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

I think like most people of recent years it was thru Carnie Wilson's much-publicised weight loss surgery in Chicago. My intitial impression was a question.. "Would it work for me?" I'm not sure WHY I'd think that but I guess it's my body. My skin and what not.. like celluloid, hard. Figured it might not work. I don't know. :) Then I went thru.. "Wow.. I could be half of myself in almost a year.. finally could see a movie without losing feeling in my bottom half."

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

I had no problems at all with medicare.

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

was good. He was very nice and understanding. Ask a lot of questions. None are stupid.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I looked at my 6 mos. old neice.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Surgeon decided.

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 had them. Still do on some level. It's normal. Face 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?

They didn't react positively.

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

My hospital stay was ok I suppose. I was pretty much in bed the whole time. I was in the actual hospital for a full week. I went home, fell and went back for another 2 days then sent to a rehab facility. Spent a little over a week there. Bring yourself to the hospital. You won't need much that they don't provide. But if you want comfort bring your own robe and slippers. A picture of a loved one or your dog or cat.

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

Yes. When the surgeon attached my intestine to the pouch the intestine turned pink then black, essentially it died. It did this twice so the surgeon wound up having to modify the size of the pouch and making it a transected stomach instead of just a stapled pouch. Nothing much I could do to deal with it. It just happened. But as a result I was in bed for a week only getting up to go to the bathroom. They had me walk ONE time. The result in this was water weight gain and my squishy fat becoming hard fat. The only way to deal with this is time.

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 didn't do any coping. It was all so surreal and strange. I went day by day and tried to keep my mind away from anything. Even when I was being scooted onto the operating table I didn't think about it.

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

Expect a lot of changes. You HAVE to move around. Be careful and take it slow. Walk with a pillow against your stomach if you have to and use a binder. I know it's embarassing to go to the bathroom and not being able to clean yourself and asking for help feel degrading but don't let it get you down. It's not your fault. It's just the way it is. And one day you'll wake up and won't have a problem. Be ever mindful of the things you're eating. Each person tends to be differant so don't be afraid to test something. I love arizona green tea.. it has quite a bit of sugar.. I tried it anyway even though I knew I could dump but I didn't. Sugar from natural things seems to be ok. Don't buy anything that's SUGAR FREE buy things that are "NO SUGAR ADDED". Always remember that the first few weeks your stomach is swollen to about the size of an egg. About an ounce of mush so do NOT over eat and stop when you feel full.

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

I was only likw 5-10 minutes from the 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.

Lite and Non-Lite Yogurt, Pureed Chicken and Turkey, Arizona Green Tea, Juice. Off limits is ice cream and Ensure Nutra Shake.

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

Level was 0 after surgery. When I got into rehab I walked every day and did a ton of exercises including stair climbing.

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

Pro Resourse and Pro Mod protein powder, Flintstone's Multi-Vitamin Chewable, 500mg zinc and 1000mg calcium.

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?

I haven't really felt nausious unless I was dumping. Vomiting was horrible during dumping. A lot of dry heaving and flem being brought up. That's the only time I ever vomited was during dumping but I did have coughing fits when bending over. Hair loss has been minimal, mostly in my beard. Sleeping hasn't been good mainly due to the hospital beds and these pads they have on my back due to the binder making the skin raw.

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

The week after. Gaining water weight and the fat becoming firm.

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

I've been in a rehab hospital for a little over a week and it's been VERY helpful. When I leave here I won't a support network.

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

My scar isn't that bad. Will make a nice story to people later. I'll just tell them I was breaking up a fight and got shot. :)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I havn't hit one yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really. I've had a few people tell me how brave I am and how proud they are of me for doing this. But that's about it.