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

I SAW AN ADD IN THE PAPER AND I WENT TO BI-COUNTY FOR A MEETING AND I THOUGHT I WAS TOO OLD FOR IT BUT I WASN'T II KNOW THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO MAKE A LIFE STYLE CHANGE AND SOME JUST WANTS THE SURGERY TO DO IT ALL FOR THEM ,BUT IF YOU DO WHAT THE DR.SAYS YOU WILL SUCCEED.I AM PROOF IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN.

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

THE DRS. OFFICE TOOK CARE OF IT.His nurse is the coolest person you will ever meet her name is Chuckie and she is a really cool lady .

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

IT WAS FULL OF INFORMATION I MADE A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT I NEEDED TO ASK AND HE TOOK ALOT OF TIME WITH ME AND ANSWERED ALL OF THEM.DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS THIS IS YOUR LIFE GET ALL THE INFO YOU CAN AND KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING BEFORE YOU DO IT AND KNOW THAT THE SURGERY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING THE REST IS UP TO YOU BUT ALSO KNOW THAT YOU CAN DO ITmy surgery is 5 months past now and the DR.S is still the nicest person you will ever meet.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I HONESTLY FELT THAT I WAS GOING TO DIE IF I DIDN'T DO SOMETHING AND I WOULD RATHER DIE TRYING THAN STAYING BIG,SO AM I GLAD I DID THIS WELL THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I LEFT THAT UP TO THE DR.

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 SCARED THAT I WOULD DIE BUT I JUST TRUSTED IN MY GOD AND MY DR. TO GET ME THROUGH ALL OF THIS AND AGAIN I ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS

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 VERY SUPPORTIVE ,MY HUSBAND WAS WORRIED BECAUSE OF MY SIZE HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO DIE.AND NOW THEY ALL TELL ME HOW GOOD I LOOK

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

I AM A STAY AT HOME GRANDMOTHER,EXCEPT I DON'T STAY AT HOME MUCH ANYMORE

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

I WAS AT ST.JOHNS RIVERVIEW IN DETROIT MI AND IT WAS A GREAT HOSPITAL THE NURSES ARE A WONDERFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE I WAS THERE FOR TWO DAYS AND I THINK THE BEST THINGS TO BRING IS A FEW PEOPLE WITH YOU FOR SUPPORT BECAUSE YOU WILL BE A LITTLE SCARED AND THEN IT IS ALL OVER AND YOU JUST HAVE TO KEEP TELLING YOURSELF TO GET UP AND WALK

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

NOne I had the best doctor so i knew there would be 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 WAS GLAD ,NERVOUS BUT GLAD BECAUSE IT WOULD BE OVER SOON AND I WOULD BE ABLE TO START TO GET ON WITH MY LIFE********* and here it is 5 months later and I have never felt so good in my life .

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

I WAS SORE AND GRUMPY I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EAT AT FIRST BECAUSE EVERYTHING TASTE DIFFERENT AND YOU ARE A LITTLE NERVOUS BECAUSE YOU JUST HAD MAJOR SURGERY AND YOU CAN'T DO A LOT BUT YOU HAVE TO GET UP AND MOVE AND DRINK WATER.

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

I ONLY HAD TO GO ABOUT TEN MILES SO THIS WAS NO PROBLEM FRO ME AT ALL,but i would have went anywhere to have it done.

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.

FOOD DID NOT TASTE GOOD AT ALL NO MATTER WHAT IT WAS AT FIRST THEN I GOT TO WHERE I COULD EAT AN EGG I WAS GIVING A LIST OF FOODS TO CHOOSE FROM AND I STILL STAY ON IT.I CAN'T EAT ANYTHING WITH SUGAR IN IT AND ALOT OF FOODS THAT I LIKED BEFORE I DON'T NOW LIKE SALMON (YUK)AND I DID LIKE IT AND I STILL HAVE A HARD TIME WITH TURKEY AND CHICKEN AT FIRST I WANTED BREAD AND NOW I DON'T SO YOUR TASTE WILL CHANGE WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT ,BUT JUST TRY NEW THINGS AND YOU'LL DO JUST FINE********** still staying on my list of foods and still losing

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

AT FIRST IT WAS JUST GETTING UP WAS A JOB NOW IT IS MUCH EASIER AND I NOW WALK TWO MILES EACH DAY

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

MAXI HAIR 2 each day because you will lose some hair. FLINTSTONES 3 each day COMPLETE B 12 no shot 1 each day

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 WAS SICK TO MY STOMACH AT FIRST AND IT GOT BETTER AFTER ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND I HAD REALLY LOOSE BOWELS FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS AND THEN THAT GOT MUCH BETTER BUT, MY PROBLEM NOW IS I AM LOSSING MY HAIR AND IT REALLY BOTHERS ME A LOT I TRY TO EAT ALOT OF PROTIEN BUT IT ISN'T HELPING YET. THE DR. SAID IT WILL COME BACK BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE BALD

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

THE TUBE IN MY NOSE AND THE BRACE WE HAVE TO WEAR AFTER SURGERY,I KNOW IT IS FOR OUR OWN GOOD BUT IT SURE DIDN'T FEEL GOOD

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

I GO TO BI-COUNTY HOSPITAL ONCE A MO.AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE I HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME THING AND THAT LETS ME KNOW THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

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

IT IS REALLY LONG AND I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS BECAUSE THE DR. TOLD ME WHAT TO EXPECT AND I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD THIS DONE PLUS I AM FIFTY FIVE YEARS OF AGE AND MY BIKINI DAYS HAVE BEEN GONE FOR A LONG TIME

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE YET well here it is one year later and i was just staying the same so i droped my carbs to 20 grams aday and i am losing again so far i am down 307 pounds

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

THEY ALWAYS SAY CAN YOU EAT THAT AND I SAY YES AND DON'T DO SPECIAL THINGS JUST FOR ME one year later and people don't just stare at me and kids don't point and laugh.