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

CARNIE WILSON HAVING IT DONE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION...THEN I FIGURED ONLY PEOPLE WITH MONEY COULD HAVE THIS DONE. SO I DIDNT THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT ANYMORE. THEN I READ A FEW ARTICLES AND I WAS HOOKED. I KNOW IT WOULD SAVE MY LIFE.

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

I HAVE MEDI-CAL SO I THOUGHT I WOULDNT BE ELIGIBLE FO THE SURGERY. THEN I CHANGED MY DR. TO KAISER AND MY NEW DOCTOR WASWONDERFUL ND TOLD ME AT KAISER MEDI-CAL IS NOT A HOLD BACK. SO SHE SENT MY REFERRAL AND I WAS APPROVED. I HAD MANY MEDICAL ISSUES.

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

WHEN I FIRST MET MY SURGEON I THOUGHT HE WAS SO YOUNG. HE HAS NO BEDSIDE MANNER BUT THAT IS OK WITH ME AS LONG AS HE WAS A WONDERFUL SURGEON-WHICH HE IS. MAKE SURE YOU GO TO YOUR APT. WITH A LIST OF QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK SO YOU DONT FORGET ANYTHING.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER. I LOST MY FIRST CHILD TO A HORRIBLE CRIME AND IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO HAVE MY 2ND CHILD AND I JUST KNEW I DIDNT WANT TO EVER BE AWAY FROM MY LITTLE GIRL. SO I DECIDED IN ORDER TO BE AROUND FOR A LONG TIME I NEED THE SURGERY.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

KAISER DECIDED FOR ME THEY ONLY DO RNY-THAT TO THEM IS THE GOLD PROCEEDURE.

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 SOOO AFRAID OF DYING! THEN AGAIN I KNEW I WOULD DIE IF I DIDNT HAVE THIS SURGERY. I HAD SO MANY MEDICAL PROBLEMS. AS IT TURNS OUT I ALMOST DID NOT MAKE IT. THE SURGERY HAD COMPLICATIONS AND THEY HAD TO GO OPEN...THEN THE NEXT DAY THEY HAD TO GO BACK IN THE OR BECAUSE I HAD A FEVER. I WAS SO SCARED. ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT I AM ALMOST 2 MONTHSPOST OP AND I AM DOING GREAT!

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 WAS WONDERFUL! THE WERE WORRIED BUT THEY WERE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT MY HEALTH IF I DIDNT HAVE TE SURGERY. THEY STOOD BY ME THE WHOL WAY AND ARE STILL MY #1 SUPPORT TEAM! THEY WERE PART OF THE TOTAL PROCESS.

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

I WAS NOT WORKING.

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 THERE 5 DAYS. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO BRING IS A LONG HANDLED PASTA FORK-- FOR ITCHING! ALSO YOUR OWN SLIPPERS.

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

YESI HAD A FEVER THE 2ND DAY. IT WAS SO SCARY. THEN AFTER TAKING ME INTO SURGERY FOR THE 2ND TIME THEY HAD TO LEAVE MY 12 INCH LONG, 2INCH DEEP, 2INCH ACROSS INCESION TOTALLY OPEN AND PACKED WITH GAUZE!!! I WAS S UNHAPPY AND I KEPT SAYING I WISHED I HAD NEVER HAD THE SURGERY. TEH THE WOUND CLOSED AND I AM SO HAPPY THAT I DID HAVE THE SURGERY, I AM DIABETIC AND HAD TO TAKE 2 TYPES OF INSULIN 2 TIMES A DAY WHICH MENT I HAD 4 SHOTS! NOW IDO NOT TAKE ANY INSULIN...ALL MY MEDS ARE SLOWLY BEING RETIRED... I MAY B ABLE TO STOP THEM ALL SOON.

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

IWAS FINE UP UNTILL THE WEEK OF SURGERY. THEN ALL MY FEARSWERE HUGE! IT WAS HARD BUT MY FAMILY TALKED ME THROUGH IT.

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

I WAS SO TIRED, IN PAIN FROM STILL HAVING AN OPEN WOUND. I WA TIRED OF MY DIET AND I JUST WANTED TO MOVE ON!

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

IT TOOK ME ABOUT 1 HOUR TO GET TO MY HOSPITAL BUT I CAME THE DAY BEFORE AND STAYED IN A HOTEL NEXT DOOR TO THE HOSPITAL. SO IT WAS NOT THAT BAD.

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 WAS ON LIQUID DIET INTHE HOSPITAL WHEN I WENT HOME I WENT TO SOFT FOODS, THEN A BOUT A MONTH LATER I WAS ON REGULAR STAGE 3 DIET. I STILL CANT EAT CARBS---PROTEIN FIRST!

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

IT WAS VERY LOW IWAS WORRIED ABOUT MY WOUND

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

I TAKE A MEGA VIT, CALCIUM, B12, AND I WILL BE STATRTING AN IRON SOON.

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 HVE A LITTLE NAUSIA WHEN I EAT TOO MUCH. AS OF NOW THAT IS IT.

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

HAVING AN OPEN WOUND

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

I HAVE A BARIATRIC SUPPORT GROUP FOR POST OPS IN SAN FRANCISCO. I HAVE YET TO GO BT I WILL BE STARTING.

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

IT IS 12 INCHES LONG. I HATE IT! THIS WAS NOT EXPECTED. I EXPECTED TO HAVE THE SURGERY LAP BUT MY LIVER WAS TOO BIG.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I THINK I AM PLATEAUIN RIGHT NOW--I HAVE LOST 47 POUNDS IN ABOUT 2 MONTHS AND NOTHING FOR THE LAST WEEK.. STILL WAITING

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET