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

BACK TO LAST NOV. COULDN'T WALK SO I PUT ON MY BIG GIRL PANTIES&DEALT WITH IT.WENT TO DR.LEE WHO THE SENT ME TO DR.CERRUTI ORTHOPDIC.WHOM ASKED ME ON MY FRIST MEETING WOULD I LIKE TO BE PUT ON THE LIST FOR BARIATRIC SURGERY I SAID HECK YES.I'D BE OUT OF MY MIND TO SAY NO.AND AT 58 I DON'T HAVE TO FAR TO GO.

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

KAISER!KAISER!KAISER!!GO FOR IT!!GET'ER DONE!!!!!LIFE IS TO SHORT AND YOU STILL HAVE ALOT TO DO!THE BARIATRIC TEAM IS GREAT AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DO WHAT THEY TEACH YOU.GITTY SHE'S GREAT.MY DR.ALAMI IS GREAT BUT TELLS IT LIKE IT IS IF HE DOESN'T LKE YOUR PROGRESS HE TELLS YOU TO DEAL WITH IT AND GET BACK ON COURSE.DIEITICANS J REED&S GOODRIDE ARE THERE FOR YOU ANYTIME.NURSES SHASHA STILES TELL YOU HOW TO DO IT RIGHT.THE WHOLE BARIATICS TIME IS THERE FOR YOU.AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE CLASSES,BOOK&LESSONS YOU'LL GETT'ER DONEDR.ALAMI SHOW ME EXATLY

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

DR.ALAMI SHOWED ME EXACTLY WHAT THE SURGERY INVOLED AND TOLD ME HE THOUGHT I WOULD BE A GOOD CANIDATE.RIGHT THEN I WANTED TO JUMP UP AND KISS HIM.I BEHAVED.MOST IN PORTANT DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU AND LOSE YOU SURGERY WEIGHT.DON'T DOWN YOURSELF THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT.START MOVIG ON BEFORE SURGERY.IT MAKES AFTER SURGERY GO SO MUCH BETTER. I'M 6 DAYS OUT AND ALLS GOOD.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

THERE WAS NO DECIDING I WANTED IT SO BAD.I LOVE MY JOB&THE THOUGHT OF SITTING AT A DESK MADE ME CRY.NOT TO BE THER FOR THE HORSES WOULD HAVE BROKE MY HEART.HORSES ARE MY LIFE I LIVE AND BREATHE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

AT FRIST I WANTED THE LAP-BAND.BUT DR.ALAMI KNOWS PEOPLE.HE KNEW I WOULD NOT HAVE THE PATANICE TO WAIT TO LOSE THE WIEGHT.PLUS I THINK HE LLOKED AT MY EXAYS OF MY KNEES.

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?

FEARS WHAT FEARS???YOU ALAWAYS THINK ALITTLE BUT YOU MUST STAY POSTIVE,IT'S THE ONLY WAY IT WORKS.

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?

OH MY GOD,MY SUPPORT PERSON IS THE GREATEST,MONNIE HAS LOTS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS GOING ON.BUT SHE JUMP INTO HER CAR AND SAID LE'S GET'ER DONE.HER HUSHBAND JIM FLEW BACK FROM L.A.WHERE HE WAS DEALING WITH HEALTH ISSUES WITH HIS PARENTS TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL WITH US.I HAVE FRIENDA AND FAMILEY E-MAILING ME&CALLING FROM ALL OVER THE U.S.A.&NEW ZEALAND&CANADA EVERYDAY.AND THEY ARE STILL HERE.SUN.WAS BUSEY PEOPLE IN & OUT.

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

RICK MY HERO!!!!TOLD ME TO DO WHAT EVER IT TOOK.MARY ANN HIS WIFE WAS BEUIND ME 110%.I'M STILL OUT.BUT HAVE WALKED TO THE BARN TO SEE MY BLESSED HORSES & GET THE BOOKS DO DO WORK ON THE COMPUTER.INFACT A FRIEND IS HERE DOING THE THEARPY ON THE HORSES FOR ME.AND RICK STILL PAYED ME FOR LAST WEEK.IONLY WORKED 1 DAY.

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

KAISER WAS THE BEST.EVERYONE WAS RIGHT THERE CHECKING ON ME ALL THE TIME.THAT SMALL PILLOW.THE WAS MY SAVIOR.AND STILL IS.

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

NO EVERYTHING WENT WELL.

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

WANTED TO GET'ER DONE.BUT YES I WORRIED THAT I WOULD MESS UP.THAT I WOULD GAIN WIEGHT AND NOT GET THE SURGERY.ANXIETY I DEALT WITH BY DOING MY MINDFULL BREATHING.BOUGHT THE TAPE THAT GETTY TOLD US TOO.PLUS I BOUGHT PREPARING FOR SURGERY CD.THAT TOOK ALL MY WORRYS AWAY.BUY IT!!!!LISTEN TO IT!!!!!!

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

FIRIST 2 DAYS HOME WHERE QUITE.BUT NOW I'M GETTING AROUND MORE.PLUS ALITTLE BOREDOM.GLAD I GOT ON OB I HAVE ALOT TO SAY. SMILES! !SMILES!!SMILES!!

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

To south San Franisco. they had me in touch with my general dr. 2 weeks after. Also told us what to do if we had problems. Also the team coming once a month to point west in sac. helps me.

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.

No chicken!!!!!!!!!!And after a few weeks i couldn't handle light mayo. Couldn't eat eggs at frist. now a boiled egg,but noway else.just started to beable to eat lunchmeat.I eat alot of cheese.Crakers on my list.shirmp & lobster is on the list also.Lastweek 11/1 07 i ate a small piece of roast beef.I can eat most veggies.I love cottage cheese so thats not a problem.For some reason i can't stand Tuna any more.I really liked refired beans at frist with diced tomatos & onions.I eat jello& sugar free popslicles.Just now can eat apples peeled.i do the protien shakes every morning/with stawberries or 1/4 banna.Still having a hard time with salad. doesn't feel right after eating it.thanksgiving is coming & i'm going to a friends but i'm taking what i can eat.

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

At frist i needed alot of sleep.back to work in 21/2 weeks.Took everything slow.Just worked on the horses& book work.Each week got better,got stronger&stronger.My energy level rosr more & more with the weight lost.

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

Mega-multi vits.b1,b12,critic clacium,omega-3,glucosamine joint therapy, promagante.

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?

Vomiting i have a hard time doing it.So when it happens i can't eat after that.The hair lose is still going on. i cope by thinking how great i feel.And that i have a great tool to help me get healthy.

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

The fear that i wasn't going to get the surgery.But that went away went i got the okay. I was determine to GET'ER DONE!!!!!

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

We have a once a month lifestyle class at point west kaiser in sac.ca.This is so great!!!!!i wouldn't miss aclass at all. they are there of us. Gitty and all the team

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

Nothing to worry about!!!!!!!!!!!The fat was worse than te scar's will ever be!!!!!!!!!!!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I've had one plateau so far. it lasted almost 2 weeks.I lost inches instead of wieght.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes