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

My sister told me about carnie wilson and her story but i thought ins wouldnt cover it but she said it could be covered as soon as i heard ins. might pay for it. I fought big time to get this surgery.

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

Well i was turned down twice. It was very frustrating i almost gave up a couple of times but i knew if i didnt do this that i probably wouldnt live for very long. And me and my family were worth the fight. Finally my ins agreed after the third appeal.

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

It was very pleasant. He answered all questions I had and told me everything to expect. To get the most out of the meeting write down all questions you have If you have a good surgeon he wont care and will answer all questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

When I heard about this surgery It was my last hope. My life was going nowhere fast. I'm on disability and have been since i was 29. That is no life for a 29 year old now that im 34 I want to do things meet people. And most of all i want to know what its like to be healthy again.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Well the surgeon i had only did open gastric bypass surgery rny. So the decision was already made.

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 great fears of dying. But the more I talked to people who had the surgery the better i felt. Plus It was either get the surgery and possibly die or not get the surgery and deffinatley die from the weight. I would tell other people talk with other people who has had the surgery It was a great help to me. Plus go to your support groups.

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?

Well my children were scared but happy for there mother. My husband i think is a little scared that once i lose the weight that im out of here but i try to reassure him thats not going to happen. My father was if thats what you want. My sister were very excited. After surgery everyone is very supportive.

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

Im on dissability so this questions does not apply to me.

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

My stay in the hospital well icu was a bad experiance for me no one paid much attention to me I would hit the call nurse and no one would come till i was yelling for them. Then after 2 days they put me in a regular room that was ok. But they didnt have everything someone my size needed like a potty seat big enough for me. They had this chair but noone knew how to work it. Well I brought all kinds of stuff but never used any of it.

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

I was one of the lucky ones and had no complications.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

Well i came to obesityhelp chat and that was a great help. Talking about it with anyone who would listen helped too.

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

Well for the first night home i was miserable could not get comfortable for anything i drove my family crazy. Well first of all you cant bend over to pick anything up so get a grabber or make sure someone is with you.Everyday the pain gets better and better.Drink lots of water.

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

Luckily it was only about 10 miles.

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.

Well ive only havent been able to eat a couple of things fish is the main thing.i got sick on shrimp once but am now able to eat it. im about 4 1\2 months out now and am able to eat just about anything but i do stay away from carbs.Well im now 21 months out and can eat anything now except i tried sf icecream and i get very sick on it. but other than that i haven t had any problems

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

was very week after surgery but at about 4 months out everything is back to normal

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

I take a multi vitamin twice a day and calcium citrate twice a day other than that i take my normal perscriptions and all blood work is normal. im 21 months out and i now take one mutivitamin a day one cacium citrate a day one b-12 dot a day once potassium a aday.

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 really havent had any bad reactions except for getting sick a couple of times that sucked. and as of a few weeks ago i started losing lots of hair thank goodness i have a lot of hair to begin with but if it persists i will start worrying.its 21 months now and i lost a lot of hair only had dumping while eating sf ice cream other than that everythiung in pretty normal

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

waking up with the tube down my throat was the worst expeiance in my life.

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

I got to dr.rehnkes support group once a month if possible and it helps alot. It is so helpful to hear other people who are going through the same thing as you are. And if you have any worries there is always someone there who can answer any questions you may have.im 21 months out now and about a year ago i started going to obesitynomfl.com and have meet wonderful people there who support me no questions asked.

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

My scar is about 8 inces long and yes it is ugly. But it is what i expected because of the research i did before surgery and plus people at the support groups arent shy about showing theres.Now at 21 months out it blends in wonderfully with my stretch marks lol

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My biggest plateau is i wanted to lose 100 pounds by my 10year anniversary which was valentines day and i lost exactly 100 pounds so far by the 13th. So i was very happy that day.. Im 21 months and i do go a few weeks with out losing but i am still losing weight.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No not yet because of my size you really dont notice alot except in the face and arms.Now that im 21 months out and down 310 pounds YYEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS I notice it alot i used to get ignored in stores now i get waited on. People dont snicker or laugh kids dont make remarks anymore.