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

MY GOOD FRIEND WHO WAS OVER 500LBS HEARD ABOUT THE SURGERY AND NEEDED SOMEONE TO HELP HER TO HER APPOINTMENTS. I WENT TO THE SEMINAR WITH HER AND A COUPLE OF THE APPTS. I WAS SO HAPPY FOR HER, BUT NOT YET CONVINCED IT WAS FOR ME. IT TOOK ME ANOTHER YEAR OF CHECKING IT OUT THAT I KNEW IT WOULD SAVE MY LIFE!

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

GETTING THE INSURANCE APPROVAL WAS A PIECE OF CAKE. MY SURGEONS OFFICE DID ALL THE WORK. THEY GAVE ME A LIST OF THINGS NEEDED AND I GOT ALL THE INFO FROM MY PRIMARY DOC. AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS ASKED. I ALSO HAD ENOUGH MEDICAL PROBLEMS WITH MY WEIGHT THAT SADLY IT HELPED WITH THE APPROVAL. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE SAD THINGS ABOUT THIS SURGERY. SO IF YOU ARE OBESE AND IN GOOD HEALTH YOU CAN'T GET THE SURGERY COVERED, WHEN THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO HAVE IT, BEFORE YOU GET ILL.

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

IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE. I USED DR. ZAHN IN PHOENIX ARIZONA. HE AND HIS STAFF ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE! DR. ZAHN ALSO WILL NOT DO THE SURG. IF HE FEELS A PT. WOULD NOT BENEFIT OR COULD NOT HANDLE IT! TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FIRST MEETING COME WITH A LIST OF QUESTIONS. DO ALOT OF HOMEWORK BEFORE YOU GO AND BRING A SUPPORT PERSON WITH YOU. THEY MAY THINK OF A QUESTION YOU DON'T AND THEY WILL HELP IN REMEMBERING WHAT WENT ON. ALSO WRITE THINGS DOWN OR HAVE THE SURG. DO IT SO YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WAS SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED. MY BP WAS SO HIGH I TOOK 3 MEDS TO KEEP IT IN CHECK, I WANTED TO FEEL ALIVE AGAIN!! I WANTED TO HAVE ENERGY AND LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN GROW UP.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

MY SURGEON HELPED MY TO DECIDE WHICH WAS BEST 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?

I WAS AFRAID I MIGHT DIE, BUT AFTER ALL MY HOMEWORK ABOUT THE COMPLICATIONS WITH THIS SURG. I DECIDED I WOULD RATHER LIVE WITH ANY OF THE SIDE EFFECTS THAN WORRY ABOUT DYING FROM OBESITY. I FELT THAT DYING FROM THE SURGERY WAS GOING TO BE LESS LIKELY THAN DYING FROM THE RESULTS OF MORBID OBESITY!

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 APPREHENSIVE AT FIRST, BUT I INVOLVED THEM WITH ANYTHING THAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SURGERY. ALSO. HAVING A GOOD FRIEND WHO HAD HAD IT BEFORE ME HELPED. SHE DID PRETTY WELL, SO I THOUGHT MY CHANCES OF DOING WELL WERE GOOD. THEY HAVE ALL BEEN SUPPORTIVE AFTER SURGERY. MY HEAVY SET DAUGHTER WAS RESENTFULL AT FIRST, BUT SHE STARTED TO LOSE WEIGHT ON HER OWN AND SHE SEEMS TO HAVE COME AROUND. I ALSO THINK SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT ME POSSIBLY DYING.

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

I RUN MY OWN CLEANING BUSINESS AND THE SUPPORT FROM MY CLIENTS WAS GREAT!! I TOLD THEM WHAT I NEEDED TO DO AND THEY LET ME HAVE MY 3 MONTHS TIME OFF AND DIDN'T REPLACE ME. I DID GO BACK TO WORK A LITTLE SOONER AT THE JOBS THAT WERE LESS STRENUOUS. BECAUSE MY JOB IS SO PHYSICAL, I HAD TO WAIT A LONG TIME TO GET BACK TO IT.

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

I HAD A GOOD STAY IN THE HOSPITAL. I WAS THERE 2.5 DAYS. THE THINGS TO BRING ARE WHAT THE SURGEON SUGGESTS AND ALSO LIP BALM FOR DRY LIPS AND YOUR BABY SPOON. I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS EXTRA SPECIAL.

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

NONE!!!

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

PHYSICALLY I WAS TIRED, BUT I MADE MYSELF WALK AND EAT WHAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO EAT. I GOT SOOOO TIRED OF CREAMED SOUPS AND HAD TO GET A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH THE RECIPES. I ALSO MISSED FOOD. I COULDN'T WATCH COMMERCIALS OR BE AROUND IT FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I COPED BY TELLING MYSELF THAT I COULD EAT IT LATER, BUT IN SMALLER QUANTITIES. THIS HELPED ME ALOT.

