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

I saw the special on Al Roker and was impressed by how it went for him and how is weight loss went. I then started my investigation using the internet to gather information...pro and con...and made my decision based on that.

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

Since I work for a hospital and we are basically self insured, there was no problem. My doctor put through the paper work and it was approved in about 3 days.

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

It was great! Dr. Monk was very straight forward and answered all of my questions to my satisfaction. He told me to call any time if I thought of any other questions later.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The fact that I needed to lose weight and I was convinced that the only way I was going to lose what I needed to lose and keep it off was to have the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

At the time, Dr. Monk was doing the Roux N Y procedure. He had just learned the laproscopic procedure, but I was not a candidate for that.

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 no fears. My life has been in God's hands for 33 years, so I knew that if I were to die, I would be with Him. If I did not, then I would be on my way to a better life here. I would tell others, and have, the very same thing.

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?

They were all very supportive. I was afraid to tell anybody at first, because I thought that they might think, "What a loser! The only way he can lose weight is to have surgery!" So I didn't tell anybody until about a month before my surgery. But I was pleasantly surprised by their support, both before and 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?

They were glad because they knew how much and how hard it was for me to lose weight. They also knew that it would improve my work because I could be more active.

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

It was great! I was on a floor with several nurses who had also had the surgery, so they knew what I was going through and were very helpful in answering questions and very supportive during my recovery.

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

My stomach herniated, which I still have and will be repaired early in 2005. I also had a lot of nausea during months 3 - 5 post-op. I just worked through the nausea until I got to the point where I could eat regular food again. I subsisted pretty much on Carnation Instant Breakfast and yogurt during that time.

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 really had no anxiety. I didn't like the nausea, but I kept my eye on the goal. I knew that if I could persevere through the recovery time, get back to work and to a regular schedule and life, that things would improve as time went by.

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

You will be sore at the incision, but you need to walk as much as possible! This will help the healing and will keep your muscles from atrophy! You may feel tired, but you HAVE TO WALK AT EVERY CHSNCE YOU GET!!

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

About 15 miles. It didn't affect my after care, since I was used to travelling to the hospital to work.

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.

Right after surgery, I was on pureed foods...not my favorite thing! But when I was able to eat some regular food, I had the nausea and could not. I ate Carnation Instant Breakfast and yogurt to get through that period. Once I was able to eat regular food, I have not found anything that caused me any problems. I am 8 months post-op as of October 4, 2004 and have eaten just about everything...in 4 ounce servings of course...and have had no problems.

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

Not active enough and that caused me problems later on! I didn't walk enough because I was so tired and it was very sore where the incision had herniated and was taking a long time to heal. It wasn't until about 5 months post op that I really started to be more active.

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

I have to take Vitamin B, Iron, a multi-vitamin, and potassium on a daily basis.

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?

The only problem I had was with nausea. I have never had the dumping syndrome, regardless of what I ate.

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

Waiting for the incision to heal and getting back to a regular life style again.

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

I was going to a support group close to my home, but it was not run very well, so I quit going after about 4 meetings. It was not helpful to me, since I had done so much research prior to my surgery, there was not too much I could learn from that group.

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

My scar is about what I expected, except where the incision herniated. It took a long time for that part to close up and it kind of looks like the skeleton of a fish now! The hernia stands out on my stomach and stretches that part of the scar while the other part is sucked in now because of the weight loss, so it looks really bad right now.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had none. The doctor said that he believes I have set a record for weight loss. For several months I was losing about a pound a day. I slowed down some, but in 8 months I have lost 192 pounds for an average of .8 pounds per day!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really. My family, friends, and co-workers seem very excited about my progress and are very encouraging and supportive.