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

I HAD HEARD IN THE PAST ABOUT STOMACHE STAPPLING. I WENT ON THE INTERNET AND RESEARCHED ABOUT WEIGHT LOSE SURGERIES. AT FIRST WHEN I READ ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY I WAS FRIGHTENED, BUT AFTER READING SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD HAD THE SURGERY I BECAME MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF HAVING THE SURGERY. MY REGULAR DOCTOR SUGGESTED THAT I LOOK INTO HAVING THE SURGERY. SHE ACTUALLY SUGGESTED IT AFTER I HAD LOOKED INTO IT MY SELF. I EVEN FOUND MY SURGEON BY THE INTERNET. I PRINTED OUT SOME 50 PAGES OF INFORMATION BEFORE I EVEN FIRST TALKED TO MY REGULAR DOCTOR.

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

LIKE I HAD SAID BEFORE. MY SURGEON'S OFFICE CLEARED ALL OF THE INSURANCE INFORMATION WITH THE COMPANIES. I NEVER GOT INVOLVED WITH THE INSURANCE ASPECT. DR. BARBA'S PEOPLE TOOK CARE OF IT ALL.

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

I CAME WELL PREPARED. I TOOK IN ALL OF MY PAPER WORK THAT I PRINTED OFF THE INTERNET. DR. BARBA HAS A GENERAL MEETING WITH ALL PATIENTS WHO ARE CONCEREDING HAVING THE SURGERY. ALL QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED AND A FILM IS VIEWED BY ALL INTERESTED PATIENTS. AT THIS TIME HIS STAFF COLLECTS ALL INSURANCE INFORMATION AND MEDICAL RECORDS. ONCE THEY AGREE THAT YOU ARE A CANIDATE THEN YOU ARE CALLED AND A APPOINTMENT IS SET UP FOR YOU TO MEET ALL 8 OF THE DOCTORS THAT MUST SEE YOU BEFORE THE FINAL WORD THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR THE SURGERY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I HAD TRIED EVERY DIET THAT THERE IS. ON MANY OF THEM I ACTUALLY GAINED WEIGHT. THIS WAS FRUSTRATING. AFTER READING MANY ACCOUNTS FROM PATIENTS THAT HAD HAD THE SURGERY, I FELT THAT IT WAS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ME.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

DR. BARBA USALLY ONLY DOSE TWO OF THE PROCEDURES. LAPROSCOPIC AND OPEN. DUE TO MY HEALTH PROBLEMS IT WAS MUTALLY DECIDED THAT I WOULD HAVE OPEN SURGERY, INCASE OF ANY PROBLEMS WHICH I DID END UP HAVING.

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?

THE DECISION TO HAVE THIS SURGERY IS A BIG ONE. IT IS A LIFE LONG CHANGE IN YOUR EATING HABITS. I AT FIRST DIDN'T KNOW IF I COULD DO THE CHANGE IN EATING, BUT I ALSO KNEW THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING. THIS IS WHERE MY SUPPORT PEOPLE CAME INTO PLAY. I REALLY DIDN'T FEAR DYING FROM THE SURGERY. DR. BARBA WAS VERY CAREFUL WHEN IT CAME TO MEDICATIONS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY. MY SUGGESTION TO ALL HAVING THIS SURGERY IS TO ASK ALL QUESTIONS YOU HAVE DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK. LISEN TO ALL INFORMATION GIVEN TO YOU MAKE NOTES. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU CAN CALL ON ANY OF US WHO HAVE HAD THE SURGERY.

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?

