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

I SAW THINGS ON TV, BUT I WAS EXTREMELY SKEPTICAL. I THOUGHT IT WAS A DANGEROUS TECHNIQUE THAT HAD A HIGH MORTALITY RATE.

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

MY EXPERIENCE WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. I HAD A FEW PREREQUISITE THINGS THAT I HAD TO DO, BUT OVERALL IT WAS NICE. I HAD TO SEE A DIETICIAN, AND COMPLETE SOME CLASSES & SEMINARS THAT MY SURGEON REQUIRED, BUT HIS OFFICE HANDLED THE REST. I WAS APPROVED THE FIRST TIME.

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

WONDERFUL. HE LAID IT ON THE LINE. HE LET ME KNOW THAT THIS WAS SERIOUS, AND IF IT WAS GOING TO WORK, I HAD TO MAKE IT WORK. IT ALSO CHANGED MY OPINION ON THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE I HEARD FROM SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THIS WAS "THE EASY WAY OUT". THE THING I CAN SAY THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS MEETING, IS TO ASK EVERY QUESTION, SAY EVERYTHING YOU THINK OF, AND BE DIRECT. DON'T BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. IF YOU DECIDE THAT THIS SURGERY IS FOR YOU, THIS SURGEON YOU TALK TO IS GOING TO CUT YOU OPEN AND MAKE SOME MAJOR CHANGES. IT WOULD SUIT YOU BEST TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WANTED TO LIVE.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

IT WAS A DECISION I MADE AFTER I HAD TALKED TO "VETERANS" OF WLS, AND AFTER DOING COUNTLESS AMOUNTS RESEARCH ONLINE TO SEE WHICH PROCEEDURE WAS SAFEST AND GAVE THE BEST RESULTS TO A PERSON LIKE ME. SO I WENT WITH LAPROSCOPIC GASTRIC BYPASS. ROUX-EN-Y

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?

OF COURSE I HAD FEARS, BUT WITH ANY SURGERY THERE ARE RISKS. AS FAR AS THE FEAR OF DEATH, I WAS GOING TO DIE IF I DIDN'T DO THIS, SO WHAT THE HECK. BESIDES, ONE THING I HAVE ALWAYS LIVED BY IS THE THOUGHT THAT WHEN GOD CALLS MY NAME, ITS TIME. NO MATTER WHERE I AM, NO MATTER WHAT I AM DOING. IT ISN'T UP TO ME. JUST KEEP THE FAITH, AND TAKE THE NEXT STEP.

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?

MOSTLY THE REACTION WAS FEAR. JUST LIKE I HAD BEFORE I HAD DONE ALL THE RESEARCH. BUT ONCE I LET THEM KNOW WHAT I WANTED, THEY SUPPORTED ME. MY FRIENDS WERE THERE ALSO. EVERYBODY SAID THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT OF ME AS A FAT PERSON, THAT THEY DID NOT SEE ME THAT WAY. BUT I DID. THE DECISION I MADE TO HAVE THIS DONE WAS MORE FOR ME THAN ANYBODY ELSE. IT WAS NOT ABOUT VANITY, OR PERSONAL GAIN. IT WAS ABOUT LIFE, AND BEING THERE FOR FAMILY.

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

THEY HAD KNOWN FOR QUITE SOME TIME ABOUT MY CONDITIONS, AND WERE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE. THEY GAVE ME ALL THE TIME I NEEDED AND MORE. THEY CAME TO SEE ME IN THE HOSPITAL, AND EVEN SENT FLOWERS. I HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED ON MISSING BETWEEN 6 & 8 WEEKS OF WORK, BUT I HAD THE SURGERY ON A THURSDAY AFTERNOON, AND RETURNED TO WORK 2 WEEKS LATER. I ACTUALLY ONLY MISSED 12 DAYS OF WORK NOT INCLUDING WEEKENDS.

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

IT WAS OKAY. THE HOSPITAL WAS GREAT. I WAS ONLY THERE FOR ABOUT 48 HOURS. THE ONLY THING I WAS NOT HAPPY WITH WAS MY ROOMMATE. HE HAD PROSTATE SURGERY, AND ALTHOUGH ROUGH, ALL HE DID WS COMPLAIN AND WHINE. THERE IS NOT REALLY ANYTHING TO IMPORTANT TO BRING. THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF IS SOFT COMFORTABLE CLOTHES.

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

I DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS AT ALL. AT LEAST NOTHING MAJOR. 1 OF MY STITCHES OPENED ABOUT A WEEK AFTER, BUT IT WAS SELAED ENOUGH, IT JUST MADE AN UGLY SCAR.

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 FELT TIRED ALL THE TIME. THE ANXIETY WAS TOUGH, BUT ALL YOU NNED TO DO IS TALK TO PEOPLE. I STRONGLY SUGGEST GOING TO SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS.

