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

I HEARD ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY FROM SOMEONE WHO HAD IT. I STARTED RESEARCHING INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET. THEN I FOLLOWED UP WITH MY DOCTOR. AND PROCEEDED TO HAVE THE SURGERY DONE.

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

THIS SURGERY IS COVERED BY MY INSURANCE IF IT IS MEDICALLY NECESARY AND IF YOU FALL INTO THE QUALIFICATIONS. UNFORTUNATLEY I WAS TOLD I WAS NOT COVERED BECAUSE I DID NOT WEIGH ENOUGH AND I HAD NO CO-MORBIDITIES. THE NURSE TOLD ME I WAS A HEALTHY FAT PERSON AND IF I WANTED TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR THIS SURGERY THRU MY INSURANCE I NEEDED TO GAIN 30- 50 POUNDS.

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

I HAD ONE VISIT WITH MY SURGEON. I TRAVELED OUT OF STATE. HAD THE PRE-OP VISIT 2 DAYS LATER I HAD THE SURGERY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WANTED TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF. I COULDN'T ACTUALLY BELIEVE IT WAS HAPPENING FOR ME. I WAS EXTREMELY EXCITED.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I HAD THE GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY WITH ROUX EN Y. THIS IS THE SURGERY THE DOCTOR DID. I HAD ALOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SURGERY AND WAS COMFORTABLE WITH IT.

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 DIDN'T HAVE ANY FEARS ABOUT THE SURGERY EXCEPT THE THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT NOT WORK. THE ONE THING I WAS NOT LOOKING FORWARD TOO WAS THE SCARRING. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH MY OUTCOME, THE SCAR IS UGLY BUT IT IS SHRINKING AND I WOULD HAVE THIS SURGERY AGAIN.

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 TORN, MY MOTHER WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY FOR ME, MY FATHER THOUGHTNI WAS TAKING THE EASY WAY OUT. MY HUSBAND AT THE TIME DIDN'T WANT ME TO HAVE THIS SURGERY BECAUSE HE THOUGHT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD BECOME INTERESTED IN ME.

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

I WAS NOT WORKING AT THE TIME OF MY SURGERY AND DIDN'T MISS ANY WORK.

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

I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 5 DAYS. THE NURSES AND STAFF WERE EXTREMELY KIND. I WAS PRETTY SORE, BUT THAT WAS MY FAULT BECAUSE I DID NOT USE THE PAIN MEDS AS MUCH AS I SHOULD HAVE. BRING GUM, A BOOK, PAJAMAS, AND UNDERWEAR.

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

THE ONLY COMPLICATION I HAD WAS PART OF MY LUNG COLLAPSED BUT I WAS NOT AWARE OF IT, NO ONE TOLD ME UNTIL THE DAY THAT I LEFT. I WAS RECIEVING BREATHING TREATMENTS BUT I THOUGHT EVERYONE GOT THOSE POST SURGERY. SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW THIS HAPPENED TO ME I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.

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 WAS IN BED FOR THE FIRST 6 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY. I WAS REALLY WEAK AND DIZZY. I HAD LOST 36 POUND BY THE TIME I LEFT THE HOSPITAL. I WAS AFRAID TO STEP ON THE SCALE BECAUSE BEING AN OVERWEIGHT PERSON MOST MY LIFE YOU ALWAYS EXPECT THE SCALE TO GO UP. THE NUMBERS ALWAYS WENT DOWN BUT I HAD SOME ANXIETY EVERY TIME I WENT TO STEP ON THE SCALE.

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

YOU SHOULD BE EXERCISING BEFORE THE SURGERY, ESPECIALLY WALKING. I DIDN'T DO ANY EXCERCISE AND I THINK I WOULD HAVE DONE MUCH BETTER IF I HAD. I FELT REAL TENDER BUT IT GOT LESS AND LESS EVERYDAY. GET UP AND MOVE AROUND EVEN IF IT HURTS SOME, YOU WILL HEAL FASTER.

