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

A FRIEND OF MINE HAD IT AND AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I COULD LOOSE THE WEIGHT ON MY OWN BUT AFTER YEARS OF TRYING TO DIET AND 5 DAYS A WEEK AT THE GYM THE WEIGHT WAS NOT COMING OFF SO TO BE HEALTHY I FELT THAT I HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

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

FOR ME I DID NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY BUT FOR THOSE THAT DO I WULD SUGGEST THAT YOU KEEP TRYING AND DON'T LET NO BE THEIR FINAL ANSWER.

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

MY FRIST VIST WAS FINE BECAUSE BY THE TIIME I HAD MY SURGERY I HAD ALREAD KNOWN A FEW PEOPLE WHO HAD THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WLS AND THEY ANSWERED ALOT OF MY QUESTIONS.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WANTED TO BE HEALTHY

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

DID NOT WANT TO LOOSE THE WEIGHT TOO FAST SO I WAS HOPING THAT BY GOING WITH THE LAP-BAND AND GOING TO THE GYM I WOULD BE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME OF THE EXCESS SKIN.

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?

REALLY DID NOT HAVE ANY FEARS. MY SUGGESTION TO PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE FEARS MAYBE DO NOT NEED TO GO THROUGH WITH IT.

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 HUSBAND WAS FINE WITH MY DECISION AND THE REMANDER OF MY FAMILY I DID NOT TELL THEM UNTIL AFTER THE SURGERY.

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

AFTER 16 MONTHS I STILL HAVE NOT INFORMED THEM OF THE SURGERY. SINCE I HAD MY SURGERY ON JULY 3 AND WE HAD OFF THE 4 ALL I HAD TO DO WAS TAKE OFF THAT TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND WENT BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY WITH NO TROUBLE.

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

I WAS ONLY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A FEW HOURS. I CAME IN AT 5AM AND WAS HOME BY 3PM.

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

NONE

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

LIKE TO DATE COULD NOT COME FAST ENOUGHT.

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

THE ONLY THING I HAD WAS NOT TO LIFT ANYTHING OVER 5LBS.

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

30 MILES

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.

COULD NOT EAT SOLID FOODS FOR MAYBE 3 WEEKS I WAS ON LIQUIDS LIKE PROTEIN SHAKES AND THEN SOFT FOOD OATMEAL, APPLESAUCE OR EVEN BABYFOOD.

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

SLOW MOVING FOR THE FIRST WEEK AFTER ABOUT 5 WEEKS WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO THE GYM.

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

VIACTIVE MULTI VITAMINES AND CALCUME

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 WHEN I EAT TOO FAST NOT CHEWING MY FOOD ENOUGH.

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

FOR ME THERE WAS NOT WORST PART.

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

JUST THIS WEBSITE AND THE FRIENDS THAT HAVE HAD WLS.

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

VERY SMALL

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

LOST 100 GOT SICK BAND WAS TOO TIGHT THEY LOOSEN IT UP GAINED 20 BACK BUT WILL BE GETTING BACK ON BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT I REACH MY NEXT GOAL IN TIME.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

SINCE I HAVE LOST SOME WEIGHT I DO NOTICE THAT PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLYER TO ME.