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

ADD ON T.V. TOTALLY HOPEFUL IT WOULD BE A REALITY IN LOSING AND KEEPING WEIGHT OFF.

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

MINE WAS VERY POSITVE, THEY APPROVED QUICKLY. DON'T GET DISCOURAGE IF IT TAKES AWHILE FOR APPROVAL. THE "WEIGHT" IS WORTH THE OUTCOME

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

READ UP EXTENSIVELY ON THE PROCEDURE, WRITE DOWN QUESTION U HAVE AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK THE DR. ABOUT THE # OF SURGERIES SHE/HE HAS PERFORMED

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

BEING TOTALLY UNHEALTHY. 13 PRESCRIPTIONS A DAY WAS HORRIBLE. AND, MY P.C.P TELLING ME I HAD A MAXIMUM OF ABOUT 5 YRS. IF I COULDN'T GET THE BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, CHOLESTRAL, ETC. CONTROLLED

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

5 YRS. AGO I HAD EVERYTHING SET TO GO FOR THE BY-PASS. DATE OF SURGERY ON THE SCHEDULE. BUT I BLEW MY KNEE OUT IN A FALL AND HAD TO HAVE THAT REPLACED FIRST. DECIDED I COULD LOSE BY MY SELF. 5 YRS. LATER (CURRENT TIME) I HADN'T MADE ANY HEADWAY. THEN THE T.V. AD CAME TO MY ATTENTION, I REQUESTED THE INFO. AND AS THE SAYING GOES, "THE REST IS HISTORY

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 ABSOLUTELY NO FEARS, QUALMS OR CONCERNS. GOD WOULD BE GUIDING THE SURGEONS HANDS AND THE REST OF THE MEDICAL TEAMS ABILITIES. I KNEW THAT SHOULD I DIE, I WOULD BE WHERE I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE EVENTUALLY. IN GOD'S HOUSE.

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?

BOTH WERE AND HAVE BEEN TOTALLY AWESOME IN THEIR SUPPORT. WOULDN'T HAVE COMMUNICATE ANY THING DIFFERENTLY

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

I HAD ALREADY RETIRED DUE TO DISABILITY

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

I HAD TO STAY OVERNIGHT BECAUSE I HAD TWO HERNIAS I DIDN'T KNOW WERE THERE. THEY HAD TO BE REPAIRED AND SCAR TISSUE REMOVED BEFORE THE BAND WAS PUT ON. THE STAFF WAS GREAT. CHEERFUL AND VERY WILLING TO MAKE SURE I WAS COMFORTABLE. THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL STORM AND THE POWER WENT OUT WHICH CUT THE A.C. THE BACK-UP GENERATOR KEPT THE LIGHTS ON BUT IT GOT REALLY WARM. THE NURSE BROUGHT A FAN FROM THEIR DESK TO HELP ME KEEP COOL AT THAT TIME I PERSPIRED A LOT FROM WEIGHT AND IT WAS SOOO NICE TO HAVE THAT FAN UNTIL THE POWER WAS TOTALLY RESTORED.

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

NOT A ONE.

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 HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WITH GETTING THE TIMING IN FOR EATING, GETTING ENOUGH WATER AND GETTING MY MEDICATION TAKEN ON TIME. MY HUSBAND HELPED ME SET UP A GREAT SCHEDULE TO GET IT ALL WORKED OUT UNTIL I EVENTUALLY COULD GET IT ALL DONE WITH OUT REFERRING TO THE SCHEDULE. WHEN I WAS ANXIOUS AS TO HOW WAS I GOING TO DO WITH THE BAND, WOULD I REALLY LOSE THE WEIGHT, MY FAITH HELPED COPE WITH IT ALL. GOD WAS WITH ME EVERY STEP AND TURN AND PROBLEM THAT AROSE. JUST AS HE IS NOW!

