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

MY HUSBAND AND I RAN INTO AN OLD FRIEND OF OURS FROM 15 OR SO YEARS AGO. NEITHER ONE OF US RECOGNIZED HER. THE LAST TIME I'D SEEN HER, SHE WAS AS WIDE AS SHE WAS TALL. SHE LOOKED WONDERFUL!!! SHE HAD HAD A GASTRIC BYPASS. SHE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT, AND I PUT IT ON THE "BACK BURNER ". THEN, ONE DAY, MY HUSBAND CAME HOME AND TOLD ME ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE WHO HAD THE SURGERY. I GOT ON THE COMPUTER AND STARTED TO RESEARCH MY SOCKS OFF. I READ ABOUT CARNIE WILSON, AND ROSEANNE WHO HAD THE SURGERY, AND LOOKED INTO THE INSURANCE ASPECT OF IT, THEN DISCUSSED IT WITH MY FAMILY PHYSICIAN WHO WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MY DECISION. I WAS A LITTLE LEARY, BUT AFTER E-MAILING, AND TALKING WITHPEOPLE WHO HAD THE SURGERY, I FELT ALOT BETTER ABOUT IT. ALSO I JOINED A SUPPORT GROUP THAT HELPED ANSWER ALL OF MY QUESTIONS. THE REST IS HISTORY!!

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

MY INSURANCE APPROVAL TOOK A WHILE, BUT I DID'NT RUN INTO ANY ROAD BLOCKS AT ALL. I WOULD SAY,,,,,STAY ON TOP OF THINGS...I CHECKED IN EVERY 4-5 DAYS AND KEEP A JOURNAL OR RECORD OF EVERY TIME YOU CALL, WHO YOU SPOKE WITH, AND WHAT THEY TOLD YOU.

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

MY FIRST MEETING WENT REALLY WELL. I REALLY LIKED MY SURGEON. I WOULD SAY IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO YOUR 1ST VISIT. WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTION THAT POPS INTO YOUR HEAD. IF YOU DON'T YOU'LL FORGET TO ASK ON THE DAY THAT YOUR THERE. THAT DAY IS SO EXCITING, IT'S EAST TO FORGET.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I HAD TO DO SOMETHING, AND NOTHING ELSE HAD WORKED. I HAVE A HORRIBLE FAMILY HISTORY. MY FATHER DIED OF A MASSIVE HEARTATTACK AT AGE 55, BOTH OF HIS PARENTS HAD HEART DISEASE. MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER DIED FROM DIABETIC COMPLICATIONS, AND I HAD GESTATIONAL DIABETES WITH MY LAST 2 PREGNANCIES. MY CHOLESTROL WAS 285. I WANTED TO WATCH MY 3 KIDS GROW UP. AND I NEEDED TO FEEL BETTER. I WAS TIRED OF BEING IN THE FAT BODY. I DESERVED SURGERY!!!!!!!!!!!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE BYPASS KINDA SCARED ME........MY INSURANCE COVERED SURGERY AT WINONA HOSPITAL, AND VBG IS ALL THEY DO. I FELT THAT WAS A SIGN FROM GOD. I STILL FELL VBG WAS RIGHT 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 WOULD SAY THAT FEAR IS TOTALLY NORMAL. THIS IS A MAJOR, LIFE CHANGING EVENT. I EVEN WROTE GOODBYE LETTERS TO MY FAMILY IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME. MY HUSBAND KNEW WHERE TO FIND THEM JUST IN CASE. WRITING THOSE REALLY PUT ME AT EASE.

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 HAVE HAD WONDERFUL SUPPORT BEFORE& AFTER. MY MOM AND SISTER WERE CONCERNED AT FIRST, BUT I TOOK THEM TO A SUPPORT GROUP MEETING WITH ME SO THEY COULD MEET OTHERS WHO'D BEEN THROUGH THE SURGERY. THAT HELPED A GREAT DEAL.. MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN A DREAM!! HE'S SO PROUD OF ME, AND I'M PROUD OF ME TOO!!!!

