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

I heard people talking about it on the news.. My first impression was that it was good but what are the risks.

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

My insurance company allows the surgery without a preapproval they consider this surgery like any other surgery that your dr might think you need. The advice I would give is to not give up keep bugging the insurance company about appeals and keep appealing and don't leave them alone until they approve you, but don't be rude be considerate and they will have compassion for you.

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

My first visit with my dr was great. he lets you see a tape he made years ago that describes the surgery and the risks and then he comes in and does an exam and then answers any questions you might have. the tape was so informative that i didnt have many questions. People can get the most from this meeting is dont be afraid to ask questions. Even is you think it is a stupid question its not no question is stupid they all imform you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i was approved and i need to start doing right and teaching my daughter to eat right and not have problems with her weight when she gets older. i wanted to get fit and healthy.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

by which procedure my insurance will cover

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 a lot of fears. i have a 3 year old daughter and i am scared i am not going to be here for her. My husband passed away before she was born and i am scared i am going to leave her without a father and mother. my mind keeps telling me yes and then i have a voice in the back of my head telling me no. you have to work through your own fears and try to think of why you are having these fears and make sure you really want the surgery.

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?

all of my friends and family have been very supportive and they think i am making the right decision. they are planning on helping me get through this and helping me with my daughter. some didnt want me to have the surgery but they said it was my decision and they would support me.

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

i have only been here for about 3 months and i am going to have to quit and then reapply when i am able to go back to work. they are holding my position for me.

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

my hospital stay was great. i stayed monday(surgery day) to friday. all of the nurses were great. they didnt bother me as much as nurses usually do. they let me sleep and left me alone. i brought my hairbrush and extra clothes and word puzzles and things but i didnt use any of them. i used my hairbrush about thursday and it was so nice to be able to brush my hair and take a shower.

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

i had no complications. everything went great. my dr uses an epideral for pain and that was the only thing that was bad. the anestsiasts could not find the right place to put it and they hit a nerve to my leg that felt like they caught my leg on fire. but i am so glad i had that when i woke up. the pain was not bad at all-just like u did to many situps or some one punched u in the stomach. i was out of bed a couple hours after surgery to use the restroom. i also did not feel drowsy like i would have if i had gotten pain meds by mouth of iv.

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

in weeks after i was tired and to a couple of naps. i went to the store and got wore out easily. my anxiety was bad for a couple of days. i wondered why i did the surgery, but a couple days later i started feeling better about my decision.

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

u should not expect to do much at all. walking kinda helps get your stomach back to norma. i was tired and i couldnt lift anything. but other than that my life went on as usual.

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

i didnt travel out of memphis.. my hospital was 20 miles from my house.

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.

the first 5 weeks i could only eat purreed foods and i only had to eat a bite or so and i was full. after the five weeks i have just been trying different things. one of the 1st was something with ketchup and that kinda made me sick because of the sugar in it. at first after the 5 weeks i felt sick after i ate but that has slowly gone away. i can eat just about anything. just very small portions.

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

my activity level was nothing at first and then i want to the store a couple of times and slowly startted getting out of the house. i am now 4 months post op and i am back to normal

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

i take 2 multivitamins a day, 2 iron-b12 vitamins a day, 3 antacids a day

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 havent dumped yet and my hair loss hadnt been horrible. i have lost a little hair but im not bald anywhere. i havent had much sleep disturbance but i do take sleeping medication given to me by my psychiatrist. i havent vomited any. not that i havent wanted to vomit a couple of times but i could not get anything up. my dr said i wasnt able to vomit because of the hernia that he repaired while he did my rny. i have had nausia but i usually just sit down and try to wait until i can get a drink of water. anything cold helped with the nausia.

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

everything has been great. sometimes knowing i cant eat a whole lot sucks but that is the best part also. ive lost 63 lbs and 61.5 inches since my surgery date of jan 12 2004

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

i really dont have a support group but i am connected with the online group gastric bypass family and i ask questions as needed.

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

my scar is healing great it looks like someone stuck a zipper on my tummy and just zipped me right back up. its pink and it looks good. it is what i expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i have had 1 plateau and it lasted about 2 weeks

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not right now bcause i started a new job and they dont know me fat