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

MY PASTOR'S WIFE HAD IT DONE DUE TO HAVING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND HAD NO PROBLEMS, I HAD THOUGHT OF IT ABOUT 2 YEARS PRIOR TO HER HAVING IT DONE AND WHEN I SAW HER RESULTS, I HAD NO DOUBTS THAT THIS WAS WHAT I MUST DO.

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

MY INSURANCE DENIED ME AND I HAD TO PAY CASH, I NOW HAVE NO RETIREMENT, BUT IT WAS WORTH IT. I WOULD, HOWEVER, ADVISE PEOPLE TO NOT GIVE UP AND ACCEPT REFUSAL AS I DID. I THINK IF I HAD FOUGHT HARDER, I COULD HAVE EITHER GOTTEN APPROVAL OR FOUND ANOTHER COMPANY.

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

VERY LAID BACK, IT WAS WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND WAS BASICALLY AN INFORMATION SESSION.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I FELT VERY DEPRESSED AND DESPARATE. I KNEW OR FELT IF I DIDNT HAVE THE SURGERY, I WAS GOING TO EAT MYSELF TO DEATH.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WANTED TO HAVE THE SAME THING MY PASTOR'S WIFE HAD HAD. ALSO, HER 2 DAUGHTERS AND THE PASTOR HAD THE SURGERY ALSO.

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 THINK EVERYONE IS A LITTLE AFRAID OF "WAKING UP", BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW AND TRUST THE PEOPLE WHO ARE TAKING CARE OF YOU. THE FACT THAT MY DR. HAD <1% MORTALITY RATE WAS VERY ENCOURAGING TO ME.

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?

AT FIRST, MY MOM DIDN'T WANT ME TO DO IT, BUT THEN WHEN SHE SAW THE RESULTS, SHE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE. ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE SUPPORTIVE, EXCEPT MY SUPERVISOR. SHE WAS SUPPORTIVE, BUT VERY CAUTIOUS AND DOUBTFUL OF THE RESULTS. MY SISTER, WHO WANTS THE SURGERY, HAS BEEN A LITTLE JEALOUS, BUT ALSO PROUD AT THE SAME TIME.

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

SHE WAS CAUTIOUSLY SUPPORTIVE, I EXPLAINED HOW I FELT AND WHY I WANTED THE SURGERY AND MISSED 4 WEEKS OF WORK AND WAS ON RESTRICTIONS FOR 2 MORE.

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

I WAS IN A SMALL HOSPITAL, BUT THEY TOOK EXCELLENT CARE OF ME. ALL YOU NEED IS SOME GOWNS/PAJAMAS, AND PERSONAL TOILETRIES.

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

MY INCISION DID NOT HEAL WELL. HOWEVER, IT NEVER GOT INFECTED, THANK GOODNESS. IT TOOK A FULL SIX WEEKS FOR IT TO CLOSE. IT CAME APART ALMOST THE WHO WAY APPROX 1-1/2 INCHES DEEP ALL EXCEPT ABOUT 1 INCH. I WAS VERY NERVOUS ABOUT THIS. BUT, IT TURNED OUT OKAY. I JUST HAVE A WIDE SCAR, BUT NO ONE SEES IT ANYWAY.

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 JUST EXCITED TO KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE THE SURGERY I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING NEGATIVE OR OVER ANXIOUS.

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

IT WAS ROUGH. MY MOM HELPED ME ALOT. I GOT A LITTLE DEPRESSED FEELING I WAS DEPRIVED, WHICH I WAS---THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT---HOWEVER, AFTER 6 WEEKS, YOU ARE WELL-ADAPTED.

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

APPROX 130=140 MILES. OR 2 HRS. IT'S NOT A BAD DRIVE--I REALLY DON'T MIND.

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.

I THOUGHT AFTER SIX WEEKS, I COULD GO BACK TO EATING ALMOST ANYTHING---WRONG. IT TOOK ABOUT 4 MONTHS FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO EAT WHAT I CONSIDERED "GOOD". IT TOOK EVEN LONGER FOR ME TO TOLERATE MEAT OF ANY KIND. I HAVE ONLY VOMITED/REGURGITATED ABOUT 6-7 TIMES SINCE SURGERY, AND IT WAS FROM EITHER EATING A LITTLE TOO MUCH OR EATING SOMETHING LIKE MEAT THAT I COULDN'T PASS EVEN AFTER CHEWING AND CHEWING. TUMS ARE ALWAYS HELPFUL, AND I DID GET THAT HURTING FEELING IF SOMETHING GETS STUCK. IT'S BASICALLY A TRIAL/ERROR SITUATION AFTER THE SURGERY. DAIRY PRODUCTS ALSO UPSET MY STOMACH, BUT I TOLERATE SWEETS PRETTY WELL. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH DIAHRREA AS MOST EVERYONE THINKS WE DO. DRINKING AND EATING AT THE SAME TIME IS ALSO OUT. I HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME DRINKING ENOUGH FLUIDS. IT IS ALL STILL WORTH IT... IT'S BEEN NEARLY 11 MONTHS AND I HAVE LOST 132 LBS. I WOULD DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!!!!!

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

VERY SLOW. IT TOOK ME MONTHS ABOUT 9 TO GET MY ENERGY BACK, AND I STILL SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE I'M DRAGGING, BUT I STILL FEEL BETTER THAN I DID BEFORE THE SURGERY.

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

JUST A MULTI-VITAMIN FROM ECKERD'S. I NEED TO GET THE ADVICE OF OTHERS ON WHAT BRAND IS BEST--ESPECIALLY FOR ENERGY AND HAIR LOSS.

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?

NAUSIA WAS THE WORST--ALMOST EVERY TIME I ATE AND HAIR LOSS IS THE 2ND. IT STILL IS FALLING OUT A LITTLE AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF VERY VERY THIN SPOTS, BUT MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN NOTICE. THE NAUSIA LASTED ABOUT 4 MONTHS, I ALSO HAVE GAS THAT I CAN'T SEEM TO CONTROL SOMETIMES.

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

MY INCISION THAT TOOK SO LONG TO HEAL AND THE LOSS OF ENERGY.

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

I GO TO THE DR.APPROX EVERY 5-6 MONTHS FOR 2 YEARS. WE DO NOT HAVE A SUPPORT GROUP IN OUR CITY, BUT MY YOUNGER SISTER HAD THE SURGERY SO WE SUPPORT EACH OTHER.

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

IT'S WIDE DUE IT COMING OPEN, BUT IT DOEN'T BOTHER ME.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I REALLY JUST STARTED TO PLATEAU-- I ONLY LOST ABOUT 6 LBS IN ABOUT 5 WEEKS, WHEREAS I HAD BEEN LOSING A BUNCH EVERY MONTH. I HAVE WENT FROM A SIZE 26 TO A 12/14.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES....WITH MORE RESPECT.