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

I was searching the internet looking for a solution to my weight problems and came across the idea of gastric by-pass and after researching that decided it wasn't for me. I was happy to expand my knowledge and found the lap-band. That was the best thing I did for myself.

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

I was very fortunate to have many great hospitals around me offering seminars on obesity and surgery, I went to 3 different seminars and consulted my PCP and she was very good at keeping my records up to date and since I was seing her about every 6 weeks for my diabetes she had all the appropriate paperwork practily done for me. She wrote a letter of recomendation and I completed the required tests including the Psyciatrist visits and was approved within 30 days of my inquire. I started on 2-25-06 and had my surgery on 05-02-06 I couldn't be happier !!!!!!!!

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

I had the pleasure of meeting him at the 3rd seminar I attended and right away thought he would be the one I would trust my life to. I had a huge folder with all of my questions most of wich I got on-line from diffrerent web sites and chat rooms. He was very good about answering honestly and without hesitation.There was none of the "I'll have to check it out and get back to you" going on during his seminars.( I attended 2 of his one by myself and one with my husband ).

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I realized that with the help of the band I could finally accomplish something I have been battaling for many years. I had compleete trust in Dr.Bacal and felt very much at ease trusting myself to him.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

That was a long process, I took a notepad and made 2 columns, one for RNY one for LAP-BAND then I wrote pros and cons for each surgery, and at the end I compaired them and came to the decisin that the lap-band was the least invasive surgery and in the end I would lose the same amount of weight without most of the side effects the decision was easy.

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?

As with any surgery we have to understand that complications can and will occur. The staff at the office assured me that they would do anythig and everything posssible to make this experience a good and safe one for me. I did not have any complications and recovered very quickly, just follow your Drs. rules and you should recover nicely and begin your new life and for once be proud of yourself, you did it and you will be a much stronger person both physically and mentally.

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 had the most wonderful experience with this surgery everyday my husband tells me how proud he is of me, mind you he has NEVER seen me under 200 lbs. !!!!!!!! My extended family is very supportive of me and encourage me along on thus journey. I wouldn't change anything now or ever.

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

I have had the pleasure of not working in over 20 years so work was never an issue with me.

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

I was only in the hospital for one night. I probably could have gone home directly after surgery but do to insurance issues I ahd to stay overnught. I would recomend you yake a nice shower before coming to the hospital, bring anything that makes you feel comfortable to wear.Loose clothing is best, tennis shoes helped with the walking after surgery ( to help eliminate gas and prevent blood clots).

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

I did not have any complications that I knew about. It seems that I took abit longer for my surgery his regular time is about 1 hour I happen to take 2 hours because my stomach seemed to be larger than usual, and he had a tough time getting the band around the circumfrince like he wanted it .

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 of course had thoughts like " this is for the rest of my life" and I had to keep reassuring myself that this was and is the right choice for me. The weeks before surgery were busy with me preparing for the recovey, doing household chores and preparing my family for my recovery. The excitement was unbearable.

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

This was a time for me to finally take care of myself and learning to let other people do things for me. I wasn't in any real pain and ahd to keep telling myself I had actually done it and had to learn to put mself first at least temerarily. A girl could get used to this.

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

I was fortunate to have a great hospital within 1/2 mile from my house. My surgeons office is in the medical center and very convient.

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.

Directly after surgery I was on liquids and that seemed to satisfy me. Within a week I was eating soft foods ( yogert, pudding, popsicles etc.). I was drinking protein drinks and plenty of liquids especialy water. I have been on solid foods for a few weeks (10 weeks post surg.) and have had 2 fills. at my last vist I had .05 saline taken out due to constant throwing up and tightness in my band.l

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

I have had the most positive experience as far as my endurance since my surgery. I have been able to do much more , much longer than I have in years.

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

I am taking all the multi-vitamins plus iron and calcium. I don't consume any suppliments.

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 did not have any of these side effects directly after surgery. I have experienced some vomiting and nausea since my second fill and have had .05 taken out and haven't had any problem since.

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

The worst part was not a physical problem but a mental problem. I have to keep reasureing myself that this was the best thing I could have done for myself and I still have to remind myself that this is a lifelong issue and I have to learn to cope with all the reprocussions that arise.

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

I ahve been usung several sites on-line since I can use them at anytime. The Dr. has a support group starting but I havent been able to make the meeting yet. I plan on attending as many as I can though. It is very important to hear that you are progressing at a normal pace and that any problems you think you have someone has been there or done that and can help you out. It is important that if you are a bander try to get on a band website , it seems our questions and problems are different than other surgerys.

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

The scaring is minimul. I have had laproscopic surgery twice and have little to no problems with the scaring, The insisions are very small and needed little care other than cleaning. I did have a little problem with the largest incision though, it seems I got a little infection although it cleared up very quickly.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have only lost 26lbs since the surgery and that was 10 weeks ago.I have had 2 fills 2ccin a 4cc band at my last visit he took .05 out because I was miserable !!!!!!!! I couldn't keep anything down, although when I vomited I could tell it was chewed thouraly. I have to remind myself not to drink before and after my meals.I have not plateaued as of yet bt I'm sure I will eventually.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I do but I attribute that to the fact that I treat myself differently. I have more confidence in myself and it shows in my body language.