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

I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT A GASTRIC BYPASS ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO BUT FELT THAT I COULD DO IT ON MY OWN. I THOUGHT MY WILL POWER WOULD HELP ASSIST ME TO LOSE THIS EXCESS WEIGHT.

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 VERY FIRST TIME I APPLIED FOR A GASTRIC BYPASS. MY INSURANCE WAS OPTIMUM CHOICE AND PERSONALLY I THINK THEY STINK.....I CHANGED JOBS AND GOT A BETTER INSURANCE POLICY...BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD.....AND I WAS APPROVED IMMEDIATELY. I WOULD SUGGEST TO ANYBODY WHO WANTS THIS SURGERY..DO NOT GIVE UP..IF U HAVE TO WAIT IT OUT..DO IT YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR LIFE ARE SO WORTH IT.

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

MY FIRST APPOINTMENT WAS UNPREPARED..BE PREPARED WHEN YOU GO..YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE AND SO IS YOUR DOCTORS TIME. ASK QUESTIONS AND HAVE QUESTIONS READY. MEET OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE AHD THE SUGERY..AND ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS U POSSIBLY CAN.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WAS TIRED OF SEING MY LIFE PASS ME BY AND FEELING SO WORTHLESS AND UNHEALTHY. I WANTED SO MUCH TO BE SLIM AND HEALTHY..AND MOST OF ALL TO BE AT PEACE WITH MYSELF.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I RESEARCHED IT ND FOUND THE ONE THAT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS FOR ME.

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?

QUITE SIMPLY I WAS VERY READY FOR THIS SURGERY AND NOT SCARED AT ALL..I HAD NO FEAR......

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?

I TOLD EVERYONE AND WAS VERY HONEST ABOUT IT. I WANTED SUPPORT AND I WANTED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT I HAD HAD ENOUGH OF BEING OBESE AND UNHEALTHY.

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 EMPLOYER THE TRUTH. I WAS OUT OF WORK TWO MONTHS. I HAD A GASTRIC BYPAS AND THE GALLBLADDER REMOVED AND I WANTED TO BE 100 PERCENT NORMAL AGAIN BEFORE I WENT BACK TO WORK.

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

mY HOSPITAL STAY WAS NICE AND PLEASANT. THE STAFF AT FAIR OAKS WERE AWESOME. I ALSO FELT SAFE STAYING THERE FOR ABOUT 3-4 DAYS. I WAS FINE AFTER A FEW DAYS AND HAD EXCELLENT CARE. MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BRING IS MOUTH WASH....

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

I HAVE HAD NO COMPLICATIONS FROM MY 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 FELT VERY SCARED ABOUT MYSELF AFTER I FOUND OUT I WS APPROVED. I ATE LIKE CRAZY AND NOW THAT I LOOK BACK I THINK I WAS SCARED TO CHANGE MY APPEARANCE. AS MUCH AS I DESPISED MY OBESITY I OBVIOUSLY HUNG ONTO IT FOR A REASON..IT GAVE ME A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY....I GAINED ABOUT 10 POUNDS IN ONE MONTH. DO NOT DO THIS. I WAS NOT FOLLOWING THE DOCTORS ORDERS. I WAS EATING OUT OF STRESS AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT HEY THIS IS IT..YOUR LAST MEAL GIRL.....

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

I WAS LIKE A ZOMBIE AFTER SURGERY. I WAS IN SHOCK..I COULD HARDLY EAT ANYTHING AND I STILL HAD ALOT OF FOOD CRAVINGS AND BAD HABITS. MY HUSBAND TOOK AWESOME CARE OF ME FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS.

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

I TRAVELED ABOUT 8 MILES FROM MY HOME IN FAIRFAX TO FAIR OAKS HOSPITAL.

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 AM IN THE BEGINNING STAGES TWO MONTHS POST OP. I CAN TOLERATE SURGERY VERY WELL....AND I EAT ABOUT AS MUCH AS A BIRD. I CAN NOT TOLERATE SOFT BREAD AND I REALLY HAVE NO APPETITE. I WANT TO EAT OUT OF HABIT OPPOSED TO A REAL HUNGER. I DO EAT LOTS OF SOUPS THEY GO DOWN QUITE WELL.

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

MY ACTIVITY LEVEL WAS LOW THE FIRST 4 WEEKS AND AFTER THAT IT STARTED TO REGULATE TO THE CALORIC LEVEL I WAS TAKING IN. I AM FINE NOW..TWO MONTHS POST OP.

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

CHILDRENS CHEWABLE VITAMIN AND MINERAL EVERYDAY AND AN IRON PILL.

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 SECOND WEK OUT I WAS VERY ILL AND I STAYED ILL FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS..I WAS VOMITING ALOT..AND I THINK I WAS JUST EATING WAY TO FAST AND EATING TOO MUCH PERHAPS AS WELL..

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

MY SCAR..IT IS QUITE UNAPPEALING BUT OH WELL..ATLEAST IN A YEAR OR SO I WILL BE THIN...I SHALL TAKE THE GOOD WITHT HE BAD..AND BE EVERY GRATEFUL TO GOD FOR HELPING ME.

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

I HAVE A GROUP IN FAIR OAKS HOSPITAL. THEY MEET EVERY THRID MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH. THEY ARE SO GREAT. I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER AFTER I ATTEND THE MEETINGS. THEY ARE VERY KNOWLEDGABLE AND HAVE HELPD ME SO VERY MUCH. I LOVE THIS GROUP AND FEEL THAT IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE.

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

MY SCAR IS UNAPPEALING BUT OH WELL LIFE SHALL GO ON.....

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

TOO EARLY AFTER SURGERY TWO MONTHS POST OP

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET..BUT SOON..VERY VERY SOON....AMEN