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

A FRIEND HAD THE SURGERY.

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

MY EXPERIENCE, UNLIKE MANY OTHERS WAS GREAT. MY PAPERWORK WAS SUBMITTED TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND 6 DAYS LATER I HAD THE APPROVAL LETTER.

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

MY FIRST VISIT WAS GREAT. DR. KOREN HAD A COMPUTER POWER POINT PRESENTATION TO SIT AND WATCH WHICH WAS VERY INFORMATIVE. HE EXPLAINED THE CONTENT OF EACH SLIDE AS IT WENT ALONG. HE WAS THERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT HIS INFORMATION WAS GREAT. I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO ASK.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WANTED TO FEEL BETTER, GET HEALTHY AND ENJOY MY LIFE.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE I HAD CONSIDERED.....GASTRIC BYPASS RNY

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 HAD EVERY FEAR POSSIBLE AS I CAN IMAGINE MOST PEOPLE DO. I UPDATED MY WILL AND WROTE LETTERS TO MY FAMILY MEMBERS. I MADE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER AND MY HUSBAND KNEW WHERE EVERYTHING WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY. I THINK WE SHOULD ALL HAVE THAT DONE ANYWAY.

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 HUSBAND WAS INDECISIVE. HE SAID IT WAS UP TO ME AND WOULD SUPPORT MY DECISION. MY PARENTS WERE DEAD AGAINST IN, EVEN WHEN I WAS WHEELED INTO THE O.R. I WOULDN'T COMMUNICATE ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. IT WAS A PERSONAL DECISION AND MY DECISION. THOSE AROUND ME COULD SUPPORT ME OR NOT. IT WAS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THE DECISION I HAD MADE FOR MYSELF. EVERYONE IS SUPPORTIVE NOW 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 WAS OUT OF WORK FOUR WEEKS. I DID NOT TELL MY CO-WORKERS. MY EMPLOYER KNEW AND WAS SUPPORTIVE.

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY, ACCORDING TO THE INSURANCE WAS TWO DAYS. I CALL IT POSSIBLY 1 1/2 DAYS. I DON'T THINK IT WAS LONG ENOUGH. I COULDN'T SIT UP ON MY OWN OR WALK MORE THAN A FEW STEPS. ONE NURSE WAS EXTREMELY UNCARING AND RUSE. I MADE SURE I LET THE HOSPITAL KNOW. MY DOCTOR AND THE COORDINATER WAS GREAT AND WERE ALWAYS IN AND OUT CHECKING ON ME. NEED TO BRING? NOT MUCH. HAVE A PILLOW TO HOLD ON YOUR BELLY FOR THE RIDE HOME. EVERY LITTLE BUMP IS PAINFUL. MAXI PADS JUST IN CASE. CLOTHES TO GO HOME, TOILETRIES, ETC. THE HOSPITAL CAN GET YOU WHAT YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN IN MOST CASES.

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

NONE AT ALL. I FEEL GREAT.

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 VERY SORE AND I WAS DOWN SOMETIMES BECAUSE I DIDN'T EXPECT TO BE IN PAIN AFTERWARDS. TAKING IT DAY BY DAY IS MY BEST ADVICE. EVERY DAY IS BETTER!

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

I TRAVELED AN HOUR TO THE HOSPITAL. MY SURGEON IS AN HOUR AWAY AS WELL. THIS HAS NOT AFFECTED 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.

FOR THE FIRST WEEK I STAYED WITH SUGARFEEE JELLO, PUDDING, FRIOT2O WATER, ETC. I WASN'T HUNGRY FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS THOUGH EITHER SO I HAD TO MAKE MYSELF EAT THREE TIMES A DAY. AFTER THAT I FOLLOWED MY GUIDELINES THAT WERE GIVEN TO ME BY THE NUTRITIONIST. I WAS CAREFUL AND LITTLE BY LITTLE I ADDED. SO FAR I HAVE BEEN PRETTY GOOD AT TOLERATING FOODS. I SEEM TO THINK THE DAIRY FOODS AREN'T AGREEING WITH ME. I HAVE TRIED WHATEVER I HAVE WANTED TO IN A SMALL AMOUNT AND I HAVE DONE VERY WELL. I HAVE NOT TRIED SODA OR ANY SWEETS. I FIGURE IF THEY DON'T MAKE ME SICK, I MAY FALL BACK INTO A BAD ROUTINE. BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY!

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

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS WERE SLOW. THE ONE INCISION STAYED SORE FOR A WHILE.

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

I TAKE ONE MULTIVITAMIN A DAY AND TWO ACTIGALL TO PREVENT GALLSTONES SINCE MY GALLBLADDER WAS NOT REMOVED.

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 EXPERIENCE NAUSEA SOMETIMES BUT IT DOES NOT LAST LONG. NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO TO GET RID OF IT SO SIT AND WAIT IT OUT. I AM HAVING VERY LITTLE HAIR LOSS SO FAR AT 15 WEEKS POST OP.

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

I GO TO SUPPORT GROUP EVERY MONTH, ONCE A MONTH. I THINK IT IS MOST IMPORTANT. I LOVE IT AND WOULD NEVER WANT TO MISS A MEETING.

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

MY SCARS ARE STILL QUITE PURPLE BUT THEY WILL FADE AS TIME GOES BY.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

MY FIRST GOAL WAS TO BE BELOW 200 POUNDS...I AM THERE! ANOTHER GOAL WAS TO CROSS MY LEGS...THEY ARE CROSSED RIGHT NOW! I AM HOPING MY BACK PROBLEMS WILL GET BETTER...STILL WORKING ON THAT.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO, NOT AT ALL BUT I DO GET LOTS OF COMPLIMENTS!