MY FAMILY WAS SCARED AND THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I WAS MOVING TO FAST. AFTER I SAT DOWN AND SHOWED THEM THE INFORMATION THAT I HAD GOTTEN OFF THE INTERNET AS WELL AS FROM THE DOCTOR THEY FELT MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION. MY FAMILY IS THE MOST SUPPORTIVE PART OF MY LIFE. MY MOTHER AND FATHER MOST OF ALL. I LIVE WITH THEM AND THEY ARE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME. MY SISTER CALL FROM NJ ON A REGULAR BASIS TO CHECK IN WITH ME. MY BROTHERS ALL 4 OF THEM CHECK IN REGULARLY ALSO. MY CHILDREN ARE SUPPORTIVE ALSO. THEY HELP OUT IN WHAT EVER WAY THEY CAN. MY DAUGHTER WHO IS 13 EVEN HELPS ME WITH MY SHOWERS. MY BOYS 17 AND 19 DRIVE ME WHERE EVER I HAVE TO GO IF MY FATHER IS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE ME.

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 EMPLOYED. I AM DISABLED DUE TO ALL OF MY HEALTH PROBLEMS.

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS NOTHING SPECIAL. I WAS THERE FOR 5 DAYS. IT IS A HELP TO BRING MUSIC OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT YOU CAN DO WHILE IT IS QUITE AND YOU WANT TO PASS THE TIME. DONT BE SCARED TO CALL THE NURSE NO MATTER WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED. MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE TO GET UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM THAT YOU DONT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE. BETWEEN WAITING FOR THE NURSE AND THEN HAVING TO BE UNHOOKED FROM YOUR IV'S IT WILL TAKE A FEW MINUTES. REMEMBER YOU ALSO WILL NOT BE WALKING AS FAST AS YOU USALLY WOULD. Just a note the chart in post-op section, I am know at 218lbs after 4 months, I have now lost a total of 86lbs since December of 2000.

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

I HAD A LARGE WOUND INFECTION WHICH WAS OPENED DRAINED AND PACKED WITH GAUSE WHICH IS CHANGED ON A DAILY BASIS UNTIL THE WOUND IS HEALED. I still have a small hole and it is being packed once a day. I have lost 46.3 pounds in 6 weeks. My foot has yet to heal. Hopefully the cast will come of on 2-6-2001. I'm sure that my weight lose will be better. I will be able to start walking and once the stomache heels I will be able to do some water aerobics. As of Feb 14,2001. I now have just a little hole left from where my infection was. I expect it to be closed in the next few days. As far as the cast comming off, its not going to. I am having surgery on it on March 12, 2001. For some unknown reason the foot will not heel, I dont know if this has anything to do with the stomach surgery.(lack of calcium or protein). Due to this my plans for doing any kind of excercise in the near future. This has slowed down my weight loss and that is a disappointment to me!!! My surgeon told my not to weight myself again until I see him in early March. Now it is March 2,2001 and my wound has not closed yet. It is smaller but I developed a different infection in the wound (it looks like I have a second belly button). Im sure that by seeing it today and by using different gauze to pack it with, that it should now close quickly. I hope this happens because my foot surgery is scheduled for March 12. I went to see Dr. Barba on March 1, 2001 I have now lost a total of 56 pounds, I am now off my plateau and losing again.On March 10th my wound infection was healed. Things are beginning to look up. My foot is no longer in a cast, so I am going to start aquacize classes to help with my joint pain and weight loss. I will be starting this class on April 23,2001. The foot surgery went very well and it is healing slowly.

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 ONLY HAD ABOUT 12 DAYS NOTICE THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE MY SURGERY. LUCK FOR ME THIS WAS JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS AND I FOCUSED ON SHOPPING FOR GIFTS AND WRAPPING THEM. THIS KEPT ME FROM THINKING ABOUT THE SURGERY IN THE BEGINNING. AS TIME CAME CLOSER, I TALKED TO MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ABOUT THE SURGERY. THIS HELPED ME DEAL WITH THE ANXIETY. I USED THEM AS A SOUNDING BOARD. I FOUND THEM TO BE REASSURING.

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

WHEN I FIRST GOT HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE ANYONE. I WAS TIRED AND SOAR. SLOWLY I STARTED TO TALK TO PEOPLE ON THE PHONE AND KNOW 3 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY, I AM READY TO START SEEING PEOPLE. MY ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT DUE TO THE INFECTION I STILL HAVE A LOT OF PAIN AND MY YOUNG NEPHEWS AND NEICES WANT TO SIT ON MY LAP BUT I CAN'T LET THEM UP THERE YET.

