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

I first found out about Bariatric Surgery from my Endocrine NP in Syracuse. She mentioned it only as a possible help to my problem. They were very concerned about my fasting insulin and glucose levels and were on the verge of sending me to a diabetes treatment center.

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

My surgeons office took care of all the approval.

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

Wonderful! My Dr. is the best. He was very concerned about my well being, as well as very interested in helping me out. He described the procedure in great detail that he was going to preform and also took the time to answer any questions. He never even once made me feel rushed. He is wonderful and I will always be greatful to have him as my surgeon!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had already made the decision to have the surgery no matter what happened during the pre-op process. My insulin levels were a main reason, as well as being sick and tired of being too fat for too long!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH! And talking to other patients who have had the procedure.

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 many fears about the complications, but knew that I was in the best of care at Adirondack Medical Center. I also knew that if I did have any problems, my surgeon would know what to do about treating them.

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 father was nervous in the beginning. He eventually accepted that I was going to go through with this and started being more supportive of my decision to get the surgery. The rest of my family was very supportive of my decision and helped me in any way that they could.

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

I am not currently employed, so I cannot answer this question.

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

Wonderful! My hospital stay was more like a stay at a bed and breakfast hotel. The staff at AMC is very friendly and caring! I send a big thanks to them for the wonderful care that I recieved throughout my 4 day stay. I did not bring much though, but one thing that is very important is CHAPSTICK! Boy that really did come in handy and I used it often.

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

No I did not have any complications from the surgery.

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 nervous until I met with my surgeon. I did not get to meet with him until the week before my surgery so you can imagine how anxious I was. I just kept myself busy though to deal with the anxiety though. After meeting with my surgeon, I felt a lot more confident with going through with the surgery.

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

COMING SOON!

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

Adirondack Medical Center is about 2 hours from Gouverneur.

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.

COMING SOON!

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

Well, as you can imagine, it was 0 for a while. Now since I am currently 6 weeks out, I would still say it is about only 4-5 on a scale of 1-10.

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

Iron, Vit b-12, B-Complex, Calcium(Viactiv), Ursodidol(actigall-medication), Priolsec OTC(medication), Vit C, and my Multivitamin(flintstones gummies).

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?

COMING SOON!

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

Well the wait was bad, I wanted to get this over with ASAP due to my high fasting insulin levels. Other than that, everything else was fine. NOTE:I know a lot of people say that the bowel prep was the worst, but I don't think it was THAT bad. Just gives you the wicked shits all day! LOL!!!!

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

There is a montly support group that I attend for post-ops. Also the nutritionist and doctors are available at all times for support if I need any.

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

Well it is a line that runs down the center of my chest, from just under my breastbone to my belly button. Yes this is normal. It is about 5 1/2 inches long.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Had some stall in the beginning, but since then my weight has been steadily dropping. I am not one of those OCD weighers anyways! lol. I do weigh every couple of days though.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

COMING SOON!