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

MY BOSS'S SISTER HAD THE SURGERY 5 YEARS AGO, SO HE REALLY UNDERSTOOD ALL ABOUT IT. HE WAS ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE WHEN I WAS DIETING, OR STARTED AN EXERCISE PROGRAM. NOW HE IS ALWAYS COMPLIMENTING ME AND ASKING HOW MUCH I'VE LOST, AND HOW I FEEL. I WAS OUT OF WORK FOR 4 WEEKS. I WAS READY TO GO BACK.

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

MY STAY WAS O.K. PRAY THAT YOU HAVE A DECENT ROOMMATE, OR A PRIVATE ROOM. MY ROOMMATE WAS A REAL LU-LU!! I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 5 DAYS, AND THE NURSING STAFF WAS GREAT! BRING THINGS THAT MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE AND REMIND YOU OF HOME. YOUR OWN PILLOW, PICTURES OF YOUR FAMILY, OH, AND A CAMERA. I TOOK PICTURES OF ME GETTING TO THE HOSPITAL. RIGHT BEFORE SURGERY, IN INTENSIVE CARE, WITH MY ROOMY, MY FIRST MEAL, AND ARRIVING HOME. I REALLY LIKE TO LOOK BACK AT THOSE NOW.

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

NO, NOT REALLY

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 NERVOUS, OF COURSE, BUT TIME WENT PRETTY QUICKLY REALLY. GETTING ALL YOUR STUFF TOGETHER, MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR YOUR CHILDREN, DEALING WITH ANY WORK ISSUES, GETTING YOUR HOUSE REALLY CLEANED AND ORGANIZED. ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF KEEPS YOU BUSY. AND I PRAYED ........ALOT...!!!

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

I DID FEEL KIND OF ALONE. EVEN WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY AROUND. THE EATING THING WAS DIFFICULT, CAUSE LIFE STILL GOES ON AND EVERYBODY STILL EATS THE SAME WAY....EXCEPT YOU. I WAS'NT ABLE TO SIT AT THE FAMILY DINNER TABLE FOR QUITE A WHILE. IT WAS TOO HARD TO WATCH PEOPLE EAT THE STUFF I STILL WANTED! IT'S STILL HARD BUT GETTING EASIER ALL THE TIME. I RECCOMEND HOOKING UP WITH A SURGERY BUDDY. I HAD A GIRL IN THE ROOM NEXT TO ME THAT HAD SURGERY THE SAME DAY AS ME. WE HIT IT OFF RIGHT AWAY AND WE TALK AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. WE LIVE ABOUT 5 HOURS APART, BUT IT IS SO NICE TO BE ABLE TO CALL HER ANYTIME AND SHE TOTALLY UNDERSTANDS!!!!!I LOVE HER!!!!

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

JUST UNDER 3 HOURS. THE MONTHLY VISITS ARE KIND OF A PAIN, BUT IT'S ALL WORTH IT.

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'M ONLY 2 1/2 MONTHS POST-OP, SO I AM STILL LEARNING ALL THE TIME!!!!!!!

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

EASYDOES IT! TAKE YOUR TIME AND DON'T RISK ANY SETBACKS!! FOLLOW YOUR DOCTOR'S ADVICE!

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?

VOMITING / DUMPING IS STILL A PROBLEM. THINGS THEY SAY I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TOLERATE I'M NOT. I STILL EAT WAY TOO FAST. OLD HABITS ARE HARD TO BREAK.

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

WAITING FOR THE BRAIN AND THE STOMACH TO MAKE THE CONNECTION. I STILL GET SO MAD WHEN I AM FULL ONLY AFTER A FEW BITES, AND I REALLY LIKE SOMETHING AND CAN'T EAT ALL OF IT!! eating is'nt as fun right now.

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

I attend a support group once or twice a month. We are called the "losers" I cannot begin to tell you how much that group of people has helped me. find a support group as it is soooo important!

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

IT STARTED OUT LOOKING REALLY GOOD, BUT I AM AN UGLY HEALER. IT IS GETTING KINDA THICK LOOKING LIKE AN EARTHWORM. I KNOW THAT SOUNDS REALLY GROSS!