maria T.

Obesity & Me

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

i was very unhappy cause i tried alot of diet and nothing work for me.i went from one diet to another and nothing help me until a friend came up to me and told me about the surgery with dr goodman.at montifiore hosp in the bronx

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

i couldn't ware nothing nice afraid to go outside.people making fun of me.didn't fit in a movie chair people calling u names .and trying to get a job .but nobody would give it to you cause of the weight.on the plane chair didn't fit.it is a nightmare

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

i enjoy walking with my moms going shopping with my husband holding hes hands and not worry about people calling me names

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

a lady in the hospital came up to me and told me about it she show me her picture how she looks 2years before.

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

well it was easy cause i had medicaid but before the surgery i was put into a insurance /w medicaid.something that cause me a few problems but some how at my surgeon office they fix it so know im 6month post op and know im getting bills saing that i have to pay the anethicialogist the amount of $1789.i don't know whta to do cause unitedhealthcare its denying that they gave the aproval for my surgery cause some how they don't have anything on file that i need it surgery.no referal in their records.i really don't know whats going to happen at the hospital they told me no to worry they'll fix that with the insurance...hoping to god they do

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

it was very good he makes u feel great explaining all the details about the surgery.the positive and negative about it.plus the suppot group at montifiore its very good.peolpes at monti are very reliabla plus they explain everything steps by steps..the waiting area are very clean i love and if i had to go and do it again i won't think about twice i will go ahead and do it...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i was overweight all my life since i was a teenage girl i always wanted to look good wear clothes nice have peolpe look at me not to make fun but to look at me like ap person not a big fat thing.peolpe hurt us overweight peolpe.i didn't like going outside my house i was scare cause all i got outside was only depession and sadnee...but its changing alot....and i just didn't do it for the people i did it cause i got scare with the weight i was getting i stop eating thinking it was going to help me loose the weight but it did'nt i just kept on getting biger and bigger..until i decide that if i wanted to have a live normal i had to loose the weigt and after alot of diet i finally found out about the miracle cause its a miracle the bygastricpass surgery..i have lost in 6month 101lb thats a miracle

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i really don't know i just saw the movie at the hospital about both surgery but some how i like it and fell comestable with the gastricbypass...and i don't regreat it....i feel greatttttttttttttt.... i thanks alot to god and dr goodman and hes staff at montifiore hosp in the bronx ...i can never forget that my mom gave me birth and all i am but iwas almost dying when dr goodman and god gave me live again.....

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 was scare that i wasn't goimg to make it but i pray to god and all the angels that i came out from that surgery alive and thanks to all the prayer my mom and family pray and my self i came back.and i had alot of confidence in dr goodman and hes staff at the surgery room.but let me said that at the operation room i thought about getting up from there and just for get about it i said to my self let me get up from here and i don't care if peolpe saids the im crazy but its better to live 2/5years more fat then die today in this room.but somthing told me in my mind and herat stay here maria believe and faith will take you out of this room alive and let me tell you i went to sleep and when i woke up my mom was standing next to me.the they of my surgery i stop by my home church i have being going there since i was 11yrds old and i pray the mass was almost finish my mom and sister and my siter in law came with me my husband went to work and it was the best thing cause when i was going in to the operation room i was crying thinking that i was'nt going to see my love onces no morebut thanks to god all the angels and dr goodman im here happy and loosing all the weight i feel alive healthy.and im happy i thanks god for giving me the oppotunity to be alive and to loose all this weight that im loosing cause im happy happy

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?

well before i had the surgery they were very happy for me but when the day came they all were celebating that i was fine my family are very happy they all came to visit me at the hospital my husband came to see me everyday my mom stood with me since day one till they send me home.she slep with me at the hospital she bath me and my aunts came to see me my cousing friends and know everyone are happy for me cause i coun't walk before not event a block but know i walk 30min on my treadmill plus i can walk 10to 15 blocks and don't get tire..

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

at my job i ask for a permition to stay off work for 6weeks and he said ok fine when u come back youre job its going to be waiting for u he came to see me at my house.but when i was ready to come back to work i call him and told him but he told me ok but only a partime job cause he need it to work too.i said ok tell me the hrs he said 3days only i said 3days im going to work only to pay taxi.well i decide not to work there no more im a despatcher in a car service.so i started calling others car services and i got one thats only 4blocks from my house i get pay $8.00and hrs its not the same i was getting pay $10.00 at my other job but here i don't have to pay taxi i can walk to my job and its close to my house plus when my husband its not workin he prepare lunch for me and bring it here. so i love my life my new job and i enjoye working here so i learn when a door close don't give up try again that at least two ahead will open .....

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

my stay in the hospital was very good the staff are very nice and help they make sure that u are vey comstable.i stay 3days in the hospital i came in on wed 7/10/02 came out on saturday 7/13/02.when u live the hospital its like u are scare that one of the stitchers come out or that the surgery opens so i got me a pillow and put it on my stomatch to hold it while i was in the car when i got home i started to cry cause i thought iwasn't coming back to my house.get some comstable clothes and a very comstable car try to take a highway were the car don't jump too much cause any move that you make will bader u

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

not really didn't have no complication at all

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 good weak but i felt fine i just didn't feel like eating i wasn't hungry at all when my mom was cooking the family at home the smile of food gave me nauseas.

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

well no appetite just want to sleep and very uncomestable to sleep or sit u get tire of sitting or lying on bed cause u feel uncomestable with the weight and the surgery plus thinking that if u make a bad move you can get a hernia..

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

well very far i live in queens jackson heights and my hospital was at the bronx its a 40minute by car and 2hrs by train.but healthy cost a little bit but i just wanted to have a life normal like others people go out visit friend and be healthy...

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 1weeks everything i could eat was liquid like juice gello soup.i couln't eat no solid food.when i was 2weeks post op i started eating purred. and after my 1month i was scare to eat so i got stock with my purred and fruit but i can't tolerate no sweet.

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

vey little my mom was very careful with me and my husband help me alot all my family were very support with me...

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

i have being taking multy vitamins calcium iron sometime cause its affect my stomatch.plus my protein shakes

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?

nausea just 4times to sleep it was very uncomestable cause ihad to acomodate the pillows .but my husband had buy me a recliner chair and i use to spend time in the bed and on the recliner chair.

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

the worse part was going into the surgery room cause i was scare and the first week after post op.

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

i went to the support group at montifiores hospital weere i had my surgery then i discover this website and i get all the information that i need from here.and its help me alot plus the chat rooms its very help for me cause its too far for me to go over their at the bronx but that doesn't means that im not going back im going back cause ilike talking to ashly shes the head of the support group.

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

my scar its not bad they gave me 25 stiches and its doesn't look bad i thought it was going to be worse.but its not too big

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i m free to walk out go party spend time with my family

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes alot people use to said thing about me being fat.but know they look at me and said girl u look nice mami.
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