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

HAD A COUSIN THAT HAD THE SURGERY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS STUPID, JUST TRY TO LOOSE THE WEIGHT YOURSELF...BUT AFTER SEVERAL YEARS OF TRYING EVERYTHING AND THE MINUTE THAT I STOPPED I GAINED IT ALL BACK PLUS MORE, I TALKED TO MY DR ABOUT IT AND SPOKE WITH MY FAMILY ABOUT IT, AND THOUGH WHAT THE HECK...GO FOR IT...

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

IN DEALING WITH KAISER YOU HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS TO GET APPROVED.I FIRST HAD TO MEET WITH MY DR. HE THEN HAS TO SEND IT TO THE BOARD TO GET APPROVAL..DURING THAT TIME THEY WANT YOU TO MEET A PSYCOLOGIST AND WANT YOU TO SEE THE NUTRITIONIST. IT TOOK ME FROM JUNE OF 98 WHEN I FIRST MET WITH MY DR UNTIL JANUARY TO GET APPROVAL,BECAUSE THE BOARD ONLY MEET EVERY FOUR MONTHS OR SO.AFTER MY APPROVAL FROM KAISER HAD TO MAKE APPT WITH DR.KINTER, HE IS NOT A KAISER DR. THEY REFER OUT TO HIM BUT THE SURGERY WAS PERFORMED AT OUR KAISER HOSP.MY ADVICE...DON'T GIVE UP...MY ARGUMENT WAS MAYBE I DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE TYPICAL PROBLEMS THAT GO ALONG WITH OBESITY, BUT IT IF THEY DIDN'T DO SOMETHING SOON I WOULD.BUT KEEP CALLING AND KEEP BUGGING...

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

DR KINTER AND HIS STAFF ARE GREAT, I WAS REALLY PLEASE WITH HIM. HE SAT DOWN AND DREW PICTURES AND TALKED TO ME LIKE A NORMAL PERSON AND NOT A DR. USING ALL THOSE BIG WORDS. WHEN YOU GO TO MEET YOUR DR WRITE DOWN ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET THERE YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO FORGET..

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

DECIDING THAT I WAS 30 YEARS OLD AND IF I DIDN'T DO SOMETHING SOON, I WOULD NOT BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO ENJOY ,MY 3 GODSONS AND HAVE THE CHANCE OF HAVING MY OWN CHILDREN.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

HAD ONLY HEARD ABOUT THE 2 WAYS,OPEN AND LAP, WHATEVER THE DR DID WAS OK WITH ME.

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 WAS SCARED TO DEATH OF BEING PUT TO SLEEP. I HAD NEVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL, NEVER A BROKEN BONE OR ANYTHING. THE DAY OF MY SURGERY THEY ALMOST CANCELLED BECAUSE MY HEART RATE WAS VERY IRREGULAR, BUT THEY CALLED IN A CARDIOLOGIST AND SHE GAVE ME SOME MEDICINE AND CALMED ME DOWN. I JUST KEPT THINKING WELL EITHER I DIE TRYING TO HAVE THIS SURGERY DONE, OR I'M GOING TO DIE FROM BEING OVER WEIGHT.JUST THINK POSITIVE, GOD DOES EVERYTHING FOR A REASON.

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 SUPPORTIVE, THEY ALL NEW SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE, BECAUSE I JUST KEPT GETTINE BIGGER AND BIGGER.

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

MY BOSS WAS(IS) VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MY DECISION.HE STILL ASK ME HOW I'M DOING AND COMMENTS ON THE CHANGE IN MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS LIFE.I WAS ONLY OFF WORK FOR A WEEK AFTER MY SURGERY, BUT I HAVE A OFFICE JOB AT A SMALL COMPANY SO NOT A LOT OF PRESSURE.

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

My stay was awful. I have Kaiser Insurance and my after surgery care was horrid..My nurses were so busy they actually told me they were to busy to check on me like Dr. ordered due to drop of bloodpressure. I was only in the hospital 2 days though so that wasn't to bad.

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

I have had no problems other than losing my hair for about 4 months and the ocassional vomiting...

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 was very, very scared, not so much from the surgery but being put to sleep. I have never been in the hospital or even had a broken bone. I just took it one day at a time.

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

I was very lucky. My mom-in-law came over for the first couple of days while my husband was at work. After that I was pretty much on my own and that was ok. I returned to work after one full week at home after surgery.

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

It was local, in my hometown of Fresno..

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 really didn't have on particular thing that I couldn't eat. One time I could eat it and the next time it made me sick. Still to this day that sometimes happens. The only thing that I can honestly say I still can't eat is a hamburger. I can eat hamburger and I can eat bread but I can't put the 2 together, but I can eat a chicken sandwhich. Update***i ate a half of a hamburger on a camping trip over labor day and it didn't make me sick......

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

I started out slowly walking several times a day and then gradually added more. I have joined a gym but don't go as often as I should and need.

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

The only thing I took is a Centrum multi-vitamin up until a month ago, and at that time I have had to start taking a B-12 supliment, level was a little low. I also take a hair vitamin since about the 4th month post-op due to losing my hair.

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 only problems where with hair loss. I started experiencing it about 4 months out, I had a really hard time dealing with that. But I started taking a vitamin and now my hair is just thinner than before but that is ok, I had a lot of hair. During I actually had a bald spot right in front....

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

My stay in the hospital..My care was HORRIBLE!@#$%^&*...

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

I have just recently started attending a support group in my area. Although it is not the Dr. that did my surgery they have still welcomed me. I only wish that I would have attended all through my post-op period. It has given me people to talk to that actually understand the things i'm going throuh.

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

My scar is only about 2 1/2" long, and it doesn't effect anything that I do, other than if I was going to wear a bikini(hahahaha)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am currently on a 2 1/2 month plateau now (8/00). It is really starting to get me down, but I know that everyone hits it and I just need to work a little harder at breaking it...

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I really haven't noticed a big change in people towards me, but I have noticed a big change in my attitude towards people. My nieces and nephews are really the ones that make me feel ggod, because they are very vocal in my shrinking body size...don't get me wrong my whole family and friends support my weight loss and comment on it, but when your 14 yr old nephew tells you, you are wilting away...and my 12 year niece can put her arms all the way around you and in the middle of the mall yells that she can reach all the way around you, your whole attitide changes towards things.I think that when you are over weight you tend to put off a attitude even though you don't mean it, but you have a barricade up so that you can protect yourself from the statements and the stares.