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

I WENT TO A SEMINAR OFFERED BY HENRY FORD MACOMBE HOSPITAL.

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

MY INSURANCE APPROVAL WENT SMOOTHLY . I HAD O LOT OF HELP FROM MY FAMILY DOCTOR AND AND THE STAFF OF HENRY FORD BARIATRIC TEAM . HAVE A SLEEP APNEA TEST (IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT ) . FIND A GOOD SUPPORTING FAMILY DOCTOR .

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

MY MEETING WITH DR. MARSHALL WAS VERY UPBEAT AND POSITIVE .HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND REMEMBER YOUR GOAL .

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY HEALTH WAS SLOWLY SLIPPING AND BETWEEN MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS I HAVE TOO MUCH TO LIVE FOR .

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

OHIP IN CANADA ONLY PAYS FOR RNY . ALSO AFTER TALKING TO MY SUGEON I THOUGHT THIS TO BE THE MOST PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR 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 HAD NO FEARS . I WAS ON A CRASH COURSE TO DIE BEFORE SURGERY . I THOUGHT THIS COULD ONLY IMPROVE MY QUALITY OF LIFE . THE MEDICAL TEAM GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR HEALTH SAFETY CHOOSE THE RIGHT DOCTOR .

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 (ESPECIALLY MY WIFE ) AND FRIENDS WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE AND VERY POSSITIVE .

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

I WAS LAID OFF WORK AT THE TIME . IT WAS THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME TO HAVE THIS DONE . I WAS BOWLING AGAIN IN THREE WEEKS . I'M NOW BACK TO WORK AND EVERYTHING COULDN'T BE BETTER .

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

YES I WAS VERY GLAD I WENT TO THE INFORMATIN MEETING . I ALWAYS THOUGHT I'D NEVER GO TO THE EXTREME OF SURGERY . AFTER MY LAST FAILURE I THOUGHT WHAT COULD IT HURT JUST TO FIND OUT SOME DETAILS . AFTER I MET DR. MARSHALL AND SOME OF HIS POST OP PATIENTS , I KNEW I HAD TO TRY THIS . IT WAS THE BESR DECISION OF MY LIFE .

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS GOOD . I WAS ONLY IN HOSPITAL ONE DAY

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?

I FELT GREAT , WITHIN THREE DAYS IWAS OUT WALKING AT LEAST A MILE A DAY .

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

THE WORSE PART WAS THE AMOUNT OF GAS I HAD . GETTING USED TO THE DIET CHANGE .

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

MY DRIVE WAS 45 MINUTES FROM MY HOUSE IN CANADA TO THE DOCTORS OR HOSPITAL IN MICHIGAN .

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' LL LIST WHAT I COULDN'T EAT MILK BREAD CITRUS FRUIT SALADS FOR 3 MONTHS . APPLES BOTHER ME . I FIND I GET A DIFFERENT REACTION TO EVERYTHING I EAT AT DIFFERENT TIMES .

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

ACTIVITY LEVEL WAS GOOD AFTER SURGERY AND KEEPS IMPROVING .

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

TWO MULTI VIT. FOUR CALCIUM CITRATE FOUR VIT. D A DAY . TWO B-12 SHOTS A MONTH .

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 WORSE SIDE EFFECT WAS CONSTANT GAS . IT STILL PERSISTS EIGHT MONTHS LATER .

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

MY WHOLE PROCESS WAS VERY POSSITIVE AND KEEPS GETTING BETTER .

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

THERE IS A SUPPORT GROUP IN WINDSOR WHERE I LIVE . I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO BECAUSE OF MY WORK SCHEDULE .SINCE I WROTE THIS I HAVE ATTENDED THE MEETINGS IN WINDSOR . I ENJOY ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS . THIS GROUP IS VERY INFORMATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE . I URGE ANY ONE IN OUR SITUATION TO FIND A SUPPORT GROUP . THEY HELP YOU STAY FOCUSED ON WHATS IMPORTANT .

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

I HAVE SIX SMALL SCARS . SMALLER THAN I SXPECTED .

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE LOST 160 LBS. TO DATE . I AM STILL LOSING 2 LBS A WEEK . AS OF 1 YEAR I'VE LOST 190 LBS. AND AM STILL LOSING SLOWLY .

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

VERY MUCH SO ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH AS I SEEM TO BE SHTINKING IN FRONT OF THEIR EYES .