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

i saw a show on it. i was kind of scard at first, but thought that would be wonderful if it really worked.

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

i didnt have any problem with getting the approvel

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

it took 4 hours for that first visit. ask questions and talk with your surg. i had a wonderful surg. his name is dr. marshall

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i just couldnt loss the weight and my knees were started to bother me with arthritis.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

well i didnt, my doctor just does the opend surg.

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 was alittle afraid about dieing on the table, but i put my life in gods hands. trust god, and pray. god will give you the anserw

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 kinda scared also, but they were happy for me, they knew that was what i wanted to do. they area very supportive and very happy at the results of the surg.

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

they were kinda surprised, but happy for me. i told them that i would be off 6 to 8 weeks.

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

i was at the hosp. for 5 days, it was kinda rough, i started vomiting on the 2nd. day. that was terrible, thought i was going to die. they didnt know why, they took all kinds of pic. found out i hadnt had a bowel movenment yet. something so simple but so terrible if it doesnt happen. the most important thing is to have a bowel movement. other then that i had a good stay, my first time in the hospital. i do think that it would be a good idea not to put you in a room with someone that can eat regular food, that was hard, the smell just bothered me badly.

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

i thought i had made a big mistake haven the surgery. i thought what was i thinking when i went and did this. but i did talk to people that had the surg. and they said they felt the same way at the begining.

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 felt sick, didnt want to eat. i wasnt hungry. the smell of food was terrible, so i didnt go in the kichen when everyone was in there cookin. my faith in god got me through this surgery. jesus told me that everything would be alright. he has helped me so much.

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

i felt sick alot. im a nurse so you eat fast sometimes. that was hard not to do at first. so i got sick a couple times from eating to fast. i also notice that when i watched tv. that about everyother commercial is about food, that was hard.

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

i had my surg. in warren mi. thats about 2.5 hours from my home. my brother or husband drove me to all my aftercare appt.

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

i didnt do much was in alittle more pain. i did walk every 2 hours, just around the house. then i would start to wash the dishes.

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

at first i was on chewable vit. and tums. now i take centrum silver and oscal with vit d. i also take iron, and a vit. b12 shot every month

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?

at first it was the nausia and vomiting. but now its the hair loss. now i keep my hair short

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

the first week. when i was vomiting in the hosp. that was horrible, i thought i was going to die.

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

i havent yet i would like to find one closer to my home. i think its very important to have other people to talk to about what you are going through

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

its kinda long. i didnt think it would be that big. but it was worth it.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i had one that lasted about a month i thought i had did something wrong. but i started to loss again.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes, they were more friendly to me. which made me feel good and kinda mad. just because i had lost weight. i was still the same person before the surg.