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

WELL, BEING TIRED, NOT TRYING TO RUSH GETTING BACK TO DAILY ROUTINES (LAUNDRY, COOKING ETC). GETTING USED TO EATING LESS, MISSING FOOD FOR A WHILE. AFTER USING FOOD FOR COMFORT AND AN ENERGY BOOST FOR SO LONG. FEELING SORT OF SURREAL ABOUT EVERYTHING

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

THE DRS' OFFICE & HOSPITAL IS AN HOUR DRIVE. IT'S ALL HIGHWAY DRIVING, WHICH MADE IT EASIER. BUT IT DIDN'T HINDER ANY 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.

I COULDN'T EAT ANY TYPE OF RAW VEGATABLE, BREAD OR PASTA AS THEY WOULD GET "STUCK" IN THE OPENING OF THE POUCH. TUNA FISH AND CHICKEN WERE A MAINSTAY AS WERE OATMEAL AND CREAM OF WHEAT AND EGGS. NUTS, POPCORN, RAW VEGGIES, BEEF AND ANY THING THAT MIGHT GET STUCK. AFTER ABOUT A MONTH OF LIQUIDS, MUSHIES, I ADDED FRUIT, BANANAS MOSTLY. AND WELL COOKED VEGATABLES, GREEN BEANS, BEETS & PEAS. I STILL STAY AWAY FROM RAW THINGS, APPLES , NUTS POPCORN AND ANYTHING THAT IS HARD TO CHEW INTO A CONSISTANCY THAT COULD BE SWALLOWED WITH OUT PROBLEMS. I EAT A LOT OF FISH, CHICKEN, TURKEY FOR PROTEIN AND DAIRY PRODUCTS. FOR THE MOST PART I EAT THE SAME AS I COOK FOR MY HUSBAND, JUST NOT AS MUCH OF COURSE. AND IF I COOK SOMETHING HE LIKES AND I CAN'T EAT I COOK A SMALL AMOUNT OF MY USUAL FARE.

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

GETTING UP FROM A CHAIR WAS HARD THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS. I TIRED EASILY FOR ABOUT A MONTH, AND HAD VERY LITTLE ENERGY. BUT IT WASN'T TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM SINCE I WAS RETIRED AND DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GOING TO WORK

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

JUST A GOOD, MULTI-VITAMIN, I-CAPS

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?

ACTUALLY I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THAT MANY PROBLEMS. I DIDN'T EXPERIENCE ANY HAIR LOSS OR VOMITING. IT TOOK A FEW DAYS TO LEARN HOW TO SLEEP ON MY RIGHT SIDE AS MY PORT IS ON THE LEFT. THAT ONLY LASTED ABOUT A WEEK.

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

GETTING THE ANESETHETIC (SP?) WAS DIFFICULT BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN GIVEN A SHOT TO HELP ME RELAX AS I HAD IN ALL MY OTHER SURGERIES. HAVING TO STAY OVERNIGHT BECAUSE I HAD HERNIA SURGERY TOO. I HATED HAVING TO STAY SINCE ORIGINALLY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT-PATIENT.

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

MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE GREAT AND I LOVE THE SUPPORT SITE HERE ON OBESITYHELP. THE SITE HERE IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS IT IS AN HOURS DRIVE TO THE SUPPORT GROUP FROM TEAM:BARIATRICS. I GET A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE ME IN SURGERY.

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

PRETTY MUCH. MY STOMACH LOOKS LIKE A ROAD MAP FROM ALL THE OTHER SURGERIES SO THESE AREN'T ANY MAJOR THING

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

CURRENTLY I HAVE HIT A PLATEAU. I'VE STARTED SLOWING DOWN TO THE 1-2 POUNDS A WEEK AS EXPECTED. BUT I AM ALSO HAVING SOME THYROID PROBLEMS TOO SO I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS PLAYING A PART IN NOT LOSNG.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

QUITE A BIT. THEY AREN'T SURE HOW TO GIVE A COMPLIMENT OR IF IT'S OK TO ASK SOMETHING ABOUT MY LOSING WEIGHT