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

I started researching it when the medicine I was taking to help my liver function properly was not really helping. It was simply sustaining me to get by. I had some friends that used Dr. DiMarco and raved about him. I did some homework and found out that he was one of the top surgeons in PA that do bariatric surery and it was close to home. I had a ton of questions and through the process at the dr. office, they were all answered.

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

I did not have any problems with this. The Dr. office took care of this and let me know if anything was need.

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

It was exciting and nerve racking at the same time. I knew that this was the beginning of a 3-6 month process and I just wanted to get it done at this point. I am glad that his office goes through this process because it helps you work things out in your own mind and answers any questions that come up.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My liver was not functioning properly and I was about to start taking medicine for my high blood sugar. I wanted to be healthy and live as long as possible. I have 4 kids and I want to be around to see how their lives turn out.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

With the help of the Dr. office, they explained each procedure to me and I took their advice to have the laproscopic bypass.

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, I was ready and very confident in the dr. abilities.

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?

My spouse and his family were very supportive. My family has taken some getting used to it. They did not realize, due to not living near by, all the troubles that I have been having. They thought that I was only doing this to lose weight. They had forgotten about the other health issues that I was having. My parents still think that if I just take more vitamins that things will work out and get back to normal.

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

My supervisors have been wonderful about my decision. In fact, I made the decision to come back after 2 weeks and I lasted one day. I did not return then until another week. It was just to much to sit all day at a computer and work. My supervisors were the ones to push me to go home and take care of myself rather than stay at work and be in pain.

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

I spent 4 days in Community General Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg PA. The staff were wonderful and very considerate. They were very attentive to my needs and addressed any questions or concerns that I had.

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

No

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 am feeling terrific and I am only 8 weeks out from my surgery. I have lost over 35 pounds. I am off all the medicine with the exception of my thyroid pill. That will most likely be a lifetime thing. I wish I would have had this done sooner!

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

I was tired at first and just wanted to lie around. I was not in much pain if any at all. I did not feel hungry at all. In fact I have not felt hungry since the day before my surgery (04/23/04)

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

I live in Mechanicsburg and only had to travel about 20 minutes to the hospital. It was only about 10 miles away 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.

first full day home to the 4th day home - I was on a clear liquid diet - sugar free popsicles, crystal light, water, etc. - 64 oz. a day - 60g. of protein for the next 7 days I was then put on a full liquid diet - I could then add dairy, broth, yogurt, etc. - 64 oz. a day - 60g. of protein the next 3 weeks were soft foods 2 oz. - mashed potatoes, eggs, chicken, turkey, fish, etc. - 60g. of protein - I also had to stop drinking 30 min. prior to eating and restart drinking 45 min. after eating. After that I could return to a regular diet. I am still on about 2-3oz. of food three times a day, but I try something new everyday and see if I can tolerate it. Obviously no alcohol at all - stay away from greasy & fatty foods. I had trouble with anything spicey too.

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

I mostly laid around with at home recovering. I did return to work full time after three weeks. I would work and then come home and lay around. It took me about 5-6 weeks until I started to feel like doing other things around the house. Even simply housework was exhausting. It has been 8 weeks and I have doing everything that I had been doing before the surgery and then some. I now have energy to go swimming at night after work and I have started and aerobics class too. I would not have had the energy for this prior to surgery.

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

I take 2 multi-vitamin daily, 1 b-12 sublingual once a week, and 2 calcium daily.

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 did not have any side effects. I did have some pain in my abdomen area but it went away slightly each week until after about 5 weeks it was totally gone.

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

So far there is no worse part. It has all been a positive experience and I believe it will continue to be that way.

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

There are three people at my workplace that used the same dr. and I bounce questions off of them. I also use the ObestiyHelp.com support groups to ask questions and answer others quesitons.

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

I have 4 or 5 small incisions and they are consistant with what you would expect from having your gall bladder removed, except they are on the other side.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had only one plateau to date. It was about 30 days out & I remained at a weight for about 10 days.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

So far no one has treated me any differently.