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

NOT FOR NOTHING BUT DR.KAMAL TADROSE FIRST SPOKE TO ME ABOUT IT. AND I SAID HELL NO I WAS VERY SCARED AND FRIGHTENED ABOUT IT I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DIE, AND I DID'NT WANT TO DIE. BUT THEN MY DR JOSEPH GOLYAN SPOKE TO ME ABOUT THE SURGERY AND THEN HIS BROTHER SPOKE TO ME ABOUT HAVING THE SURGERY AND THAT WAS DR BIJAN GOLYAN AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT AND I PRAYED ABOUT IT , AND I FEEL AND I HOPE THIS IS FROM JESUS. SO I AM ALMOST HALF WAY THERE OVER ON THE OTHER SIDE. CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE OTHER SIDE. WELL I HAVE TO GO FOR NOW I WILL KEEP IN TOUCH TAKE CARE ALL . LUV YOU ALL PATTI

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

WELL I REALLY THINK MY SERGEON IS A COUNTED AS AN A++++ I THINK HE IS THE BEST, I WOULD TELL ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY ABOUT, HOW GOOD OF A SURGEON HE IS. CAUSE HE TELLS U JUST THE WAY IT IS , AND DOES NOT HOLD NOTHING IN.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

CAUSE I FOUND MYSELF IN ALOT OF PAIN, AND COULD NOT GET AROUND, AND EVERYTIME U TURN AROUND I WAS RUNNING BACK TO THE ER. FOR MY ASTHMA , MY LEGS, MY BACK AND I JUST COULD NOT DEAL WITH IT ANY MORE SO I JUST BEGAN TO PRAY , AND I AM PUTTING JESUS IN FULL CONTROLL. NO I AM NOT AFRAID I WISH IT WAS NOT. I AM JUST WORRIED ABOUT HOW I AM GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER AND GO TO THE BATHROOM ...LOL. BUT I WILL FIND A WAY AS U ALL KNOW ME...LOL ALSO IF I DON'T HAVE THE SURGERY IT WILL BE 15 YRS LEAST OF MY LIFE, SO I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. WELL I HAVE TO GO FOR NOW TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS YOU UNTILL TOMORROW NIGHT LUV YA PATTI

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

CAUSE I HAD ASKED MY SURGEON WHICH WOULD BE BEST IN MY CONDITION, AND HE PREFER THE OPEN RNY. SO HE HAD EXPLAIN IT TO ME AND I HAD AGREE WITH HIM.

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 AT FIRST I WAS AFRAID OF DYING , BUT NOW I CAN SAY I AM NOT AFRAID OF DYING BECAUSE I KNOW JESUS IS IN FULL CONTROL. NOT TO WORRY THAT JESUS IS WITH THEM, AND I WILL PRAY WITH THEM.

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 TO BE HONEST AT FIRST WHEN I TOLD MY MOM SHE WAS NOT A VERY HAPPY CAMPER, BUT I JUST LET HER BE, BUT LATER ON I JUST WENT TO HER AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO HER I HAVE TO HAVE THIS DONE SO THAT I CAN DO WORK FOR JESUS, OTHER WISE I CAN'T I AM TOO FAT I CAN'T GET AROUND MY LEGS R ALL SWOLLEN AND MY BACK AND MY SPINE, SO I JUST PRAYED FOR MY MOM THAT JESUS WILL GIVE HER A PEACE ABOUT IT. SO I DON'T EXPECT EVERYBODY TO AGREE WITH OR WITHOUT EVERYTHING I DO. CAUSE EVERYTBODY HAS A MIND OF THERE OWN. AND THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE. AND I RESPECT THEM FOR THAT . ALL I DO IS JUST ASK THEM TO PRAY FOR ME.

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

MY SUPERVISOR WAS VERY HAPPY WITH MY DECISION. I TOLD THEM I WAS GOING FOR A GASTRIC BYPASS, AND THAT I DID'NT KNOW HOW LONG I WOULD BE OUT FROM WORK.