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

MY SURGERY WAS DONE AT ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL IN HARTFORD CT. THIS IS ABOUT AN HOUR FROM MY HOUSE. THE RIDES ARE LONG AND UNCOMFORTABLE BUT IT IS WORTH THE SUFFERING. I DREAD THE RIDE IN BUT WHEN I AM THERE AND TALK TO THE STAFF AND THEY TELL ME HOW GOOD IM DOING, IT MAKES IT ALL WORTH WHILE.

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 FIRST WEEK I WAS ON CLEAR LIQUIDS ONLY. I FOUND THAT THIS WAS NOT HARD TO FOLLOW. THE NEXT WEEK I BEGAN SOFT FOODS. NOTHING GASSEY. NO BROCCOLI CALIFLOWER CORN GRAVY BUTTER CREAMS ONLY SUGAR FREE AND FAT FREE FOODS. BY FOLLOWING THE NUTRITIONIST SUGGESTIONS I HAVE LOST 30 POUNDS IN THREE WEEKS. AS TIME GOES ON YOU CAN SLOWLY ADD IN MEATS AS LONG AS THEY ARE LEAN. THIS IS ALL EXPLAINED AND GONE OVER BY BOTH THE DOCTOR AND THE NUTRITIONIST BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY. ALSO AT EVERY APPOINTMENT WITH MY DOCTOR. I eat a little larger portions than at first. I do get a little sick to my stomach when I eat. I am taking medication for this though. I see the doctor in a couple of weeks and I will talked to him then as to why this might be happening. I am now 11 months after surgery. I still can not eat any kind of icecream or milk to drink. I have to be careful not to eat to much fruit or salads. All of the food limitations cause me to have the dumping effect. I find that if I eat to fast or to much I become very sick to my stomache. I have lost about 2/3 of my hair, but I am now taking a multi-vitamin and B complex 100mg a day. This seems to be helping now.

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

RIGHT NOW DUE TO MY INFECTION MY ACTIVITY LEVELS ARE LOW. MY DOCTOR TOLD MY A THE PAIN LIFTS AND THE WOUND HEALS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO START WALKING AND THEN HOPEFULLY IN A COUPLE MONTHS START WATER AROBICTS. On April 23, 2001 I am going to start my aqua therapy. Both my doctor and my orthopedic doctor have said I can start. As it stands as of May 12,2001 just exactly 5 months after my surgery, I feel like I have more energy now than before. My wound is now healed the only problem that I seem to be having is brusing very easily. The doctors are looking into that now. I have also started Aquacizing on M W F of 1 hour each day. I have to say that really tires me out. I guess a I get lighter I will be able to do even more. I will have to buy so clothes Ive used all that I could from my mother. and she's not very happy about it. She is not as heavy as I was so as I lose weight she feels very pressured to lose weight herself. I know this can be good for her but its driving me mad. I go to the Aquacizing class together, do to Im not supposed to drive. I was hoping that my energy level would be higher by now. It is a little better. I have completed my first round of aquacizing and as far as the program went I did feel better. I have now begun the long battle of toning up from some of the weight I have lost. I am now 6 months post-op. I have lost 105 lbs.

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

I TAKE 2 FLINTSTONE VITAMINS A DAY PLUS I DRINK 1OZ OF BOOST (A HIGH PROTIEN DRINK) 4 TIMES A DAY. I ALSO DRINK AT LEAST 8OZ OF JUICY JUICE EACH DAY. I take vicon-forte' (a rx multi-vitamin) and B complex 100 mg once a day.

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?

