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

BEING A NURSE I KNEW ALITTLE ABOUT IT, BUT LOOKING UP WORDS LIKE OBESITY AND COMING ACROSS YOUR SITE, CHANGED 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 GOT APPROVAL ON MY FIRST TRY. I HAVE A CARING PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN WHO SENT ME FOR ALL THE RIGHT CONSULTS, LIKE A CARDIOLOGIST AND AN ORTHOPEDIC SPECIALIST, AND TO MY GYNECOLOGIST WHO ALL AGREED THAT WLS WAS THE BEST THING FOR ME. I HAD NO PROBLEM GETTING APPROVAL FOR MY REVISION AND SLEEVE.

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

MY CONSULT WITH DR. HARBERG WENT GREAT. HAVE ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS WRITTEN AND READY TO ASK YOUR SURGEON. THEY WILL ANSWER ALL THAT YOU HAVE.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WAS TIRED OF BEING FAT, SICK, AND TAKING MEDICINE. I HAD NO LIFE.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I LIKED THE IDEA OF VBG, BECAUSE, IT DIDN`T REALLY CHANGE MY ANATOMY. I HAVE NORMAL DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION.

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 WASN`T AFRAID, AT ALL. ANYBODY GOING UNDER ANESTHESIA IS ALWAYS AT RISK OF DYING OR COMPLICATIONS FROM SURGERY. I DIDN`T BELIEVE THE ODDS WERE ANY DIFFERENT FROM THIS SURGERY. I WOULD TELL ANYBODY TRY AND GET YOUSELF A SURGEON THAT YOU REALLY TRUST.

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?

THEY WERE COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE OF MY DICISION.

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

I DON`T WORK

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

I HAD A VERY POSITIVE HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE. THE STAFF WERE WONDERFUL TO ME. IF I NEEDED SOMETHING, LIKE PAIN MEDICINE, THEIR RESPONSE WAS IMMEDIATE. I NEVER NEEDED ANYTHING BUT MY SLIPPERS AND ROBE. THEY SUPPLY EVERYTHING FOR YOUR HOSPITAL STAY. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 3 DAYS.

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

I DIDN`T HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS FROM SURGERY.

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 WAS SO EXCITED. I`M REALLY LUCKY, AS I DIDN`T EXPERIENCE ANY ANXIETY.

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

YOU GET A LITTLE TIRED AND I DID EXPERIENCE A LITTLE NAUSEA, BUT NOT BAD.

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

TWENTY-FIVE MILES.

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.

FOR THE FIRST 2 DAYS, I ATE NOTHING. ON THE THIRD DAY I GOT CLEAR LIQUIDS, TWO OZS. EVERY HOUR, WHILE AWAKE. ON THE EIGHTH DAY I WENT TO THREE TO FIVE TWO OZ. MEALS A DAY WITH ALL THE LIQUIDS IN BETWEEN THE MEALS. NO LIQUIDS ONE-HALF HOUR BEFORE OR ONE-HALF HOUR AFTER MEALS. I HAVE 5 VERY SMALL MEALS A DAY. I DON`T HAVE TOO MANY CARBS. JUST LEAN MEATS AND VEGTABLES. I ALSO DO TWO GLUCERNAS, MADE BY ENSURE, SHAKES A DAY PLUS ONE PROTEIN SHAKE WITH FRUIT, A DAY.

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

I HAD TO BE CAREFUL, AT FIRST, BUT I DID WALK QUITE A FEW TIMES A DAY. MY ENERGY LEVEL GOT BETTER AND BETTER, AS THE WEEKS WENT ON. 3-18-04-- I WALK 45 MINUTES A DAY, 5 DAYS A WEEK ON THE TREADMILL, OR I WALK AT THE MALL, INSTEAD.

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

I TAKE GUMMY BEAR CHEWABLE VITAMINS TWICE A DAY AND VIACTIN CHEWABLE CALCIUM TWICE A DAY. I DO DRINK GLUCERNA MEAL REPLACEMENT FOR DIABETICS, TWICE A DAY. IT`S MADE BY ENSURE, AND IS PRETTY NUTRICIOUS. WITH MY SURGEON`S APPROVAL. I DON`T NEED DIABETIC MILKSHAKES, I NOW DO ATKIN`S ADVANTAGE SHAKES TWICE A DAY, AND I LOVE THEM.

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 DO HAVE NAUSEA FROM TIME TO TIME, AND ONLY VOMIT IF I SWALLOW MY FOOD TOO FAST. I STARTED LOSING ALITTLE TOP HAIR AT AROUND 3 MONTHS POST-OP. IT IS STARTING TO GET ALITTLE BETTER. I DO GET COLD ALL OF THE TIME NOW, WHICH IS UNUSUAL FOR ME AS I WAS ALWAYS HOT BEFORE.

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

THE 2 WEEKS WAITING FOR INSURANCE APPROVAL.

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

I HAVE MET PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MY AREA WHO HAVE ALSO HAD WLS, AND WE MEET ONCE A WEEK TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES. I ALSO POST TO THE TEXAS BOARD OF OBESITYHELP.COM ON A DAILY BASIS.

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

A 5 INCH SCAR STRAIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MY ABDOMEN. IT IS EXACTLY WHAT I EXPECTED. 7-24-04 MY SCAR HAS SHRUNK TO ABOUT 3 INCHES LONG. I DON`T MIND IT AT ALL.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I WAS LOSING ABOUT 5 LBS. A WEEK IN THE BEGINING, BUT NOW IT HAS SLOWED TO 2 LBS. A WEEK. I REALLY HAVEN`T HIT ANY PLATEAUS, SINCE SURGERY. THE LOSS HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I THINK STRANGERS TREAT ME ALITTLE BETTER, SINCE I`VE LOST 60 LBS. BUT, MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY TREAT ME THE SAME AND OFFER COMPLIMENTS AND WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, EVERY TIME THE SEE ME. 7-24-04 I ATTRACT THE MALE SEX, WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. MEN LIKE THIN WOMEN.