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

A friend of mine had the Lap-band surgery a couple of years ago and it really worked....At the time I thought diet and exercise would work for me and it didn't so I chose surgery

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

I didn't get insurance approval I paid for it out of pocket

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

My first time talking to the surgeon was at a seminar that they give and they detailed everything and answered all questions....Getting the most out of it is easy just ask anything you want to know and they generally have an answer for you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My mind was made up....I had been heavy for too long and had to do something....Surgery sounds drastic but It's what I had to do

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

A friend had the band and it worked great for him and to me the bypass in just too invasive and I know people that had it that had some serious complications

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 didn't have any fears. In my viewpoint if it's your time to go it's your time to go...I would have the same chance of getting hit by a bus as dying from the operation

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 family and friends are the best, not because i am bias but they were supportive in any way

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

I am self-employed so it was no problem

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

I had my surgery at a surgical center....It was same day surgery

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

It's been about three weeks and luckily I have had 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?

It was sort of a good anxiety that I was having...I went through a long struggle with my insurance that I eventually lost so by the time I saved the money for the surgery and got my date it was a relief

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

I had the Lap-band and to be honest the first three days were really hard for me after that it's ok.....I had an extreme amount of gas that was causing me some pain and a little constipation....If this happens to you get up and walk around as much as possible it helps get rid of the gas.....

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

I had to travel about 40 minutes to my surgery and it didn't 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.

I really don't know cause it's only been a couple of weeks and I am eating only what the doctors say is OK

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

My energy and strength have been down but I started out by walking around the house as much as possible...Then walking up and down the driveway...Now I go for a walk til i get a little tired and turn around and go home

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

I take 2 Flintstone chewables and 2 Viactiv Calicium Chews as per doctor's recommendation

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?

So far I haven't had any real side effect...It's been hard to sleep because usually i sleep on my stomach

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

Up to this point the worst part of the process was battling with my insurance company

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

My aftercare support program is through Dr. Schmidt's office and they are excellent....They take the time to explain everything and answer all questions....They have regular meetings and even an exercise program that you can get involved in...

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

My surgery was laproscopic so the scars are mininal...Five little holes...Kind of looks like I got shot.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I haven't really been out and about too much yet so the answer is no