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

I first heard about bariatric surgery from the internet my first impression was that I don't think I could it because it seemed to so drastic.

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

when I first applied to have surgery my first insurance denied it my dr. tried to appeal it but they denied it again. about 5yrs. later I've became disabled do to my job. Then when I started on Medicare/Medicaid they approved the surgery.

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

my first visit with my surgeon went well because I came in with a lot of information and questions that I read about the surgeries on the internet. I would tell people to research about the surgeries yourself on the internet and come prepared with a lot questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

What made me finally decide to have the surgery was my health because I knew if I do something about my weight I would be bed ridden or possible die before my parents and I didn't want that to happen I wanted to around to help them in their old age.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

From the information I read on the different surgeries on the internet and ObesityHelp.com I decided that the Lap-band surgery would not work me I would need something that would really cut back my eating so I choose to have DS and I'm really glad I did because I'm finally losing large amount of weight.

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 really didn't think about the complications that could occur I believed I was more worried about dying because it was major surgery, I even prepared a letter to my parents to tell them where to find my life insurance and money if something should happen 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?

My parents and my siblings was really worried about the surgery but they supported my decision to have the surgery.

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

I was unemployed and disabled so I had no employer or supervisors to tell.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I was really excited about the seminar I wanted to learn more about what options were available to me.

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

My stay at the hospital was tiring because they kept come in and out room to wake me up for something they need to do to me. But even that the nurses were very nice and kept me walking. I was there for about seven days, I would say the most important thing to bring are some booties or slippers,a brush and something to read or a mp3 player.

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

I had no complications from the surgery I guess I was really lucky.

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 excited to finally have a surgery dated but I was also worried that I would not be able to lose the small amount of weight that the dr. wanted me to lose. I should have not worried because I did lose it and more some. I coped with anxiety by talking with my family and they would be able to calm me down.

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

my first few weeks home I was so tired and very nauseated to my stomach all the time. people should expect to be weak and have some trouble with their stomachs but everyone heals differently though. I also want to say is keep walking even if it's around your bedroom or entire house just keep moving.

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

I didn't have to travel to far for surgery, I lived in the same town so it didn't affect any of 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 couldn't keep any meat or fish down so I had to eat a lot poached eggs,creamed soups,cottage cheese and cheese and crackers. I was told to keep away from sodas and alcohol, and try not to use drinking straws. I'm now able to eat small amount of meat but I have to admit that even now that I'm seven months out I still get sick occasionally to my stomach.

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

my activity level days and weeks after surgery I was very weak so I really didn't do much I just walked around the house and took a lot of naps in between.

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

I have been taking calcium with vit.D, D3, b-12 and prenatal vitamins since after my surgery.

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 had a lot nausea and vomiting at the beginning and occasionally now to this date. I was really upset in my third or fourth month out when my hair started coming out in handfuls and to this date it really hasn't come back yet but at least it's not falling out anymore.( they say don't worry your hair will grow back) I coped by taking one day a time because I believe it will get better and it will be worth all the trouble we had go through.

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

I feel the worst part of the surgery was the nausea and vomiting it seemed be every time I tried to eat or drink anything I would get sick. I'm now able to eat small amounts and drink without getting sick.

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

the clinic offers a once a month support group but I haven't attend any meetings. The only support I get is here on obesityhelp and I find that I get a lot of support and information here.

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

My scar is a very thin and long. yes it is what I expected my sister-law says that it looks better then her mother's scar from open heart surgery. I was so lucky that I healed so fast without any complications.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I haven't hit any plateaus yet I'm sure it will happen sometime soon.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes, people do talk and treat you differently even though I'm still the same person before surgery.