WHEN I FIRST GOT HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL I HAD ALMOST ALL LOOSE MOVEMENTS, NOW THEY ARE BECOMMING MORE FORMED AS I BEGIN TO EAT MORE SOLID FOODS. I JUST WAS VERY CAREFUL WHAT FOODS I ATE SO AS NOT TO AGGREVATE THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM. I have found that I still need to take Reglen for my nausia. I hope that this problem will slowly go away. The only time I seem to have this is when I try to eat things that I use to eat. (eg. icecream ). So as for that I do not eat these items any more. I have found that I can't eat tuna fish anymore and I don't know why. I have a hard time still eating in the morning. I seem to make it up though in the evening. I actually vomited for the first time since my surgery the other day. I ate something that had to much garlic in it. This also is a new development to my diet changes. Watch out for spices, they can make food taste good but not agree with your stomach. I have no problem with dumping I stay regular for the most part. The nausia is bad though. I take medication at almost every meal to control it so that I dont vomit. I am now 6 months post-op. Hair loss is little.

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

I WOULD SAY THE WORST PART OF THE SURGERY WAS WHEN THEY HAD TO OPEN PART OF MY STOMACHE. THERE WAS NO KIND OF NUMMING BEFORE THEY DID IT. THE PAIN WAS UNREAL, BUT IT PASSED QUICKLY. THE OTHER TIME WAS WHEN THEY PULLED THE DRAIN. I ACTUALLY ALMOST GOT SICK, BUT THIS TO PASSED QUICKLY.

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

MY FAMILY IS MY MOST IMPORTANT SUPPORT GROUP. I WILL BE GOING TO THE SUPPORT GROUP THAT MY DOCTOR HAS AT ST. FRANCIS HOSPITAL ON THE LAST TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH. THIS IS A GOOD WAY OF FINDING ANSWERS TO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE AFTER SURGERY. ALSO YOU CAN GET NEW RECEIPTS AND HEAR OTHER SUCCESS STORIES. EVEN IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE WHEN YOU TALK TO OTHER PATIENTS IT IS AMAZING ALL OF THEM ARE HAPPY THAT THEY HAD THE SURGERY DONE EVEN IF THEY HAD PROBLEMS POST-OP.

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

MY SCAR RUNS FROM MY STERNUM TO ABOUT MID STOMACH (ABOUT 3 1/2 INCHES LONG). MY SURGEON DID A SPECIAL UNDER STICH SO THAT THE SCAR DOWN THE ROAD WILL NOT BE VERY NOTICABLE. My scare is now only about 2 1/2 inches long. I look kind of like I have 2 bellybuttons. My kids think that is great. My doctor and some of the other patients that I have spoken to tell me that about 60 percent of those having this surgery will develop some kind of wound infection.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

SO FAR I HAVE BEEN LUCKLY. THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAD WAS AT ABOUT THE SECOND WEEK ALL THE FOOD TASTED BLAND, SO I BEGAN TO EXPERIMENT WITH NEW FOODS TO HELP WITH THE PROBLEM. IT WORKED!!! I am still hitting some plateaus, but they not as often. I am now lossing about 3 pounds a week. I'm writing now at exactly 5 month mark. I have lost about 93 lbs. I seem to find that I lose at the begining of the week then plateau for the middle and end of the week. I do seem to be very concerned about my weight all the time. I should put the scale away and not be concerned about my weight until I see the doctor in July. I have to keep reminding myself that I have lost all this weight in what should have taken almost a year, I am doing it in quicker time. This gets me through the plateaus.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

THE ONLY TIME THAT ANYONE SAYS ANYTHING DIFFERENT IS AT THE DINNER TABLE. THEY CAN'T GET USE TO THE FACT THAT I ONLY EAT AN OZ OF FOOD AT A TIME. OTHERWISE THEY TREAT ME NORMAL. I finally found that people are beginning to talk different now. They seem to lisen more to me. Even my orthopedic doctor made a comment about how thin my face is begining to look. I have found that people come up to me and tell me how wonderful I look now. This makes me kind of awkered. But I am getting more use to it. I have to say being able to wear smaller cloths that people have given me is great!!!