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

I WORK AT A PHARMACY INSIDE A GROCERY STORE AND I SAW RESULTS ON ABOUT 15 CUSTOMERS AND HOW MUCH BETTER THEY LOOKED AND FELT

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

ONCE MY LETTERS WERE SENT TO MY INSURANCE WITH THE CORRECTED PROCEDURE CODES IT WENT FAIRLY SMOOTHLY. I HAVE 2 INSURANCES AND MY SECONDARY(UHC) APPROVED VERY QUICKLY. MY PRIMARY INSURANCE(BCBS) GAVE ME THE RUN AROUND FOR AWHILE. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE DROPPING THE SUGERY AT THE END OF 2003 AND I THINK THEY WERE TRYING TO PUT ME OFF. MY SURGERY WAS NOV 25TH 2003. THE MAIN ADVISE IS TO KEEP CALLING EACH WEEK. MAKE DOCUMENTS AND GET THE NAME OF THE PERSON YOUR TALKING TO (VERY IMPORTANT !!!!)

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

MY FIRST VISIT TO MEET DR FABITO WAS GREAT. I FELT MORE CONFIDENT AND ASSURED THAT I HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

SEEING THE GREAT RESULTS OF SEVERAL FRIENDS AND KNOWING THAT IT WOULD HELP ME MEDICALLY

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WENT ON LINE AND REVIEWED THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS. ALSO I SPOKE TO PEOPLE FROM EACH GROUP AND LEARNED THE DIFFERENCE IN EACH SURGERY. I FELT HAVING THE OPEN RNY WAS MORE SUCESSFUL.

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?

IT WAS EITHER HAVE SURGERY OR CHANGE JOBS WHERE I COULD SIT ALL DAY. I HAVE BEEN AT MY JOB FOR ALMOST 29 YEAR AND I AM 44 YRS OLD SO I CANT RETIRE YET AND I REALLY LOVE MY JOB. I REALLY NEVER HAD FEARS BECAUSE I HAD FAITH IN MY DR AND SAW THE RESULTS OF SEVERAL OF HIS PATIENTS. IF YOU DO WHAT THE TELL YOU YOUR RECOVERY IS MUCH QUICKER

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?

OF COURSE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALL WERE SCARED FOR ME. I HAVE AN AWSOME HUSBAND WHO WAS SCARED AND MAYBE A LITTLE ANGRY AT FIRST BUT ONCE HE MET DR FABITO AND LEARNED OF HIS EXPERTICE AND KNOWLEDGE HE WAS MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE WITH MY DECISION. HE WAS ALWAYS MORE NERVOUS THAN I EVERY WAS. SINCE MY SURGERY 2 1/2 MONTHS AGO I AM DOING GREAT AND I GET ALOT OF SUPPORT FROM MY HUSBAND/FAMILY/AND FRIENDS.

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

MY STORE MANAGER WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE. HE ALSO WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED.I TOLD HIM EITHER I LOSE THE WEIGHT OR CHANGE JOBS SO HE CHOSE TO SUPPORT ME. I MISSED ABOUT 7 WEEKS OF WORK BECAUSE I STAND ALL DAY SO I DIDNT WANT TO TRY TO PUSH IT TO SOON

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS VERY GOOD. THE STAFF WAS VERY NICE. MY HUSBAND STAYED WITH ME 24/7 AND I WAS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT. THE 1ST NITE WITH ALL THE IV'S I HAD TO POTTY ALOT AND I COULDNT HAVE MADE IT WITHOUT HIM. HE ALSO HELPED ME TO WALK A LOT AND TO SHOWER. ITS KINDA HARD TO USE THE RESTROOM BY YOURSELF AND HE WAS A BIGGGGG HELP THERE. I TELL YA IM THE LUCKIST WOMAN IN THE WORLD TO HAVE FOUND THIS ONE!!! HAVING SOMEONE WITH YOU IS A MAJOR IMPORTANCE IN MY BOOK. THE NURSES ARE VERY HELPFUL BUT THEY ARE ALSO VERY BUSY. MY ONLY BAD MOMENT WAS WHEN THE GIRL CAME TO CLEAN MY ROOM. THE CLEANER SHE USED WAS SO STRONG THAT IS MADE ME VERY NAUSATED AND I ABOUT CHOKED TO DEATH. SHE WAS VERY SORRY BIT IT WASNT HER FAULT AT ALL. SHE WAS ONLY DOING HER JOB. WHEN THE HOSPITAL CALLED ME AFTERWARDS FOR A HOSPITAL EVALUATION I TOLD THEM THEY NEEDED TO DILUTE IT A LITTE. YOU ARE ALREADY NAUSATED FROM THE SURGERY AND YOU DONT NEED ANY HELP MAKING IT WORSE. I HAD SURGERY ON TUES AND LEFT ON FRIDAY. I DONT THINK I NEEDED ANYTHING THAT THE HOSPITAL DIDNT PROVIDE.

