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

I saw a woman on MSN's main page that had pictures of her weight loss. I immediately got on the phone and made phone calls.

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 complications on getting approval for surgery.

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

I cried because I told him that I nearly missed a funeral of my best friend because I was too embarrassed to get out in public. I felt him understanding me and my pain.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It was my last chance of losing weight. I did the surgery regardless of all the negative feedback from people that really didn't research the operation personally.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted to have the soonest appointment and it happened to be the lapband surgery was the shortest list. After the fact, I am so very happy that I chose lapband because now I am one year and one month out from surgery and my band is filled to a proper point for me.

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?

NO FEARS. I was laughing as they rolled me into 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?

They were all stand-offish. My daughter's mother-n-law told me to my face that she was still waiting for something to go wrong and I was very angry.

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

n/a

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

I was asked if I wanted to leave the same day after surgery but since I lived 1-1/2 hours away, I wanted to make sure I would be fine so I stayed in the hospital overnight. I've had other unrelated surgeries that had small complications so I didn't want to get home and have something go wrong. NOTHING WENT WRONG!

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

NO Complications!!!!

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 had no anxiety. I focused on the diet that the doctor asked me to stay on.

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

People thought I was crazy for having a strange object put into my stomach. I had hope, they didn't.

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

60 miles away. Being this far away has not affected 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.

I basically stuck with the "what fit through the straw" foods diet of 1200 calories for the first 2 weeks. Then I graduated to the soft foods. Now, 1 year later, I cannot eat anything hard and not chewed up very well. If I do eat something that doesn't agree with me, I get this slimey-foamy stuff in my stomach and I know at that point if I do not bring that up, I would be throwing up the small amount I just ate. Being close to the bathroom at times really help me.

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

I took it easy after surgery for at least 3 weeks. I couldn't go back to babysitting my grandchildren until I felt strong enough. Four months after surgery, I went back to the gym and was able to use the circut weights and treadmill and go in the pool.

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

Bariatric Calcium and multi-vitamins

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 only if I eat something too fast and it cannot stay in easily. Very Very little hair loss. I make sure that when I eat some food that it is what I can tolerate. I went on a date one day and the cook over-cooked my meat and I ended up in the bathroom and it was embarassing for me with my date. I ended up taking one 98.9% of my food in a container for later. That was embarassing too.

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

There is NOTHING that has gone wrong that I would call the worst thing. This first date did challenge me on how I ate in public in front of someone I didn't know.

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

Nutritionist. Counselor. Doctor.

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

The scar on my tummy is less than expected. It is only 2 inches long and is healing fabulous.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I was stuck at 166 pounds for 2 months around November and December. After I talked with the doctor's office, I discovered I was having higher expectations of myself and was being too hard on my success. I eventually lost 4 pounds for that month.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

OH YES! My neighbors look at me and say, "WOW"! My clothes are not bought in the Plus size section and I enjoy the junior section of the store once again in my life. For the first time in my life, I can wear a strapless top and low cut jeans.