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

My brother had Gastric By-pass and I watched him metamorph into a very happy and confident man. Two friends went to Brazil and they were so happy after surgery and weight loss. They had been set free. However, I was still leery.

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

I didn't get approval. I paid cash and flew to Brazil.

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

My surgeon was wonderful like no other doctor I have ever met. Make sure you find a surgeon who is pro-WLS and who will support you. Interview each doctor until you find "the one".

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After researching for 1 year and seeing the results and also joining the online chat with Dr. Marchesini's patients, I decided this was what I wanted to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My 2 friends who went to Brazil told me of the success rate for the DS and that was what I wanted.

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 fearful of clots and also of losing too much weight and having a revision. I was also fearful of a bowel twisting and obstructing passage of food. I found out that the last thing can happen to anyone even those who have never had surgery. I did everything my doctor told me to do and because of my discipline I have avoided problems.

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?

At first very negative well my husband was. My children were 100% on board. My parents are deceased. My brother was thrilled. Many friends were not on board and very negative. All were supportive after the surgery.

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

I wasn't out of work because I went back 3 weeks after surgery and struggled through the first month. I did fine.

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

My hospital excursion was fantastic. I stayed 4 days post surgery. The staff couldn't speak English but my Portugese was okay for them. Everyone was wonderful, kind, professional, and very helpful. The hospital was ranked 5th in the world for the least amount of infections. The most impotant thing to bring is your support person and tooth brush!

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

None

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

Estatic...elated....euphoric! Lost of eating all the time....gained 30 pounds!

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

Lots of soreness and moving very slow. I couldn't eat much because of the pain when I ate but I pressed on and made myself eat past the pain. I did everything the doctor told me to do. I do not recommend drinking any milk unless it is soy or lactaid. I drank lots of watermelon juice....yum!

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

Curitiba, Brazil thousands of miles! I found a wonderful doctor at the NAS Jacksonville hospital that was very supportive and every test or medicine I needed he gave it to me.

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.

NO FAT! I had to avoid all fried foods, milk, grains, and sugars. These foods are still off the list. I can make gluten free and lactose free foods with splenda. Week by week for the 1st 7 months I hated eating and foods tasted nasty. I forced myself to eat and drink. After month 7 I started to enjoy certain foods. I have to eat 6 meals a day to get the 100-120 grams of protein per day.

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

Very slow the first month and then I started wlaking more and by month 3 I was cycling 1 mile a day and now month 20--4 miles a day.

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

I have doubled what i had to take prior to DS. I take my vitamins morning and night. I cannot digest gel caps so no lecithin and I can't digest sustained release vitamins. I do not need any herbs for cleansing as I eleminate often 3 times a day on the average. Just after surgery I eliminated 9-14 times a day. Multi/B-complex/E-complex/chewable c/iron +C/calcium magneseum/promensil/ez gest<----all Shaklee

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?

dumping--was very difficult and draining. The best way to cope is to do what the doctor tells you to do concerning your diet. I started taking Probiotics and prebiotics to cause more absorption and that decreased dumping and GAS! Hair loss month 4 and 5....increased protein and prayed....lots of liquid protein. My hair came back month6 and thicker than it has been in 20 years.

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

The dumping!

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

I attended a few group sessions with a By-pass group and their needs are not the same as mine. I had weekly visits with a Therapist for 6 weeks. That was extremely helpful for the body distortion issues and self-image. My husband and I had to see a marriage Thearpist for his issues with the changes....he became impotent.

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

Yes, it is beautiful and thin.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

After losing 69 pounds I stopped losing for 3 weeks and this scared me. Then I weighed one morning and bam---5 pounds gone and then 1 pound a day for a week gone. The loss was sporatic and I never had more then a 5 pound bounce. Now I have lost 140 pounds month 20.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely! I have men hold the door for me, more smiling, more engaging in conversations....who knew people really want to know what I think...WOW! So much respect and consideration that I never had prior to normalcy.