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

I SAW AL ROKER ON TV AND HE INSPIRED ME TO CHECK THIS SURGERY OUT AND I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND OBESITYHELP AND FOUND MY DOCTOR, THEN SPOKE TO PEOPLE WHO ALSO HAD SURGERY. I WENT TO MANY SEMINARS AND FELT OK BUT WHEN I MET MY DR. V. MEHTA I WAS IMPRESSED AND WANTED THE SURGERY YESTERDAY.

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

GOING TO MY HMO INSURANCE WAS A NIGHTMARE. THEY FOUGHT ME TOOTH AND NAIL UNTIL I CHANGED TO OUR TRADITIONAL INSURANCE, INSURANCE DESIGN ADMINISTRATORS WHO APPROVED ME WITH NO PROBLEMS, PAID EVERYONE AND ALL IS HAPPY.

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

MY FIRST VISIT WITH DR. MEHTA WAS A SEMINAR WITH 5 OTHER PEOPLE. HE TALKED TO USE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND SHOWED A VIDEO AND ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS. MY HUSBAND WAS ALLOWED IN THE ROOM AND EVEN HE WAS IMPRESSED WITH DR. MEHTA'S KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SURGERY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

AFTER TALKING TO MANY MANY PEOPLE GOING TO MANY SEMINARS AND THEN FINDING DR MEHTA I WANTED THE SURGERY.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WANTED THE ONE THAT COULD NOT BE REVERSED. I WANTED TO BE FIXED PERMANENTLY.

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 HAD NO FEARS, I WOULD NOT LET FEAR GET TO ME BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER SURGERY, EVEN WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS DYING WHEN I DEVELOPED THE ULCER FROM SMOKING. PEOPLE HAVE TO THINK POSITIVE.

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 DID NOT WANT ME TO HAVE THIS SURGERY, BECAUSE IT IS MAJOR SURGERY. I TOLD THEM I MADE UP MY MIND AND THIS WAS GOING TO BE WHAT I WANTED AND WAS DOING. THEY WERE ALL SCARED FOR ME BUT I WOULD NOT LET THEM NEAR ME IF THEY WERE GOING TO BE NERVOUS. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE VERY PROUD OF ME NOW THAT ALL IS O.K AND I AM ON THE WAY TO A NEW SLIMMER ME. WE ALL DECIDED TO GO ON A DISNEY CRUISE IN NOVEMBER 2004.

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

MY EMPLOYER/SUPERVISOR WAS REALLY NOT AWARE OF WHAT I WAS GOING OUT ON LEAVE FOR, EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE OPERATION. I DIDN'T WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING IN FOR SO I DIDN'T TELL THEM. BUT WHEN I GOT BACK TO WORK 3 1/2 WEEKS LATER THEY ALL KNEW AND WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE AND COMMENT EVERY DAY ON HOW LITTLE I AM GETTING AND HOW I AM SHRINKING.

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

I SPENT 3 DAYS AT ST PETERS HOSPITAL IN NEW BRUNSWICK. THE STAFF THERE WERE EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH GASTRIC BYPASS PATIENTS AND ATTENDED TO MY EVERY NEED AND/OR WANT. THE FLOOR I WAS ON WAS ADEQUATE AS IT IS ALSO THE ORTHOPEDIC FLOOR AND THE BARS THEY HAVE ON THE BED WERE GREAT FOR GETTING UP AND DOWN. I WOULD RING THE BELL AND BEFORE I MOVED MY HAND THE NURSE WOULD BE AT MY DOOR. THEY ARE GREAT AT ST. PETERS.

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

THE ONLY COMPLICATION I HAD WAS 2 1/2 MONTHS AFTER SURGERY I DEVELOPED AN ULCER FROM SMOKING AND DR. MEHTA CALLED ME AND CALLED IN A PRESCRIPTION. I AM NOW 3 WEEKS POST ULCER AND AM NOW ABLE TO EAT AND DRINK.

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

AFTER SURGERY I WAS FEELING TIRED, ANXIOUS, UNABLE TO EAT OR DRINK UNTIL I FOUND OUT THAT I HAVE AN ULCER FROM SMOKING. I AM NOW JUST STARTING TO GET ENERGY.

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

I SPEAK TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM MY JOB AND NEIGHBORHOOD AND MY DAUGHTER'S JOB THAT HAD THE SURGERY AND LEARN A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH AND THAT THE THINGS I FEEL ARE NORMAL.

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

MY TINY SCARS ARE HEALING NICELY. I ALSO HAD GALLBLADDER SURGERY THE SAME WAY MANY YEARS AGO AND THOSE SCARS ARE ALMOST GONE OR VERY LIGHT AND I EXPECT MY SCARS WILL DO THE SAME FROM THE GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE JUST HAD A FIRST PLATEAU AFTER 3 MONTHS. I STAYED AT THE SAME WEIGHT FOR A WEEK NOW BUT THAT'S O.K. BECAUSE I AM NOW ABLE TO EAT REAL FOOD AND DRINK AFTER CORRECTING MY ULCER.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I DO FEEL PEOPLE TREATING ME DIFFERENTLY, I HAVE MEN NOW OPEN DOORS FOR ME INSTEAD OF LOOKING AND LETTING GO OF THE DOOR. PEOPLE SEEM KINDER, IT MIGHT JUST BE THE HOLIDAYS. PEOPLE SEEM TO BE FRIENDLY AND WANT TO TALK TO ME NOW.