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

My sister located Dr. Zahn at St. Lukes Hospital in Phoenix Az. who took my Insurance carrier CIGNA. And I enrolled in the program, made an appointment with the Doctor.

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

I am very grateful to the "Bridges" Program, because of my parents medical history I was a canidate for the surgery. I was reccomended by my Primary Care Physican Dr. Keith Ryan in Flagstaff and did not have any problems getting the insurance to approve the surgery. This was 8 years ago and I don't think it was a difficult to be approved for surgery.

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

It was very informative and I was very reassured by the Surgeon I had chosen, never have I regretted my choice to have the surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I felt it was the only way in which I could change my eating habits and regain control over my weight problem.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Dr. Zahn didn't do the laproscopic method, he had been doing this proceedure for 20 some odd years when I went to him I and trusted his ability and felt he would do a good job, and that is just what he did!

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 really was never that fearfull, my husband was though. I always felt like I was doing what I needed to do to get the weight off.

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 did not tell alot of people I was having the surgery until after the surgery was performed an I began to loose the weight. My family was supportive but I never really felt support from those around me, people tend to be jelouse when you loose weight no matter how you loose it.

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

I am a stay at home mom , but it did take the full 6 weeks to get all my strength back after the surgery.

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

pretty good I believe I was there 4 days total.Do your breathing exercises!!

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

No not at that time a few months down the road I did have to have my gall bladder removed in October, I developed acute panceatitis . I passed the stone that was in my pancreas, they removed my gall bladder and I have had no other complications from my by-pass surgery.

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 really didn't experience any anxiety.

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

It was a very difficult adjustment to make, my husband was so very helpful to me and supportive all the time , I really wonder how I could have handled it with out him he was GREAT!

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

I live in Northern Arizona so the trip is approximately 200 miles one way. We would leave early in the morning an be home by late afternoon, Dr. Zahn's office was very accomidating for my appointments.

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 followed the diet pretty good , if anything was hard it was not being able to drink water so I had a tendency to become dehydrated the ice chips were the best solution to that.

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

The weight fell off very well and I didn't exercise sorry about that. But I do now!

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

I take potassium, B-12, slow release iron, and a multi-vitamin daily.

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 experienced them all, if i couldn't get the food down I vomited, this is hard on you! I learned to relax and use ice chips to calm my stomach. Four months after the surgery I did experience hair loss, I have a good head of hair and treated it very carefully (no dye jobs lots of protein treatments ect.) By January it was well enough for a body perm and that made my hair look better . Of course now it is just fine. What I deal with is dumping syndrome always have always will most likely, if I eat something I am NOT suppose to eat I will Dump It very quickly, so needless to say I really do try to stay away from the foods that make me do this.

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

I suppose the Dumping, my bowels have never been the same, but it does keep me from eating things I shouldn't. beause of this I have not been one to change my diet very much.

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

Because I lived so far from the Bridges program I did not participate in any group/programs.

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

You could draw a map on my stomach- HA HA! It has faded with time doesn't bother me at all.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Like I said I lost the weight very well it took aroximately 6 months to loose the 110 pounds. I kept that off for about 6 years right now I am 20 pounds over that Starving Weight and would feel more comfortable when i loose this 20 lbs. My ideal size was an 8. I am a size 10 now but like the size 8 alot better.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, But that is something that happens when you loose weight .Most assuredly with other women. They won't even accknowledge the weight loss, but oh well I'm happy , my husband loves me and so do my children, they are proud of me and that's what matters most.