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

i had a friend who had it and he has lost lots of weight, in fact he is going to have his excess skin remove the day after i have surgery

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

as far as i know medical and medicare approved it first time

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

Dr.K ? he was great and did not make you feel like a piece of meat. you have to ask questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i am 58, i have artritis and my knees and legs hurt,and i can hardley walk

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

by watching a film about 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?

they were surprised to hear i was going to have it done,but now my daughter thinks its ok.will let you know after surgery how supportive they are.My family has been very supportived with me after this surgery, I am so thankful that I was able to have it

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

i do not work,i am on ssi and ssd

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

I had surgery on a Monday, and went home on a Friday. The hospital is super, and I can't tell you how great the nurses are. Bring a housecoat, and personal items, because you are going to get up and walk about 4hrs after surgery.

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

None what so ever. I did have some spots in my incision that the dr. polked with his famous Q-tip that did need to drain, and it didn't close for 82 days later, but would I do this again? "Yes, in a heartbeat".

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 had a hard time with my walking, due to the fact that I did no walking before surgery, just what I had to do. About 3 weeks out I went into depression, but I was depressed before surgery, I have gone on Zoloff and that is helping.

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

To have absolute no engery, and not to beat yourself down because you can't jump up and do something. You have just had your inners ALL moved around, and that takes alot out of you. Take your time getting back on your feet if you can.

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

I live in Taft, Ca. and had surgery in Delano,Ca. which is about an hour and 15mins from me. It has not effected my aftercare. I still go up there to see my dr., and we have support meetings the second Tuesday of the month and I go to that also

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.

Of course you start out with soft foods, and work your way up to other things. There has been no food off limit, and I can eat anything I want, I chose not to eat sugar, and high fat contents foods.I can still only eat 1 egg for breakfast, and I choose not to eat the bread like I use to. I do eat ice cream, about a cup full, not the quart I use to eat every nite. I have found out now I have an ulcer, so no more spicy food for awhile. I would have this d/s again in a heartbeat I have lost 71lbs in 6months, and I love it

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

Very little, I did walk some everyday,and it does get better. I can now walk 5 blocks and not be gasping for air. I try to work out at least twice a week, at our rec here in town

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

I take a mulitvitiamn a day, and 1500mg of calisum

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?

My problem is still eating too fast, then if that happens, I will be too full and have to vomit. So far no hair loss, that I know of, but I wear my hair very short. Dumping? There is no dumping with the Gastric Reduction/ Duodenal Switch {GRDS}

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

I guess if there were a worst part, it would have to be being cut open of course I had no problems, so I don't think there is a worse part

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

I attend once a month meetings in Delano, I have a nurse I can call 24hrs a day, and if I should need this it would be a great help 1-7-04 Two years ago today I had my surgery and I do not regret not one single day of it.I LOVE THIS SURGERY!!!! I still attend the meetings in Delano,to me it is very important that I get the support of other ds'ers.They help to no end

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

My scar is right where my other scar was from the vb and gall bladder surgery, I don't care what it looks like, as no one is going to be looking at it but me.It's not a bad scar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

There are some weeks that I don't loss a pound, but I think if I get more protein in that breaks the plateau. I only weigh at the support meetings because no two scales are the same. 4-9-03==I started out at 334 and now after 14mths I am down to 198.5, I never thought for one moment that I would be under 200lbs.This is the first time in 44yrs that has happen.I have had hernia surgery,and a tt,I would still have this surgery in a heart beat.I thank God every day that there is a dr. like dr.k 1-7-04 today I am at a weight of 178 lbs,that is a loss of 156 lbs.56lbs more that we thought I would lose being a revision.Now how cool is that?? I weigh less now than I did in the 7th grade.I LOVE it!!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

My friends treat me no different, and I don't care about the small minded people that always have something to say about big people yes, they treat you different, but it's a nice feeling because my friends are so happy for me, and i love being smaller...lol 1-7-04 I love it when I go up to someone and say hi and they don't know who I am or it takes a few moments for them to relieze who I am. My grandaughter age 9 will put her arms around me and say"Nana my arms fit around you now">lol