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

I TRAVELED FROM PORTLAND OREGON TO BURBANK CALIFORNIA. MY FOLLOW-UP AFTERCARE WAS HANDLED BY MY REGULAR DOCTOR IN PORTLAND. EVERYTHING WENT WELL. NO PROBLEMS

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.

THE FIRST 3 WEEKS ALL I ATE WAS SALTINE CRACKERS, APPLESAUCE, CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP, AND JELLO. AFTER THAT I START ON SOFT FOODS YOGURT, MASHED POTATOES THAT KIND OF THING. THAT LASTED FOR 3 WEEKS. AFTER THAT I STARTED EATTING REGULAR FOOD IT WAS TRIAL AND ERROR. I STILL HAVE SOME PROBLEMS WITH BREAD BECAUSE IT SWELLINGS IN MY STOMACH. I DON'T DO WELL WITH FRIED OR GREASY FOODS.

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

THE FIRST SIX WEEKS AFTER SURGERY I LAYED IN BED. AFTER THAT I STARTED WALKING AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT SINCE. I NOW BELONG TO A GYM AND EXERCISE REGULARLY AND FEEL GREAT.

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

I AM TAKING A MULTI VITAMIN, VITAMIN C AND CALCIUM, I ALSO GET A VITAMIN B-12 SHOT ONCE A MONTH.

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 PROBABLY VOMITTED 6 TIMES IT WAS VERY PAINFUL AND I AM VERY CARFUL HOW FAST I EAT SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAD DUMPING ONCE IT SCARED ME TO DEATH, I DON'T EAT GREASY OR FRIED FOOS FOR THAT REASON. I HAD SOME HAIR LOSS WITHIN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS BUT MY HAS GROWN BACK AND NO PROBLEMS SINCE.

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

HE WORSE PART WAS BEING DENIED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE ANXIETY ATER SURGERY WONDERING ABOUT THE PAIN AND IF THE WEIGHT WILL REALLY COME OFF AND STAY OFF.

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

I ATTENDED A SUPPORT GROUP OFFERED BY MY INSURANCE THAT DENIED ME THE SURGERY. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE PEOPLE THAT SPOKE TO OUR GROUP WERE PEOPLE THAT HAD THE SURGERY THEMSELVES. IN PARTICULAR THIS WOMAN HAD THE SURGERY. SHE SEEMED REAL. SHE IS A PASTOR AND WANTED THIS SURGERY SO SHE COULD BECOME HEALTHY AND HAPPY WITH HERSELF. AFTER THIS INITIAL TAKL SHE CONTINUED TO SAY THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE COSMETIC SURGERIES AND THE CLENCHER WAS THAT SHE WAS ENTERING A BEAUTY CONTEST. THIS SURGERY ISN'T TO BECOME BEAUTIFUL IT IS TO MAKE YOURSELF HEALTHY AND TO GET SELFESTEEM. I THINK SHE WAS WRING TO TAKL TO OUR GROUP AND REALLY TURNED ME OFF FROM ATTENDING GROUP AGAIN

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

MY SCAR WAS ABOUT 8 INCHES RIGHT AFTER SURGERY. I AM VERY TALL SO I THINK MY SURGERY WAS A LITTLE LONGER. BUT KNOW MY INCISION IS ABOUT 4-5 INCHES IN LENGTH AND SHRINKING. IT IS WHAT I EXPECTED BUT I WISH IT WASN'T THERE.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PLATEAUS SOMETIME MY WEIGHT LOSS SLOWS DOWN TO 7 OR 8 POUND IN A MONTH. I GAIN ABOUT 3-6 OUND WHEN I HAVE MY PERIOD BUT WHEN MY PERIOD IS OVER I USUALLY LOSE THE GAINED WEIGHT PLUS 3 POUNDS.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

PEOPLE TREAT ME VERY DIFFRENTLY, THEY COMPLIMENT ME AND ARE VERY HAPPY AND NICE TOWARDS ME.