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

I had writen every question i could think of down and i made sure to ask them . i also talked to people in the weighting room .Dr. Terricina took his time wiht me and he answered every question,even answered some questions i didnt ask lol. he was wonderful . my advice is if your not sure what to ask the dr ask the people in the chat room here .I find them to be realy helpful.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to get healthy . but also my other dr kinda scard me when he told me that in 5 years i would need new kidneys and possiable have other complications from the dibetis , i was willing to try anything not to have that happen .

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

well Dr.Terricina only dose the gastricbypas, open or lap so i didnt have much choice about which one to have . and of corse i didnt do much resurch before i desided to have surgury either, if i did it agin i think i would have like one of the other proceders done.

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 wasnt scard of havinf surgury , i figered if i was going to die from it at least i died trying to help myself .I was nervouse , but no fears about having it done . ok i lied i was fearful that i woudlnt loose any weight at all from it .

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 and friends were very susportive , my mother expecially , she had this done 25 years ago . She stayed with me in the hospital 24/7 , she is a nurse soi had the best care possiable .my husbond was great too , he took care of all the house work and helping me when he was able to , i think he was more scard that somethign would happen to me then i was .My friend was also helpful she drove me every were i needed to go when greg was at work :) i love them all so much and they will never realy knwo because words cant express how i feel about each of them :) .

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

I was lucky i wasnt working at the time of my surgury .

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

i had an ok hospital stay , i just couldnt get very comfterable. i was there for 5 days . the most important thing to bring wiht you is a small pillow to hold on your tummy when getting in and out of bed and when you cought. also chapstick for your lips because they are very dry the day after . and a small fan , i stayed hot in there the whole time.

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

the only minor complication i had was one of my insicissions got infected , but i was told that happens to alot of dibetics . They reopend it and then packed it with gulze, and gave me some antiobotics .

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 didnt have long to think about any of it , i was so nervous i cryed . i spent most of the time before surgery in the obeasityhelp.com chat room, i got great susport from everyone there .

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

When i first got home , it was hard not to have my animals jumping on top of me , i sleept in my computer room on alumpy be for about a week then i moved to the couch for anotehr 2 weeks , after three weeks i was back in my bed and able to sleep on my side agin more comfterable, i sure missed sleeping on my tummy.

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

I didnt have to travle but 3 miles from were i had my surgury to my house , i was lucky i guess becuse i didnt feel like driving for a few weeks after .

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.

i have been lucky , i have been able to eat the right foods , but i i cant eat lettuce anymore it makes me sick , and i realy miss eating corrot sticks . but im still able to get my protines in .I have even found that i like new things that i didnt before surgery .

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

my first few weeks comming home i had a hard time getting otu and walking but once i got use to it i loved to do it , at 3 months out i joined a gym that was scarry at first i cant ever imagin going to a gym before . I was walking 2 miles a day , and trying to go to the gym 5 times a week . Now that i have started working agin i havent been able to get as much exercise as i would like and its realy depresing me .

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

i take calucium citrate , and actigull for my gullbladder, and welburtin for depression , and i take prenatle vitimens .

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?

the worst side effect i had was wiht hair loss, it started at 4 months out and now its slowing down some thank god .

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

the weight being so slow to come off , i wanted to wake up and be skinny .

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

I have been going to a once a month susport grupe meeting wiht other wls ppl it has been helpful to me because im knwo im not going thought this alone and it has allowed me to make some new friends here in my cumminity that i might not have otehr wise meet.

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

I have 7 little 1/2 to 1 inch scars on my belly and they are slowly fading away i show them off to everyone that wants to look , im proud of what i have done and why i have them .

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

snice surgery 5 months ago i have had 2 plateaus one i was 3 weeks out and i didnt loose any weight for 2 weeks i wanted to cry i thought man is this all im going to loose ,But i reminded myself that just because the weight isnt comming off them inches are and both are important. Im on another weight plateau right now , and im dealing with it but i wish it would hurry up and go away .

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I havent knoticed anyone treating me diffenrtaly ,but then agin i have a differnt bunch of ppl i talk to now .alot of them didnt know me before i had surgery , but i tell everyone that will listen abotu wls ,i have knoticed i get lots of looks from guys now that realy boost a persons ego lol