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

JUST RELAX. YOU WILL FEEL THE URGE TO EAT, BUT DON'T. JUST FOLLOW ALL OF THE RULES AND YOU BE SUCCESSFUL. IT IS ALRIGHT TO LISTEN TO OTHER PEOPLE, BUT LISTEN TO THE DOCTOR MOST. YOU WILL FEEL DISCOMFORT, YOU WILL FEEL DEPRESSION. BUT THE THING YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER MOST IS: YOU JUST HAD A MAJOR SURGERY. YOUR BODY IS NEW INSIDE, NOT LIKE ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. TAKE IT SLOW, AND RECOGNIZE WHAT YOYR BODY TELLS YOU. IF FEEL SICK, PAY ATTENTION. DO NOT TRY TO SOLDIER THROUGH IT AND POWER FOOD DOWN. IT ONLY MAKES THINGS WORSE. YOU DECIDED TO DO THIS, SO YOU HAVE TO DECIDE TO MAKE IT WORK.

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

ABOUT 100 MILES. IT 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 FIRST FEW WEEKS I WAS LIMITED TO WATER TYPE FOODS. LIKE WATER, BROTH, & JELLO. THEN I MOVED TO MUSHY FOODS LIKE OATMEAL, EGGS, CREAM SOUP, REFRIED BEANS, AND COTTAGE CHEESE. I DID NOT HAVE TO MANY PROBLEMS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF EGGS. I COULD NOT HANDLE THEM THEN, I STILL CAN NOT NOW. AFTER ABOUT 6 WEEKS I TRIED OTHER THINGS LIKE MEATS, AND BREADS, BUT NOT MUCH. NOW AT 5 MONTHS POST-OP, I CAN EAT ANYTHING, BUT WITH LIMITATIONS. I TAKE IT SLOW, AND DONT GET DISCOURAGED IF I GET SICK. I STILL TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM HIGH CARB FOODS LIKE BREADS, AND STAY AWAY FROM SUGARS. IM MY OPINION THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT. MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO JUST EAT SLOWLY, AND DONT MAKE THINGS TASTE BETTER BY ADDING TO THEM. AT MY 3 MONTH CHECKUP, WHILE SITTING IN THE WAITING ROOM, I LISTENED TO PEOPLE TALK. 1 LADY HAD THE SURGERY A WEEK BEFORE, AND QNOTHER HAD IT A MONTH BEFORE. THE 1 WEEKER WAS COMPLAINING SHE HATED EATING ONLY JELLO AND BROTH. THE OTHER LADY SUGGESTED SHE TRY PUTTING COOL WHIP ON HER JELLO. TO ME, IT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE. SUGAR FREE OR NOT, IT TASTES THE SAME AS IF IT HAS IT. YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO CHANGE TOUR DIET, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOUR EATING HABITS. IF YOU CUT OUT SUGAR, AND THINGS THAT TASTE LIKE IT, IT WILL BE EASIER TO FIGHT THE CRAVINGS LATER.

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

AT FIRST I JUST TOOK IT EASY. I WAS TOLD TO WALK A LOT SO I DID. I STARTED AT ABOUT 2 MILES A DAY AND EVENTUALLY MOVED TO ABOUT 4 AT 2 MONTHS POST-OP. I NOW WALK ABOUT A MINIMUM OF 5 MILES A DAY, UP TO ABOUT 8. I AM BEGINING TO PLAY SOFTBALL AGAIN, AND GO THE GYM 5 DAYS A WEEK.

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

ONE A DAY VITAMINS, AT FIRST 4 A DAY, NOW TWICE. URSO FOR GALLSTONES, PEPCID FOR HEARTBURN AND ACID REFLUX. CALCIUM CITRATE AND TUMS. PROTEIN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.

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?

DUMPING IS THE WORST. I STILL GET AFFECTED BY IT, BUT IT HAS BECOME EASIER TO HANDLE NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT IT IS. MY HAIR DIDNT WANT TO GROW AT FIRST BECAUSE MY PROTEIN INTAKE WAS NOT HIGH ENOUGH. I DIDNT BOTHER ME THOUGH BECAUSE I USUALLY SHAVE MY HEAD ANYWAY.

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

I REALLY DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT. AT THIS POINT, IT HAS BEEN GREAT.

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

THIS WEBSITE HAS BEEN GREAT. BUT THE BEST IS TO ATTEND SUPPORT GROUPS, AND TALK TO PEOPLE FACE TO FACE AND HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. THERE IS SUPPORT GROUP HELD ONCE A MONTH AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THIS IS VERY HELPFUL.

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

IT LOOKS LIKE I GOT STABBED 6 TIMES. I HAVE 6 SMALL INCISIONS RANGING FROM ABOUT A 1/4 INCH TO 3/4 OF AN INCH. THEY HAVE FADED SOME AND STILL ARE EVERY DAY.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

AT FIRST IT SEEMED LIKE I LOST WEIGHT EVERYDAY, BUT NOW IT GOES IN SPURTS. I SEEM TO STAY AT A WEIGHT FOR A WEEK OR MORE THEN ALL OF SUDDEN I WILL LOSE 5 LBS IN A DAY.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I AM NOT JUST TEH BIG FAT GUY ANYMORE. I WENT FROM ALWAYS THE BEING THE BIGGEST GUT IN THE ROOM, TO NOW BEING SMALLER THAN A FEW OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS. BUT THE TREATMENT FROM THEM HAS NOT CHANGED, THEY ALWAYS TREATED ME WELL. THE PERCEPTION OF ME BY OTHERS THOUGH IS DIFFERENT. WOMEN TALK TO ME MORE, AND PEOPLE DONT LOOK ME UP AND DOWN NOW.