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

NO COMPLICATIONS

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

MY SURGERY WAS 3 MONTHS AGO. I DONT FEEL THAT I'VE HAD ANY ANXIETY. I TIRED VERY EASLY AND AM STILL LIGHT HEADED SOMETIME.

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

I SLEPT ALOT. I TRIED TO WALK AROUND THE HOUSE ALOT. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL STANDING AND SITTING BECAUSE OF SORENESS AND DIZZINESS. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO TAKE ME FOR A RIDE OR SOMETHING TO KEEP ME FROM BEING BORED

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

FROM MY HOUSE TO THE HOSPITAL WAS 2 1/2 HRS. WE STOPPED HALFWAY HOME AT WAL-MART AND WALKED FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. THE RIDE WAS OK. THEY HAD GIVEN BE A PAIN PILL BEFORE I LEFT THE HOSPITAL

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.

THE 1ST WEEK ON LIQUIDS WAS THE PITS. I WAS TIRED OF BROTH. AT FIRST YOU CAN ONLY TAKE A VERY SMALL SIP OR IT WOULD HURT. IT IS ALOT BETTER NOW. IT TOOK ME A ABOUT 1 MONTH BEFORE I COULD EAT BEEF. I STILL HAVE TROUBLE WITH DOUGHY THINGS LIKE TORTILLA SHELLS, BREAD, RICE ETC AND I HAVENT FOUND A VERY GOOD PROTEIN SHAKE YET. ONCE IN AWHILE IF I EAT TO FAST OR DONT CHEW GOOD ENOUGH I GET VERY NAUSATED. I HAVE NEVER THROWN UP BUT I SURE WANTED TO A FEW TIMES.

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

I TRIED TO START WALKING AS MUCH AND SOON AS I COULD. THE TIME OFF WORK WAS GREAT BECAUSE WE WENT TO THE MALL EVERY DAY AND WALKED AND THEN I COULD COME HOME AND TAKE A NAP!!! I AM DOING A 2 MILE WALKING VIDEO 3 TO 5 DAYS A WEEK.

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

I TAKE A WOMENS ONE A DAY, 2 CALCIUM WITH D AND I TAKE AN AMINO BLEND 750MG CAPSULE DAILY BECAUSE IM NOT DOING VERY GOOD ON MY PROTEIN DRINKS. I HAVENT HAD A BLOOD WORK-UP YET SO I HOPE MY PROTEIN IS OK. I HAVENT HAD MUCH PROBLEM WITH HAIR-LOSS YET SO I HOPE THE AMINO BLEND IS DOING OK

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 ONLY GET NAUSIA IF I EAT TO FAST, DONT CHEW OR MAYBE EAT TO SPICY. I'V NOT HAD ANY SLEEP PROBLEMS, ONLY MINOR DUMPING AND VERY LITTLE HAIR LOSS

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

I GO TO A SUPPORT ONCE A MONTH. ITS A BUNCH OF GABBY WOMEN AND WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL!!!!! WE HAVE A GREAT TIME AND SHARE GOOD AND BAD STORIES AND BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES.I THINK ITS VERY GOOD TO GO BECAUSE YOU FIND OUT THAT SOME THINGS YOU FEEL OR EXPERINCE ARE NORMAL AND ITS MAKES YOU RELAX MORE.

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

MY SCAR IS LOOKING GOOD. I NEVER PLAN ON BEING IN A BIKINI CONTEST AND MY HUSBAND HAS SEEN ME AT MY BIGGEST AND WORST SO IT DOESNT BOTHER ME AT ALL. IT DOES ITCH ALOT BUT IT IS PROBABLY STILL HEALING

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I ACTUALLY AM HAVING A SLOWER MONTH NOW. MY WEIGHT IS NOT DOWN THAT MUCH BUT I HAVE LOST OVER 30 INCHES IN 3 MONTHS SO I CAN TELL MORE WITH THAT. I WEIGHT ONCE A WEEK AND TAKE MEASUREMENTS ONCE A MONTH. I KEEP A CHART ON BOTH (WHICH I HIGHLY RECOMMEND). I ALSO TAKE MY PICTURE (FRONT AND SIDE) ONCE A MONTH AND AM KEEPING A PHOTO ALBUM.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I DONT THINK THEY TREAT ME ANY DIFFERENT BUT THEY ALWAYS COMMENT ON MY HAIR. I THINK BECAUSE I HAVE LOST ALOT OF MY FAT CHIN THEY THINK I CHANGED MY HAIR