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

My primary doctor asked me if I wanted to look into it and be scheduled to go to a seminar to hear the doctor speak about the surgery, and when I started looking into the surgery, I started to run into people that have had the surgery. At first I was afraid and I wasn't sure if this was what the Lord wanted for me. So I started to pray and look into the surgery and everything about it.

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

Fresno Valley Surgical Specialists did all the contacting with the insurance company. I was approved a few days after they submitted all the papers.

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

My first visit with the surgeon was very informative. This is where you can ask all the questions you want and find out everything about how the surgery works and what they will be doing.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I researched and prayed for about 2 years over this surgery and I finally decided this was what I needed to do. This surgery for me is a tool that is making me do what I need to do to lose my weight and to be more healthy.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I researched all the different kinds that are being performed now adays. When I looked inside my husband's insurance companies book with all then names of doctors and saw that Valley Surgical Center was in there. I had my primary doctor refer me to them. I had heard alot about the 3 surgeons that are there, that perform the Gastric Bypass Surgery. When I saw the surgeon, she is the one that told me that they would be performing the Gastric Bypass Surgery, it has the highest percentage of weight 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?

I wasn't really afraid. I knew the Lord was going to take care of me. Since I had been praying for this and had others praying for me, in my decision, I feel the Lord backed me up all the way. It was in His timing. Every concern or fear I placed at the Lord's Feet. I gave Him all my fears, and He gave me Peace.

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?

I think alot of my family, especially my mom were afraid for me. My son that is 14years old, was fearfull of something going wrong or me dying. I prayed alot for my children that the Lord would give them peace. The Lord gave my other mom (Judy) a vision. This vision really gave me and my whole family A real sense of Peace. She saw me in the operating room and all around the room were all these angels encircling the whole operating room, she said they were the most beautiful angels and they were all smiling, like they were saying everything is going to be OK. After the surgery, my mom came and stayed with me for 3 weeks, this was great, and what a support! She walked with me and cooked my meals for me and just gave me lots of encouragement and lots of LOVE!

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

I had my surgery during the summer. I work in a private christian school, so have summers off. My surgery was July 1, 2004

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

I was in the hospital for 2 1/2 days. The nurses and staff were excellant. I have never been in a hospital with soo much care from the staff and nurses. My stay was excellant! I only took comfortable slippers to walk around in. I stayed in the hospital gown, because that was more comfortable for me.

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

Recovery is always hard. When I came out of surgery, my Blood Pressure was pretty high. The next day it was still 176/146 and they finally put me back on my blood pressure medicine, which was a diuritic(sp?). My Blood Pressure dropped within the hour to 140/80.

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 wasn't nervous or anxious. I had my pre-op appointment the day before the surgery. When I went in for the surgery and they took me into Pre-surgery, I was laying in the bed while the nurse was getting everything ready, and I was thinking to myself that I could get up right now and leave, I didn't have to go through the surgery, I could leave. I was thinking, do I really want to do this, what am I thinking. Then the nurse all of a sudden, got down in front of my face and said you don't have to worry, you have the best doctor and the best nurse. Then when I looked at her name tag, she had a button that said "Follow Jesus". A peace came over me, and all the fear and doubt disappeared!

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

The first week was pretty hard, I was light-headed alot, because I was having a hard time putting enough liquids in. It hurt whenever I drank water, so I would put a little Crytal Lite in my water, that helped alittle. I was never hungry, my stomach never felt like it wanted anything to eat. This first week was only broth, jello and tea, Yuck! I haven't eaten of this since that first week!

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

I had my surgery in Fresno, CA which is 1 hour away from my home. My stay in the hospital was 2 days, because my blood pressure wouldn't drop, until they put me back on my medicine. The drive home felt like forever! I thought I would never make it home. When I did get home, I was afraid of blood clots, so every 20 to 30 minutes, I was up and walking around the house. :)

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 first month, I mostly ate refried beans, broccoli, squash, some crackers, soup. I couldn't eat eggs (cooked anyway), tried every way, or drink milk. I couldn't do any sweets, like yogurt or regular jello or puddings, I got really sick. I tried lunch meats, but threw those up too. Every day, week, and month were always different. Sometimes I could do a piece of toat or a grilled cheese, but then another day, I couldn't.

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

Lots of walking to keep blood clots from forming!

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

I took children's chewable multi-vitamins, Calcium Citrate, B-12. Now it has been 2 years, I take Vitac Calcium Chewables (chocolate) 800mg. I take Barley Green (All natural vitamin from Hallulujah Acres) I take 4 capsules. I take B-12 dissolvable under the tongue. I also take a 400iu Vitamin E.

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?

In the beginning vomiting was the worse. Now after 2 years the dumping is the worse and really the only thing that happens to me. This happens if I eat too much sweets or carbs. Also, if I eat too fast, and the food goes through the digestive systems too fast.

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

Learning how to chew up my food to a liquid state before swallowing it. Sometimes, I still have trouble. But this surgery has been an awesome tool in my life, for me to have loss soo much weight and to have kept it off! Praise God!

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

I haven't went to any support group or program. The only thing is Obesityhelp.com I am very thankful for this site, it has helped with lots of questions and has been helpful in that I can talk to other people all around the world who want, or have had the WLS.

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

My scars are from laproscopic surgery, they are 5 tiny incisions that you can barely see today. Yes, this is what I expected, because my gall bladder was taken out the same way, through laproscopic procedure.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I haven't reach my goal of 132-136lbs. I went down to 156lbs and now up to 166lbs. But this is ok, I'm no longer over 300lbs!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OH YES! It is pretty sad, how society treats over-weight people! WOW! I can't believe how I get help from everyone, clothing stores, grocery stores. Everyone is always asking if I need any help, any help to find anything, any help out to the car. But what about 2 years ago, when I was bigger, no one even looked my way, no one even smiled at me. :(