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

I SAW A SPECIAL ON NIGHTLINE SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND WHEN THEY STATED THAT YOUR STOMACH WOULD BE REDUCED TO ONLY 1 OUNCE.I SAID "NO WAY!!" I WILL STARVE TO DEATH AND TOTALLY DISMISSED THE IDEA.BUT THEN A COUPLE OF CO-WORKERS HAD IT AND I GOT TO TALKING WITH THEM AND RESEARCHING ON MY OWN AND THOUGHT MAYBE THIS IS THE TOOL I NNED TO CHANGE MY LIFE FOR GOOD..

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

I WAS APPROVED AFTER THE FIRST LETTER WITHIN WEEKS!!!MY ADVICE IS TO BE VERY ACCURATE ABOUT THE PRIOR ATTEMPTS TO LOSE WEIGHT.HAVE YOUR DOCUMENTATION BEFORE IT IS ASKED FOR.BECAUSE I HAD TALKED TO OTHER POST-OPS I KNEW WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF ME..

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

MY SURGEON WAS WONDERFUL!! HE STATED ALL THE FACTS AS WELL AS LEARNED THINGS ABOUT ME AS WELL.HE EXPLAINED THE BENEFITS AS WELL AS THE RISKS AND DIDN'T SUGAR-COAT ANYTHING...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

SLEEP APNEA.ALWAYS BEING DEPRESSED AND WEIGHING 324 LBS ON A 5'3" FRAME..

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I DISCUSSED IT WITH MY SURGEON AND HE EXPLAINED THE BEST PROCEDURE FOR ME AT THE BMI I WAS AT AT THE TIME..

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?

AFTER RESEARCHING THE SURGERY AND THE HOSPITAL AND SURGEON I WAS AT EASE.I ALSO FELT THAT SINCE I BELIEVE IN GOD HE WOULD SEE ME THROUGH..

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 MOM DIDN'T WANT ME TO HAVE THE SURGERY.ALSO ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS BUT I WAS FINALLY DOING SOMETHING TO BENEFIT ME..NOW THEY ARE MY GREATES SUPPORTERS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH WEIGHT ISSUES SO MAYBE IT WAS JUST THAT I AM DOING SOMETHING SURGICAL RATHER THAN REGULAR DIETING THAT HAS FAILED ME EVERYTIME..

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

I EXPLAINED TO MY MANAGER AT THE TIME WHO WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND TOLD ME THE STEPS I NEEDED TO TAKE FOR TIME OFF..I WAS OUT FOR 5 WEEKS AND CAME BACK READY TO WORK..

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

I'LL JUST SAY THAT ST.VINCENT CHARITY HOSPITAL IS SO DEDICATED TO BARIATRIC SURGERY AND THEIR PATIENTS THAT I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A UPSCALE HOTEL.VERY ACCOMOODATING.NURSES WERE EXCELLENT AND VERY CARING.THE INFORMATION PROVIDED WAS TOP NOTCH.I WENT IN ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS OUT ON SATURDAY..THE THINGS MOST IMPORTANT TO BRING IS FAITH..EVERTHING ELSE WAS

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

NO COMPLICATIONS!!!! AT ALL!!! YAHOO!!!

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 INITIALLY SCHEDULED FOR 10/21/2003.I WAS GETTING PREPARED THEN ON 10/6/2003 I WAS CALLED AND TOLD MY DATE HAD BEEN MOVED TO THAT WEDNESDAY 10/8/2003!!! I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO BE SCARED!!!!

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

I ACTUALLY SLEPT ALOT.I GUESS I WAS ON HOSPITAL TIME.SLEPT ALL DAY AND WAS UP ALL NIGHT WATCHING TV.. I MADE SURE I DRANK MY BOOST AND BROTHS AND WONDERFUL SUGAR-FREE POPSICLES.

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

NOT EVEN 20 MINUTES AWAY..IN MY SAME CITY I RESIDE IN..DIDN'T AFFECT MY AFTERCARE AT ALL..

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.

IN THE WEEKS IN MONTHS OF COURSE I WAS ON LIQUIDS,THEN PUREED FOODS,THEN SOFT FOODS LIKE SCRAMBLED EGGS,MASHED POTATOES,ETC.THEN AFTER 6 WEEKS I COULD INCORPORATE REGULAR FOODS AS A TRIAL.I DON'T EAT BREAD,PITAS,SWEETS.SOME THINGS ARE STILL TRIAL AND ERROR.I ALSO DON'T HAVE THE TASTE FOR SOME OF THE FOODS I FEASTED ON OVER THE YEARS WHICH WAS SHOCKING TO ME..I EAT ALOT OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS AND FISH..

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

MY ACTIVITY LEVEL WAS VERY SLOW..AT FIRST.I SUDDENLY STARTED GETTING THESE BURSTS OF ENERGY BUT I HAD TO TAKE IT SLOW OF COURSE..

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

VITAMIST WHICH IS A SPRAY VITAMIN.BUT AT FIRST I WAS TAKING GUMMY BEAR VITAMINS(I'M SUCH A KID) AND B12..

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?

AT FIRST MY HAIR WAS THINNING AND MY SCALP STAYED REAL DRY.SO I REALIZED THAT WAS FROM THE ANESTHESIA AND THE SURGERY ITSELF SO I JUST WAITED IT OUT..DUMPING WAS MINIMAL DEPENDING ON WHAT FOODS I WAS TRYING TO EAT THAT DIDN'T AGREE WITH ME..

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

LUCKILY AND HONESTLY I DIDN'T HAVE ANY NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THIS SURGERY..NO DRAWBACKS AND NO REGRETS AT ALL..

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

I WAS ATTENDING POST-OP MEETINGS.I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH OTHER POST-OPS HERE IN CLEVELAND.I AM ON OBESITYHELP.COM AND THE MESSAGE BOARDS AS WELL AS GASTRIC-BYPASS FAMILY.COM..THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL AS WELL AS THE NEW FRIENDS FOR LIFE I HAVE MET...

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

I KNEW WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AND I THOUGHT I WOULD BOTHER ME BUT IT DOESN'T.IT'S A SYMBOL OF MY NEW LIFE...

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

ONLY ONE PLATEAU AND THAT WAS BECAUSE I WASN'T EATING ENOUGH...THAT SOUNDS FUNNY I KNOW BUT AS SOON AS I STARTED EATING MORE THE WEIGHT DROPPED.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES!! VERY MUCH SO.IT'S THAT PEOPLE ARE TREATING ME...PERIOD...IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE I'M THE SAME PERSON I WAS BEFORE..