sherry hernandez

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Obesity & Me

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I WAS OVER WEIGHT EVEN AS A CHILD, IN THE 6TH GRADE I WEIGHTED IN AT 167 POUNDS AND JUST GOT WORSE FROM THEN ON. UNTILL I FINALLY DESIDED THAT ALL THE DIETS THAT I HAD TRYED EITHER DIDN'T WORK AT ALL OR I WOULD LOOSE THEN END UP GAINNING BACK PLUS SOME MORE..

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

NOT BEING ABLE TO BE NORMAL AS BEING WITH MY KIDS AND HUSBAND AND FOR MY-SELF I HAD A VERY HARD TIME TO DO MANY THINGS WITH OUT HELP.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

WALKING THE MALLS, BEING WITH MY FAMILY WITH OUT THEM HAVING TO ATTEND TO ME!

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

ON TV FROM CARRIE WILSON

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

I HAD AMERIGROUP(FLORIDA MEDICADE) I WAS DENNIED TWO TIMES AND THEY HAD CALLED ME SAYING THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A MEETTING IN THE OFFICE ON THE APPROVAL AND ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, FIRST I SAID KNOW THEN MY DAUGHTER AND SISTER TOLD ME YOU NEED TO ATTEND TO GIVE YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY WHY YOU NEED THIS SURGERY.! SO WHEN I CALL BACK TO TELL THEM THAT I WOULD BE ATTENDING THE MEETING ON THAT FRIDAY. SHE CALLED ME BACK THE NEXT MORNING AND SAID IT HAD BEEN APPROVED. SO STAND UP FOR YOUR-SELF...

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

I HAD A GREAT STAY AT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL IN TAMPA, FLORIDA I WENT IN AT 5AM AND MY SURGERY STARTED AT 7AM.

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

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?

MY SURGERY DATE WAS JUNE 14TH,2006 MY HUSBAND AND I HAD ALREADY PLANNED A TRIP TO LAS VEGAS FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF JUNE, WE WERE THERE 1 WEEK, BUT I WAS SO EXCITED ABOUT MY NEW LIFE. BUT ON THE OTHER HAND I HAD A LOT OF ANXIETY NOT KNOWING THE OUT COME!!DID I MAKE THE RIGHT DESICION ON MY NEW LIFE TO COME? WOULD MY HUSBAN BE THERE FOR ME? WOULD I ACT DIFFERENT???IT ALL CAME OUT FINE SO FAR!!!

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

I WAS VERY TIRED SLEPT ALOT, COULD ONLY EAT VERY SMALL AMOUNTS OF FOOD LIKE OATMEAL, MASH POTATOE, USED THE BLEND OR MAGIC BULLET TO BLEND UP ALL OF THE FOOD, THE FIRST THREE MONTHS WAS THE WORST PART FOR ME!

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

20 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.

BREAD NO MATTER WHAT KIND SEEMS TO GET BUNCHED IN MY POUCH. SARDINES

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

DAYS VERY LIMITED, 2 WEEKS LATER I HAD GONE TO A GRADUATION.

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

B-12, MULTI VITIAMIN 2 TIMES A DAY, CALCIUM CITRAT 2 TIMES A DAY, E-400 DRY, IRON, A&D, B-COMPLETE

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?

NAUSEA AND VOMITING ABOUT 3 WEEKS OUT AND CONTUNED FOR 4 MONTHS/ I SM NOW 14 MONTH OUT AND DOING FINE

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

THE MIND GAME OF THINKING I WAS HUNGRY

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

MY SISTER AND I BOTH GO TO THE SAME GROUP IN BRADENTON, FL 1 A MONTH WE ARE ALSO OUR SUPPORT PERSON! BECAUSE YOU SURE NEED THAT!

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

MY SCAR IS NOT VERY NOTICEABLE AND I HAVE ONLY BEEN OUT 9 MONTHS

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

PEOPLE ARE MORE FRIENDLY WELL THATS THE WAY I FEEL! MAYBE IT IS ME!
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ARE YOU READY TO PAY IT FORWARD & SHARE YOUR JOURNEY? Your journey will help highlight the many ways weight loss surgery improves lives and makes a difference in our families, communities and world. EACH JOURNEY COUNTS as a voice towards greater awareness.

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