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

I'VE KNOW ABOUT IT FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT DIDENT THINK IT WAS FOR ME, UNTILL MY KNEE MADE IT HARD FOR ME DO DO ALMOST ANY KIND OF ACTIVITY! AND DR RECOMENDED THE SURGERY...

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

THANK GOD, IT WENT PRETTY FAST FOR ME, WENT TO SEMINAR MAY 8TH.. HAD WLS AUG, 20TH...

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

LOTS OF INFO.. GREAT

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WANTED TO START LIVING AGAIN

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

DOCTORS HELP

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?

NO REAL FEARS, THEY RUN ALOT OF TEST BEFOR HAND, AND DR, AND HOSPITAL HAVE A GREAT REPUTAION.

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 FELT BAD THAT I CHOSE THIS, BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT, I WAS GOING TO BE STARVING.. BUT I'M NOT!!

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

N/A

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

I HAD SUGERY ON A MONDAY - OUT ON WENSDAY... I WAS GADE I TOKE MY SLIPPERS, THEY DID GIVE ME BUTTIES, BUT SLIPPERS ARE BETTER, BECUSE THEY WANT YOU TO WALK. ALSO I TOKE SOME ""LOSE"" PJ BOTTOMS TO WARE UNDER THAT NICE HOSPITAL GOWN, BECAUSE I DIDENT WANT TO MOON ANYONE IN THE HALLWAY .LOL

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

NO

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 FINE I COPED, HAS EXCITTED TO GET IT DONE.

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

MY SELF EVERY THING IS GOING WELL, I HAD VERY LITTLE PAIN WHEN I GOT HOME. DID'ENT EVEN TAKE PAIN MEDS.. JUST A LITTLE BORDE WITH THE LIQ. DIET.

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

I HAVE TO GO TO PHOENIX AZ, ITS ABOUT 510 MILES ROUND TRIP. THAT IS THE MOST INCONVIENT, THING SO FAR.

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.

first 2 weeks out, i was on a liquids. 3rd week now i am allowed to eat soft and blended food.

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

no real restrictions.

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

i take a post bariatic surgery formilan chewable, OPISOURCE.

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?

NONE SO FAR.

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

NOT BEING ABEL TO EAT.

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

MOSTLY I AM ONLINE OBESITY HELP.COM

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

VERY SMALL ONES.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE SO FAR

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET!