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

THE VERY FIRST TIME I HEARD OF IT IN 1991 I WAS OVERWEIGHT BUT NOT AWARE OF MY CO-MORBIDITIES YET, SO I DISMISSED IT FOR MY SELF. THE NEXT TIME IT CAME UP WAS THIS YEAR WHEN A FRIEND HAD THE SURGERY AND I FOUND OUT SEVERAL OTHERS AT WORK HAVE ALSO. BOTH MY PSYCHIATRIST AND MY PCP HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IT AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BEST FOR ME KNOWING MY HISTORY. SO IT WAS NOT MY IDEA. I WAS ENCOURAGED TO INVESTIGATE. SO I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND OBESITYHELP.COM MOST HELP SITE OF ALL. READING EXPERIENCES OF OTHERS REALLY GIVES YOU A GOOD FEEL FOR WHAT IT CAN BE LIKE, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY...CONCLUSION, I AM IN SOME FORM OF PHYSICAL PAIN ON A DAILY BASIS AND IN THE EARLY STAGES OF DIABETES AND I NEED TO DO WHAT I CAN TO TAKE CARE OF THIS NOW...

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

I HOPE MY EXPERIENCE WAS NOT TOO UNUSUAL. I MET ALL OF THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE SURGERY AND FURNISHED ALL THE DOCUMENTATION TO BC/BS FEDERAL ON 30 SEP 04. I RECEIVED AN APPROVAL LETTER ON 7 OCT 04.

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

I BROUGHT MY HUSBAND WITH ME, SO THAT HE COULD HEAR AND ASK QUESTIONS ALSO. I RECOMMEND BRINGING YOUR CARE GIVER IF POSSIBLE. PREPARE QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE. DR. FOREMAN WENT OVER EVERYTHING IN DETAIL AND ANSWERED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS. IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND SATISFACTORY VISIT.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MADE A CHOICE TO EXTEND MY LIFE AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF MY LIFE.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

RNY WAS AVAILABLE AND OFFERED MAXIMUM LOSS.

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?

THIS WILL BE MY FOURTH SURGERY. I'VE HAVE TWO THROAT SURGERIES AND MY GALL BLADDER REMOVED. I WILL ALWAYS BE AFRAID OF THE UNKNOWN GOING IN. YOU JUST HAVE TO BELIEVE YOU ARE DOING IT TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE. NEITHER OF MY THROAT SURGERIES HELPED MY SLEEP APNEA. HOPEFULLY WEIGHT LOSS WILL. MY GALL BLADDER WAS LAP AND WAS THE EASIEST OF THE THREE. I THINK GETTING IN A DIET AND EXERCISE MODE BEFORE SURGERY WILL REDUCE YOU CHANCE OF COMPLICATIONS. TELL YOURSELF YOU ARE DOING IT TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE THE REST IN GOD'S HANDS.

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?

EVERYONE WAS PRETTY SUPPORTIVE.

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

EVERYONE AT WORK HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE. I TOLD EMPLOYER THE TRUTH. I AM TAKING OFF TWO WEEKS.

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

MY SURGERY WAS AT CRESTWOOD HOSPITAL IN HUNTSVILLE, AL. EVERYONE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND MADE ME FEEL AT EASE. I ARRIVED AT 7AM ON 1 FEB AND WAS DISCHARGED THE FOLLOWING MORNING. I REALLY DID NOT NEED ANYTHING I BROUGHT WITH ME EXCEPT MY LOOSE FITTING STREET CLOTHES. SLIP ON STREET SHOES ALSO A GOOD IDEA. I WAS WALKING THE HALLS WITHIN HOURS BUT IN THAT CUTE BLUE GOWN THEY GIVE YOU TO WEAR. ONLY COMPLAINT I HAD WAS THE BROWN FOOTIES DID NOT MATCH, LOL.

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

NONE WHATSOEVER. EXTREMELY PLEASED THAT ALL MY FEARS WERE UNFOUNDED.

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 DID BACK OUT TWICE BEFORE I SURGERY. FIRST TIME I HAD SEVERE BOUT OF BRONCHITIS. SECOND TIME I HAD NOT FINISHED MOURNING THE FOOD THING AND HAD SOMEHOW GOT TO DWELLING ON ALL THE NEGATIVE STUFF. BUT DEEP DOWN I KNEW WLS WAS THE ONLY OPTION FOR MY MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS.

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

CLEAR LIQUIDS FIRST WEEK, THEN THICKER LIQUIDS THE SECOND WEEK. THEN BACK TO WORK THIRD WEEK ON SOFT FOOD. FIRST TWO WEEKS USED NAUSEA PATCH, JUST IN CASE. NEVER GOT SICK. USED LIQUID PAIN MEDICINE MOSTLY TO HELP ME SLEEP. DID NOT HAVE PAIN SO MUCH AS THE SORENESS CAUSED BY THE GAS TRAPPED IN SHOULDERS. HOWEVER, TOOK A NAP ONE DAY SECOND WEEK AND WOKE UP WITH SEVERE NECK PAIN. COULD NOT TURN MY HEAD FOR COUPLE OF DAYS. USED COLD AND HEAT AND EXCEDRIN CHEWABLES. STILL HAVE LINGERING ARTHRITIS PAIN, BUT THAT WAS PRE-EXISTING. WATER, WATER, WATER HELPS. PROPEL IS TOO SWEET TO ME, BUT FRUIT 2O LEMON AND LIME SAVED ME.

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

NOT FAR. MAYBE 10 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.

MOST OF THIS WILL BE IN MY PROFILE BUT IT IS VERY INTERESTING. I COULDN'T WAIT FOR SOLID FOOD TIME BUT THEN REALLY DIDN'T WANT IT. SOFT FOODS ARE EASIER STILL. BREAD IS BIG NO, NO. I KNEW THAT, BUT HAD TO PROVE IT ONCE OR TWICE TO BE SURE. SEAFOOD AND GROUND BEEF WORKING THE BEST AT 3 MONTHS OUT. I'D SAY STICKING TO THE GUIDELINES IN YOUR BOOKLET ARE YOUR BEST BET.

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

VERY SLOW DUE TO PROGRESSING SEVERITY OF ARTHRITIS. WALKING IS BEST.

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

TWO MULTI VITAMINS AND 1000 MG CALCIUM DAILY (ALTERNATING BETWEEN SHAKELY CHEWABLE AND VIACTIV SOFT CHEWS). B12 SUBLINGUAL TWICE A WEEK. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT HAIR LOSS. APPEARS UNAVOIDABLE. NONE YET AT 3 MONTHS. ALSO I AM OFF OF 7 RX MEDS SINCE DAY ONE. THAT'S A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT AND A GREAT FEELING OF SATISFACTION.

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?

UP TO 3 MONTHS, LOST IT ON EATING BREAD ONCE OR TWICE. DUMPED ON TESTING SUGAR LIMITS A FEW TIMES. BUT ALL IN ALL PLEASED IN THAT AREA. MY MAJOR COMPLICATION HAS BEEN INCREASE IN ARTHRITIS PAIN AND I STILL THINK WATER AND EXERCISE WILL BE THE ULTIMATE ANSWER...

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

ANTICIPATION OF THINGS GOING WRONG WITH SURGERY AND FEAR OF MISSING FOOD/DEPRESSION. BOTH UNFOUNDED FOR ME PERSONALLY.

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

I HAVE ATTENDED ON AND OFF THREE OF THE LOCAL AREA GROUPS. EXTREMELY HELPFUL AND IMPORTANT. WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND MORE REGULARLY, AS TRAVEL AND SCHEDULE PERMITS. HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL. AND OF COURSE NOT ENOUGH CAN BE SAID ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL AMOS WEBSITE. I SHARE MY EXPERIENCE WITH ANYONE INTERESTED. THE HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS I HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY ARE PHENOMINAL.

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

LAP SCARS ARE SMALL AND WILL FADE TO ALMOST NOTHING LIKE MY GALL BLADDER SCARS HAVE.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE DAILY PLATEAUS, THEN I'LL SEE A NEW NUMBER AND GET EXCITED. I AM NOT IN A RUSH. I AM MORE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE THAT I CAN MAINTAIN. 4O LBS IN 3 MONTHS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT I AM HALF WAY TO MY GOAL AND VERY HAPPY WITH PROGRESS SO FAR. IT SEEMS LIKE LOSING TOO MUCH FASTER WOULD NOT BE GOOD FOR YOUR BODY.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

COMPLEMENTS ARE NON-STOP. I HAVEN'T KEPT THIS A SECRET, SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO. FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND CO-WORKERS HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE. THIS HELPS KEEP YOU ON TRACK.