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

I first found out about bariatric surgery from my PCP and also from the Maury Povich Show. When I was told of bariatric surgery, my first impressions were: I thought that I would have to pay out of my pocket for the procedure; I wondered what kind of procedures can I have; I wondered what the risks were; I was curious about how other people that had the surgery, did they lose a lot of weight and how long before I can see the difference on me when I have the surgery.

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

When it came for my approval from Medicaid, I got approved right away for the surgery. I guess if you have regular Medicaid, it is a lot easier to get approved right away.

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

My first visit with my surgeon was quick and rushed, it turned out that the surgeon I had met was not the one that does open gastric bypass surgery, he does laproscopic surgery. Then after I had all my papers ready for a surgery consultation, that is when I met my surgeon that will be handling my surgery. He is a very nice and patient doctor and he told me to ask his assistant to schedule me for my surgery date. Truth be told, it was his assistant that really helped me through all of this paperwork and for introducing me to my surgeon.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My obesity, sleep apnea, the constant battle of my obesity, the failed diet plans, and my failing health are what made me finally decide to have the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided which procedure to have by which one would give me immediate results and to increase my health risks.

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?

This was my first surgery and I was scared the night before surgery and on the day of my surgery. The day of my surgery, my surgeon asked me if I was nervous and excited at the same time and I had told him, "Yes"! He told me for me not to worry that he has experience with this procedure and that no one has died on his time. I felt more at ease and I put my faith in his guided hands!

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?

They didn't think that I was going to have it done or that I would get scared and chicken out of the surgery! I had told them before that once my mind is made up, I won't change my mind. Now, everyone is praising me for having the courage and strength for having it done! No! Now they are very supportive and proud that I stuck with my plans and didn't change my mind!

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

I am not working yet, I am a college student online!

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

It was a very nice stay in the hospital! I was there for 5 days. Bring your personal hygiene supplies for when you take a shower and your slippers and robe.

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

No, I was blessed that I had no complications from the surgery!

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 felt excited because it was so fast and nervous also! I talked to the OH chat rooms and messageboards and I also told my surgeon!

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

Well, I have only been home two days from the hospital, I am on pureed food, a little sore from the operation, taking pain meds., and slept alot! After my being home for even after a few days home, I was told that after one week home, that I can eat pureed foods(blenderized foods), which was not so bad. I have been through alot, my "so-called fiancee, didn't even show up every day that I was in the hospital. When I told "him" that I could come a little earlier than expected, he was a little upset because he thought that I would be there a little longer than expected.

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

It wasn't that far at all, it was only 10 mins. from my house and it hasn't affected my 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 could tolerate everything but in small amounts. The foods that were off limits were fried foods and sweets. Well, I have just started and so far, I have tolerated everything!

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

My activity for the two days that I have been home is I am able to walk for 5 mins. at a time because I am still healing. Also, I can't believe that I have lost a lot of weight in my first month after the operation. Before I had the operation, I was lucky if I could make it to the corner without weezing or shortness of breath(back pain), etc. I have noticed that after all the pain & suffering that I had endored before and after my surgery, at least now, I am able to walk a lot further without getting pains and shortness of breath.

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

I have been taking my chewable vitamins and calcium pills also! I have been taking my multivitamin iron pills and also my calcium pills that my Dr. prescribed for me.

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 never had nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbance, hair loss or dumping while in the hospital or at home!

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

The tube that they put down your throat and in your nose! Also the pain from the surgery!

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

I still attend my support group meetings at my hospital, I have a wonderful support group of my own at Obesity Help and I also have wonderful angels that care about me and call or email me everyday! It is extremely important to have great supportive people that care and love you

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

I thought it was going to be a lot smaller than what it is, and this isn't what I had expected! It has been almost three months since my "Major Surgery" & mind you, my first "Major Surgery ever in my whole entire life ever". I guess that I should consider myself, one of the lucky ones because even though this was a major operation, also including the fact that I was considered "Morbidly Obese", not to mention, that I could have died on the operating table, I should be grateful that I didn't have "Diabetes" (that runs in my family), high cholestrol(that also runs in my family), High Blood Pressure, etc. that could have prevented me from having this "Life-Altering Decision. I feel truly blessed that even though I took a "Huge Risk" in this operation, if I had the chance to re-think this procedure, would I have changed my mind or do I have any regrets after I had the procedure, my answer is and will always be the same, I am glad that I had the procedure, and to this very day, if I had to do this all over again, I will still stick to my original decision.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I haven't had any plateau experiences since I had surgery yet! The last time that I had typed this was too early for me to say about my first plateau experience, at first, when I had heard about other people reaching their 1st plateau(meaning, not gaining or losing any weight in about 1 month or more), I thought right away, that maybe they weren't following their diet/nutrition plan like they were supposed to do and also, the reason why they weren't losing that much weight is because they didn't have have the same major operation that I had, (which was an Open Gastric Bypass RNY), which I was informed, not only by my surgeon from Jacobi, but also by my doing extensive research on the internet, that a person that is 100 pounds or more overweight, that they are 75% guaranteed to lose more excess body weight, than people that choose to have either laproscopic or lap band surgery. Well, I thought all the stories that I have heard from all these other people that they somehow had messed up because when I had 1st checked my weight, mind you, (my 1st month anniversary, I was amazed that I had lost between 40-50 lbs. in 1 mth.). To make a long story short, my WLS was on 10/12/05, since then, my total weight loss has been, a total of 98 lbs. in 2 months time, but I have noticed that after that, my weight has been increasing & even making it look like instead of me losing 98 lbs., that all I actually really only lost was maybe, between 30-40lbs. since my operation. I have also noticed that my scar looks grotesque, instead of it, disappearing/hardly noticeable.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, everyone is saying how brave I was for having the surgery and that makes me feel good. They also tell me to go and get some rest. Even though it has been almost 3 months since I had my "Major Surgery", to this very day, I still hear a lot of people complimenting me about how brave I was and am to this day, that I actually went through this "Major Surgery". This is a New Year and a New Begining for not only me, but also for my kids.