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

primary doctor.

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

had dual insurance and was able to have husband's insurance approve the surgery after 6 months of behavioral changes.

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

it would have helped if someone would have explained the 3 kind of surgeries better and explain the positive and negative of each surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

health and realizing I needed major help with weight control.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

went with what the insurance would approve.

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 did have fear about the 2 other types of surgeries so I was happy with the lab band, it appeared to have less risk factors. The doctor do a lot of testing to determine if the surgery will be safe for you or not before they consent to do the 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?

my family was very supportive and wanted me to be healthy, reduction of health problems and medicines. Hopeful a longer life.

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

Supervisor was not very supportive, stated she hoped it worked but many people she knew were unsuccessful. It was OK, she is never very supportive. I was off for 2 weeks.

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

I was in the hospital for 2 days which include one night stay. The hospital personnel were very attentive and helpful. The room was very confortable and private, it was an excellent facility.

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

I did not have any 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 was ready to have the surgery happen and did not experience any anxiety.

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

I did not realize how sore I would be, it was a little more painful than I realized, and I did not realize I would be on liquids for 2 weeks. I had to sleep in a recliner because it was difficult to get out of bed and roll over for about 5 days.

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

I was luck the facility is located in the same town as I live.

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 have just finished the first 2 weeks of post surgery and just finished with 2 weeks of liquids and starting soft foods. I have not been hungery, but have been making sure I have the required amount of water.

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

first week took it slow, second week I was cleaning house moving around a lot, I had to make sure I was not over doing it.

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

chewable iron, chewable multivitamins, and chewable calcium citrate.

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 have not had many side effects yet, I have experienced some lose bowels and nausea but both have been mild.

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

I did not realize how sore I would be after the surgery and did not realize I would be on liquids for 2 weeks.

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

I attended my first post diet class after 2 weeks of surgery. Which was very help regarding what to eat and vitamins needed.

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

I have more scar than I realized, I thought I would have 3 small one instead I have 4 small ones and I medium size scar.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

to early to say.