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

I first saw it on a tv program. Later my doctor talked to me about it. At first I thought it was really extreme but when I was diagnosed with diabetes, I started giving more thought to having the surgery.

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

Talk to your insurance yourself and get all the info you can.

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

Take a spouse or someone close with you. My first visit with Dr. Davies was informative and thought provoking. Since I am almost an hour from his office I wish I had scheduled any tests to be done that day.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Being diagnosed with diabetes.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted to be free of the desire for sweets so I had the by-pass and it has been great.

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 felt from the very first that this was a gift from God--an answer to all the prayers I have prayed for 25 years. When apprehension and fear tried to overtake my thinking I would refer back to Isa. 43:1&2 which says "Fear not for I have redeemed you. When you pass thourgh the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or schorched nor will the flame kndle upon you." You must watch your thought life. I would recommend the book by Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind.

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 were all happy for me. I couldn't have asked for more support. They continue to be an inspiration to 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 self-employeed. it took six weeks to get back to an normal schedule.

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

The staff was great at Roanoke Memorial. I was there four days, but I think another day would have been better since I couldn't get out of bed by myself for another day. The things I brought, for the most part, I didn't use. I wore a hospital gown for the entire stay. I brought a portable cassette player so I could listen to inspiring messages during the nights I could not sleep.

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

None

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 needed to rest quite a bit. During the weeks following my surgery, our son-in-law was in a serious car accident and acutally lost one of his eyes. WE had to travel for six hours to get to where they lived. This was tiring mentally and physically.

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

Make sure someone else in your family can cook and help prepare food for you. If you had open surgery as I did, expect to rest periodically during the day.

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

45 minutes to one hour. Didn't affect 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.

First few weeks I couldn't eat these things even though they were on the list of things I could have: egg-beaters, eggs, some artifical sweetners. I do not eat packaged foods that contain over 9 grams of fat unless it is cereal. Meats are still hard unless I chew and chew. Soft breads can even make me throw up because they expand in my stomach. One artifical sweetner, maltinol (sp?) gives me severe stomach cramps and diareah.

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

I would walk inside the house for about five minutes at first. I gradually increase it. After my six weeks check-up, I joined a gym and used the aerobics and weight machines. This was a great experience. My musules had begun to feel weak fromt the weight loss and it was good to get them toned up. Now I am walking for 40 minutes five times a week and doing a lot of yard work, but this fall, I will rejoin the gym.

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

Multi-vitamins B12 Calcium These are vitamins I took before and continue to take: A, C, E and chromium

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?

Worst was the hair loss. I went to a hair professional and got hair products for thinning hair and to strengthen the hair I had. This started after about four months and lasted for three months.

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

Not being able to get up by myself and having the tube removed from my nose!

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

I went to the support group at Roanoke for a few months. It was very helpful and I think it is important not only to encourge yourself but to be an encouragement. I don't attend very regularly now because of the hour's drive to get there.

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

It has shrunk since the surgery but it is much wider and redder than I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Now, at 92 pounds weight loss, I haven't lost anything for a month unitl this week, when I finally lost another pound. I hope I will continue to lose.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes. I never realized the discromination overweight people had until I lost weight!