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

I had heard of it several times but this time the Lord just really made me pay attention. I had seen an ad in a magazine and it just clicked.

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

Insurance approval was pretty quick. It only took about 3 weeks. My surgery will be less than 60 days from my first apointment with the Dr. and only about 5 months from the time I decided to look into it. This is probably a good thing as I am not a patient person.

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

My first visit went well. March 20, 2000. Dr. Vail makes you very comfortable. It is very important to get all your records together so you don't have to wait while they gather them. My process went very quickly.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided to have the surgery after much careful consideration and tons of research. I figure I am going to die early anyway unless I loos some weight so this seems to be the last option for me. I really would like to see my children grow up.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided on the by-pass because their is less chance of cheating. I also decided that if I am going to go through all this I want the biggest bang I could get.

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?

Right now I have some very mixed feelings. I am having surgery tomorrow. I am a Christian and I know that if I die the Lord will take care of me. I do worry for my family I leave behind. I am married to the greatest man in the world and we have adopted 8 beautiful children. I would not want to leave him all that responsibility, plus I worry that my two youngest would not remember me or realize how very much I loved them.

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 recieved a great deal of support from my family and friends. My husband is always very supportive of me. He has been a bit concerned but I know he has remained strong for my benefit. My children don't really understand. My mom will be by my side tomorrow as well and she says that if all goes well with me she is next. There is a tremendous amount of preperation involved in this proceedure, both physically and emotionally. I am Thankful for my husband and my mom for giving so much support.

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

Bring a spouse, a friend or a nurse. It was almost impossible for me to do anything, and the nurses were very scarce. I could not have made it without my husband.

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

just the usual surgery pain. Lots of pain

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

It was a spiritual Journey for me. I prepared to die. I was too afraid to get very excited. It was also like the Cinderella story.

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

Make sure you have a recliner or something to make you more comfortable to sleep. I could not lay down for two weeks. I slept in a recliner. I came alive the 3rd week and at 4 weeks was full steam ahead.

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

everything was local.

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.

Liquids for 30 days except cheese and peanut butter. I ha trouble sticking to this. I had to get creative. Cheese and puree'. So lasagna has cheese on top and the sauce is puree' so I ate this with out eating the noodles or meat. It saved my sanity.

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

I take a multi vitamin...b-12...and calcium. I have to take a calcium pill instead of the tums because i would take all of them before bedtime so i could remember. Well the tums coatd my stomach and kept me from absorbing all of the vitamins. If I tried to take the tums in the morning, I would always forget.

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?

The hair loss started at about 5 to 6 months post op. It was very hard for me even though I expected it and thought I wouldn't care. It would come out in handfuls in the shower each night and I would cry about it.

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

the pain the first 2 - 3 weeks. Wow...what a pain.

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

we have a monthly meeting but I don't usually go. Not very organized. Everyone just talks amoungst themselves and you want to hear what everyone says but can not. My Dr. left and I felt slighted.

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

very large. I had 50 staples and all the holes were infected as my Dr. went on vacation and I had to leave them in 3 weeks. I have a large, wide, red scar with 100 holes...50 down each side. It looks like a giant millipead.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I go for several weeks with no weight loss and then I loose 5 - 7 pounds in a day or two. I expect to gain it back and don't. I loose a lot of inches when I am not loosing pounds though.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. Peaople actually talk to me now. i am taken more seriously like I actually may be an intellegent person. I was often treated stupid before and most people either avoided me or insulted me. That is not the case now. People who knew me before and avoided me actually befriend me now. i resent this to some degree. I have actually had people open doors for me lately and I didn't very often before.