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

heard from a cardiologist

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

collect your documentation and submit, in my case, my surgeon's office asked for it and sent it to insur. They approved within 3 days

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

i attended an open seminar of his first then went to his office. He was very much to the point and quite clear...overall good experience

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i was sick and tired of being sick and tired...a year prior to surgery went on a cruise with the family and there were several things i physically could not do!!!!!!!!!!!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

at the age of 63 i wanted the less intrusive

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 decided i was going to die anyway and if i did while having surgery then i died doing what i wanted to do. But i also researched my surgeon very well and had no fears of death or complications

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?

they did not want me to do this--they feared i would be difficult to live with if i could not eat the comfort foods i had before to put up with the behaviors i did not like!!! Post op --my son still is not supportative, my husband overall in the beginning very but after time seems less, but may be due to his own problems...hard for me to judge

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

work for my husband and actually work in the office now and went back the next day

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

7 hours

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?

happy!!!!!!!!!!!no anxiety just wanted it over with

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

first few days lot of gas in upper torso from the lap procedure, needed no pain pills and walked next day and that helped major amout to get rid of gas and full feeling but did have my husband to walk with me

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

1 hour, did not affect my aftercare

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 2 wks liguids, like boullion, protein shake, Isopur, frozen sugar free ice cycle; next 2 wks---scrambled egg, 2% milk, low fat cheese, cottage cheese, crushed pineapple, half light engish muffin, cream cheese, peanut butter, marinara sauce, oatmeal, sugar free pudding, tomato soup; just now beg. the 5th wk post op and can have fish in addition to above==to eat a meal, snack, meal, snack, meal, snack==quanity limited---NO WHITE STUFF LIKE SUGAR, BREADS, POTATOES, CANDY, COOKIES, CAKE, ICE CREAM---YOU THE STUFF THAT GOT US TO THE POINT THAT MADE US NEED THIS SURGERY--NO FOR COMFORT NEEDS--i think of a new life style and feeling a part of my family and not looking 50 yrs older cause i am so fat and that comfort can come from within not need to get from food, alcohol, spending or gambling but from the satisfaction that i did this and only i can take it away..thank you God and Dr Bauman

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

20 minutes day after surgery walked slowly and since then 25 minutes daily even in the rain and cold, then in past wk added 10 minutes in am and 25 still in afternoon---i still get quite out of breath some days and do not know why but plan to speak to my med dr but have just slowed slightly but cont on

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

chew mult vit for over 50 without iron and vit D, do drink protein drink end of day as last snack if i did not get all prot in

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?

did not have any or just have chosen to block out any cause i want this so bad, HA! HA!

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

it took so long to "jump thru the hoops" to get to day of surgery and the fear i may be turned down...main regret is that is did not do this 2 yrs ago when cardiologist first suggested

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

i have not been able to find one locally wish someone could help with that

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

very tiny little 4 of them and then one about 1.5 inchs long

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

plateaued 3 mths post op got a fill and now realize 9 mths after that, that something was not right it probably was not me but i have gained 15 lbs and have stopped exercising and my depression is increasing

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

maybe a little seems my husband sometimes looks at me a little differently than in fast few yrs first couple mths post op but now he is very bitter and nasty to me