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

IT WAS TOO FAST I WENT ON A FRIDAY CAME HOME ON A MONDAY. IT WAS VERY COMFORTABLE . BATHROBE, TOOTHPASTE, TOOTHBRUSH, SLIPPERS, SMALL PILLOW FOR UR STOMACH , COMB, NOTHING ELSE CAUSE THEN U WILL BE SLEEPING TRUST ME.

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

NO COMPLICATIONS FROM THE SURGERY AT ALL, EXCEPT WHEN THEN KNOCK MY CAP OUT OF MY MOUTH. NOW I AM TRYING TO GET MONEY BACK FROM THE HOSPITAL TO PAY FOR THE DENISTS. TO GET MY CAP BACK IN MY MOUTH.

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

TO BE HONEST ABOUT IT ALL I FELT GREAT ABOUT THE SURGERY DATE, I WAS NOT NERVOUS AT ALL, I HAD A PEACE ABOUT EVERYTHING THANKS BE TO GOD. I JUST TOOK ONE DAY AT A TIME.

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

WELL I WAS VERY TIRED , I GUESS BECAUSE I WAS VERY TIRED AND BORED, I WALK FROM ONE END TO THE HOUSE TO THE OTHER AND THEN U GET TIRED , AND THEN U WANNA LAY DOWN BUT U DON'T WANT TO.

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

I DID'NT TRAVEL FAR I TOOK A CAB TO THE HOSPITAL, WHICH ONLY TOOK ME 15 MINUTES BY CAB.

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 WHEN U HAVE UR SURGERY DONE U HAVE TO START WITH CHICKEN BROTH, DIET JELLO, DECAF TEA, WHEN U COME HOME U CONTINUE HAVING THAT ALSO. AND THEN U CAN ALSO HAVE 2 OZS OF BABY FOOD CEREAL OATMEAL WITH APPLESAUCE, THEN 2 OZS BABY FRUIT JAR AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER . AND DRINK PLEANTY OF IT WATER. AND REMEMBER NO SUGAR AT ALL .SO SOILD FOODS AT ALL. LISTEN TO UR DRS OR ELSE.

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

MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS R WALKING AND WALKING WALKINGAND ALSO BENDING LEGS AND BENDING ELBOWS JUST FOR NOW

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

I AM DRINKING DM CHOCOLATE SHAKE FOR DIBATES WITH LOTS OF VITAMINS IN IT, AND I AM TAKING FLINSTONES ALSO.

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?

NAUSIA, ABOUT 2 WEKS AFTER THE SURGERY IT STARTED BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE I WAS BEING A PIG, AND I WAS EATING CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP. AND I ATE TOO MUCH AND GOT SICK ON IT. LOL. BUT NOW I LEARNED MY LESSON.

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

PERSONALLY I DON'T THINK THERE WAS NOTHING WORSE ABOUT THE BARIATRIC SURGERY PROCESS. I THINK EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTH. ALL I REMEMBER IS THAT I GOT TO THE HOSPITAL, I WAS WHEELED UPSTAIRS TO THE OPERATED FLOOR SEEN THE DRS AND AFTER THAT THEY STARTED THE IV IN ME , AND THEN THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS BEING WHEELED TO MY BEDROOM 600. THAT WENT REALLY FAST FOR ME. LOL

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

WELL I WENT TO NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL IN FOREST HILLS FOR MY FIRST SUPPORT GROUP ON WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22 2003 , I FIND IT IS VERY HELPFULL TO ME AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AS WELL CAUSE I NEED TO ATTEND A CLASS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH FOR SUPPORT. I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING. AND I CAN LEARN FROM OTHERS AND IF I CAN HELP ANYBODY I WISH I CAN HELP THEM AS LONG AS I AM THERE.

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

IT IS KEWL, IT IS FROM MY RIB CAGE DOWN TO MY NAVEL AND A NICE STRAIGHT LINE, NOBODY CAN EVER TO A BETTER STAIGHT LINE THAN MY SURGEON,LOL YES THIS IS EXACTALLY WHAT I EXPECTED.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE A LEVEL WHICH I AM VERY HAPPY WITH , AND MY GOAL IS TO BE 180-200 THE VERY HIGHEST. AND I WILL GET THERE. LOL ...:)

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO NOT AT ALL. THEY TREAT ME THE SAME SO FAR