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

I got on the internet and started looking it up, I found people who had had the surgery and how fast the weight came off, then I saw the special on 48 hours and this really got me interested, so I talke to people on the internet, talke to my phy, and talk to my pcp, they are all behind me and will help me in any way they can, so I got my referal and called Dr. Rolls office the same day and made my first appointment. for Feb 10,2000. My appointment has been moved to March 7th 2000 due to insurance problems.

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

tHE STAFF AT DR. ANEZ OFFICE TOOK CARE OF GETTING ME APPROVED, ALL I HAD TO DO WAS GET MY PCP AN MY PSY TO WRITE LETTERS FOR ME AND THEY DID THE REST AND HAD ME APPROVED IN ONE WEEK.

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

GO TO THE FIRST MEETING AND ALL OTHERS INFORMED AND READY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, DON'T BE AFFRAID TO ASK ANY QUESTION, AND BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING ABOUT THE SURGERY BEFORE YOU JUMP TO THE DECISION OF HAVEING IT IT IS A VERY SERIOUS SURGERY AND IT NOTHING TO JUMP INTO LIGHTLY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

AFTER TALKING THIS OVER WITH THE SURGON AND MY DOCTORS AND THEN SITTING DOWN WITH MY HUSBAND AND GOING OVER ALL THE PROS AND CONS, WE BOTH BELEIVED THIS WAS THE RIGHT DECISION FOR ME, BOTH FOR MY HEALTH AND MEDICAL WELL BEING.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE OPEN RNY WAS THE ONLY PROCEEDURE DR ANEZ DOES AT THIS TIME.

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 REALLY HAD VERY LITTLE FEAR, I WANT TO LIVE TO SEE MY 9 YEAR OLD GROW UP AND GET MARRIED, AND I KNEW I NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING, SO I PUT MY LIFE IN GOD'S HANDS AND PRAYED FOR HIS HELP AND CARE AND WAS TAKEN CARE OF ./

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 AND FRIENDS WHERE MY BEST SUPPORTS EXCEPT FOR MY HUSBAND HE WAS MY ROCK AND HE IS MY HERO

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

MY STAY AT FAIROAKS HOSPITAL WAS GREAT, THEY TOOK GREAT CARE OF ME. THINGS TO BRING WOULD BE A GOOD BOOK, COMB, HAIR BRUSH, GOWNS , SLIPPERS AND THATS IT.

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

NO COMPLICATIONS AT ALL.

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 SECOND DAY HOME I GOT REALLY DOWN BUT I SPOKE WITH THE DOCTORS AND THEY HELPED ME GET MY MEDS DOWN CORRECTLY AND THEN I WAS BACK ON KEY. OTHER THEN THAT ONE DAY I HAVE BEEN FEELING GREAT.

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

THE FIRST TWO DAYS WHERE THE HARDEST, I COULD NOT LAY IN MY BED SO I HAD TO SLEEP IN THE CHAIR, BUT THE THIRD DAY I PUT SEVERAL PILLOWS UNDER ME AND SLEEP FINE IN MY OWN BED AND NOW I SLEEEP WITH ONLY ONE PILLOW AND USUALLY ON MY SIDE. i STARTED WALKING A LITTLE BIT EACH DAY AND AM NOW UP TO ONE MILE AND ADDING MORE STEPS EACH DAY.

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

ONLY 26 MILES AND NO IT DID NOT AFFECT MY AFTERCARE.

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.

NO SUGARS, SOFT FOODS FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS AND THEN YOU CAN START TO ADD SOLIDS

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

ACTVITL LEVEL INCREASED AS THE DAYS MOVED ON.

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

MULT VITAMIN 2 A DAY TUMS 2 A DAY, B12 ONCE A DAY

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?

NONE

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

GETTING UP THAT FIRST DAY

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

WE HAVE THE STAPPLE CLUB MEETING ONCE A MONTH ON THE THIRD MONDAY OF THE MONTH, THIS IS A GREAT MEETING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THE SURGERY AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO ARE THINKING ABOUT IT AND THE SUPPORT GROUP IS VERY IMPORTANT/

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

ITS ABOUT 12 INCHS LONG AND BLENDS IN WITH MY GALLBLADDER SCAR.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

at this time I am losing about 8-10 lbs a week but I know this will slow down to about 5 - 6 which is ok to. I am now 31/2 months out from my surgery date and have lost 77lbs, I am losing about 6-8lbs weekly, and I feel great, I can now eat any thing just not very much at one time.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People seem to have noticed that I have already lost weight and people that do not know me do seem to treat me with more respect. For the first time I over heard two ladies talking about me in a resturant tonigh 7/7/00 and both made very nice statments about how good I looked in my jeans and how they wished they could eat what they wanted and look that good, no one has ever before said anything like that,. It felt wonderful.