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

IT WASN'T TOO BAD. I HAD A HARD TIME EATING AND DRINKING ALL THAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO, BUT I TRIED. WHEN I FELT FULL I STOPPED. I WAS ABLE TO VERY SLOWLY INCREASE THE AMOUNTS, BUT I WENT BY WHAT MY DOC TOLD ME. I ALSO DID THE SCHEDULE THING AND WROTE IT ALL DOWN, SO IF I DID HAVE A BAD DAY OR GOT SICK I COULD FIND OUT WHY. THIS IS NOT AN EASY AND QUICK FIX. IT TAKES ALOT OF THOUGHT AND PLANNING AND I ALSO FELT DEPRESSED OFF AND ON AND FOUND OUT THIS IS NORMAL.

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

I TRAVELED OVER 200 MILES TO HAVE MY SURGERY. I ALWAYS PLANNED AHEAD AND MY HUSBAND PLANNED HIS WORK VACATION OFF AROUND MY SURGERY AND DOC. APPT.

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 COULDN'T TOLERATE MEATS, EXCEPT GROUND BEEF FOR A LONG TIME. ANYTHING ELSE HURT MY INSIDES. I ALSO COULDN'T EAT PASTAS AND RICE OR REGULAR BREAD FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I WOULD SIMPLY FEEL SICK. WHEN I WAS ALLOWED TO INCREASE ITEMS TO MY MENU I DID IT VERY SLOWLY, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW IF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TOLERATE THEM. ONE WEEK I COULDN'T EAT CHICKEN AND THE NEXT I COULD IT'S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THINGS CAN CHANGE. I DO NOT EAT REFINED SUGAR IN ANY AMOUNTS AND SINCE SURGERY I CANNOT EAT SOME OF THE SUGAR FREE CANDIES. I DO NOT DARE DRINK ALCOHOL EITHER BECAUSE OF THE SUGAR CONTENT. FOODS THAT WERE EASY FOR ME WERE REFRIED BEANS AND DIFFERENT BEAN SOUPS WORKED WELL AS DID PUDDINGS AND COTTAGE CHEESE. THESE ARE STILL FOODS 9 MONTHS LATER THAT I LIKE TO EAT.

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

I WALKED A LITTLE 2 TIMES A DAY. AT FIRST IT WAS 15 MINUTES AND IF THAT WAS ONLY A HALF A BLOCK OK, THEN I EVENTUALLY WAS ABLE TO WALK THE WHOLE BLOCK IN 15 MINUTES, AND THEN FARTHER AND FARTHER. EVENTUALLY I WORKED UP TO 30 MINUTES TWICE A DAY. I TRIED VERY HARD TO DO WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO. IT WASN'T EASY AT FIRST, BUT IT GOT EASIER AND EASIER.

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

IN THE BEGINNING I TOOK 2 CHILDRENS CHEWABLES TWICE A DAY AND 4 VIACTIVES A DAY. NO 9 MONTHS LATER I TAKE 2 ADULT MULTI VITAMINS, 1 IRON, 3 VIACTIVE A DAY AND B12 3 TIMES A WEEK

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 HAVE DUMPED, VOMITED AND HAVE FELT NAUSEAUS. I THREW UP 2 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY, BECAUSE I ATE TOO FAST! I LOST A LOT OF HAIR AFTER 3 OR 4 MONTHS. THE WORSE IS THE NAUSEA. I STLL GET NAUSEA FROM TIME TO TIME. IF I EAT TOO MUCH OR TOO FAST. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I TAKE SOME TUMS, WALK FOR A WHILE AND SOMETIMES I MAKE MYSELF THROW UP, WHICH IS NEVER A GOOD THING TO DO.

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

THE WORST PART WAS GETTING NAUSEAUS AFTER EATING.

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

I GO TO TOPS. I WENT BEFORE SURGERY AND STILL GO. IN OUR AREA WE DON'T HAVE A VERY GOOD SUPPORT GROUP FOR SURG. PTS. IT IS NOT VERY ORGANIZED. SO FAR TOPS HAS BEEN GREAT FOR ME.

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

MY SCAR IS FROM THE UPPER MIDDLE OF MY STOMACH TO RIGHT ABOVE MY BELLY BUTTON. IT IS LIGHTENING UP IN COLOR ALL THE TIME. YES

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I STOPPED LOSING AT 3 MONTHS AND WAS FRUSTRATED - MY SURGEON TOLD ME TO UP MY FOOD INTAKE AND EXERCISE MORE TO BOOST MY METABOLISM AND HE WAS RIGHT. I HAVE SLOWED WAY DOWN AND IT IS FRUSTRATING. I HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN I PLATEAU OR EVEN GAIN A LITTLE TO WRITE MY FOOD DOWN AND MY EXERCISE TO SEE WHAT EXACTLY I AM DOING. SOMETIMES I THINK MY BODY JUST RESTS AND THEN NEEDS TO BE KICK STARTED AGAIN.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES I HAVE. I WAS SHOPPING AT A MALL, AND A SALESWOMAN CAME UP TO ME AND TALKED TO ME WHEN ANY OTHER TIME I HAD BEEN IGNORED.