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

actually a woman that came into my work that had lost alot of weight told me about it

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

well i have medicare and medicaid and it took me 2years to get my op but that's because my hospital had to a certificate of some sort....

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

hmmm was so long ago i can't really remember....lol

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i'm not getting any younger and i didn't feel like turning into one of those people that become bedridden or end up on maury...lol

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

well at first i was going to do the lapband...but me being the impatient gal that i am decided that gastric was the better bet for me....besides...with lapband there's still room to cheat

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?

well my surgery went without a hitch, just make sure the nurses don't o.d you with pain medication like what happened to me....i was unresponsive and stopped breathing and almost had to have a tracheonomy! lol

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?

well most people were very impressed and proud of me but of course there were a few people that tried to discourage me...with any surgery there are going to be risks but if you stay heavy i think the risk of dying early is alot greater...

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

i was there for about 3 1/2 days and the first couple of days were pretty hellish...the beds are too damn short and every hour or so someone is coming in and poking and prodding at you....forget about getting any sleep unless your a heavy sleeper which i'm not of course...you really aren't going to need much...maybe some reading materials because the cable channels suck there but believe me....you'll want to just stay in your hospital gown....it was a very humbling experience....don't get me started on the catheter and that grinade type thing hanging from your side that drains nasty smelly liquid into...lol

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

not from the surgery so far....it's been 4 weeks and i think i'm doing pretty good....

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

well i didn't really have anxiety....i had 2 years to psyche myself up for this thing so i was more than ready....

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

well i'm not going to lie...the first couple of weeks are torture....mentally you want to eat so bad and all the friggin food commercials on tv will make you coocoo but there is no way you can physcially eat or drink any large amounts of anything...and be careful...if you eat too fast or drink too close to after eating you will get sick...it's not pretty...

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

i just had to drive about 15 miles into the city...no big deal

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.

well being a picky eater that i am.....i've been kind of bad i think...but one can only eat so many eggs and tuna and i hate fish...and being a texture girl that i am i can't eat pureed food....ummm ewwww.... i've started eating 2 or 3 slices of thin sliced american cheese and a few bites per meal of weight watchers or lean cuisine meals and i haven't died yet! lol i'm missing red meat like there's no tomorrow though....

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

well it's only been 4 weeks out and i'm finally getting energy again but for a while there i had to rest after any little activity i did...i mean you only have so much energy when you don't eat enough to keep a humming bird alive...lol

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

i take the centrum chewables, and vitamin B-12 that you put under your tongue and i drink isopure protein shake...12 oz that i nurse throughout the day....calcium is a little harder to get in which is why i eat the cheese and i mix my shake with skim milk instead of water....

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?

well so far the only real side effect i've gotten was feeling queasy....i don't throw up but i'll tell you i felt like it a couple of times because i wasn't paying attention and gobbled too quick..god i hope i don't have hair loss...i don't have much hair to begin with! lol

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

i would say the first couple of days when you can't drink anything...you can just swab your mouth with a little sponge that's on a stick that you dip into ice chips....i must admit though i cheated a little and crunched on a couple of icechiips....lol hey! humans aren't built for going without water for that length of time!

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

actually i just come on here...i mean there are support groups at the hospital but with gas prices the way they are and having to pay for parking, this site suits me just fine

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

well i got it done lapascopically so it's not bad at all...just 6 small incisions that are healing very nicely

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i'm not at that point yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

it might just be my imagination, but it seems like people have alot more respect for me now and they think i was very brave for doing this....