SIT ALL DAY. DOING LIQUIDS FOR THAT PERIOD IS NOT THE GREATEST. COULDN'T WAIT TO EAT A SCRAMBLED EGG...LOL

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

ST. RAPHAEL'S HOSPITAL WAS ONE HOUR FROM MY HOME. IT REALLY DIDN'T AFFECT MY AFTERCARE. IN FACT, I DROVE HOME FROM THERE MYSELF TWO WEEKS POST OP.

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 WEEKS JUST FLUIDS, THEN SOFT FOODS FOR A FEW WEEKS, BY 6 WEEKS ADDED A DIFFERENT BULKIER FOOD, ONE AT A TIME. DON'T RUSH IT!!! NO SUGAR!!!NO HIGH FAT!!!! I STILL AFTER TWO YEARS CANNOT TOLERATE A LOT OF SUGAR OR FATTY FOODS. IN OTHER WORDS, BBQ SPARE RIBS IS OFF LIMITS FOR ME. SICKER THAN A DOG, IF I EAT THAT.

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

SLOW BUT SURE IS THE KEY. DON'T RUSH THE ACTIVIY. I WAS BACK TO WORK IN SIX WEEKS, IN A VERY ACTIVE JOB. A HOSPITAL CAFETERIA, PATIENT TRAYS.

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

AS FAR AS VITAMINS, I TAKE TWO BARIATRIC LIFESTYLE COMPLETE NUTRITIONAL SYSTEM VITAMINS EVERYDAY, B-12, 1500 ONCE A WEEK, AND 3 VIACTIVE CALCIUM, WITH VITAMIN D AND K, EVERYNIGHT

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 ONLY TIME I EVER VOMITED IS WHEN I ATE SOMETHING THAT WAS TOO SUGARY OR HIGH IN FAT...AND THAT ONLY HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES IN A TWO YEAR PERIOD..THE WAY TO COPE IS TO FOLLOW YOUR DOCTORS INSTRUCTIONS ON YOUR DIET TO THE LETTER. YOU WON'T BE SORRY.

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

THE WORST PART OF THE ENTIRE BARIATRIC SURGERY PROCESS WAS THE FIRST SEVERAL DAYS POST OP,AND THE RIDE HOME , AFTER THAT LIKE I SAID YOU CAN'T BEND TO PICK ANYTHING UP.

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

THERE ARE MANY SUPPORT GROUPS AT ST. RAPHAEL'S IN NEW HAVEN, AND THERE ARE SOME IN MY AREA ALSO. I ATTENDED A 12 WEEK SUPPORT PROGRAM WITH CHRIS LODI, A PSYCHIATRIST. MAKES U TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT YOURSELF AND THE REASONS WHY U EAT.

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

I HAD THE RNY DONE LAPROSCOPLY, SO MY SCARS ARE VERY SMALL.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I'VE REACH A FEW PLATEAUS, BUT OVERCAME THEM WITH PROPER DIRECTION ON DIET.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OF COUSE, EVERYONE SAYS HI WHEN YOU DO, AND SOME SAY HELLO BEFORE YOU DO. THE COMPLIMENTS JUST KEEP ROLLING IN.