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

MY MOTHER HAD IT DONE IN 2001 AND IT TOOK ME 5 YEARS TO DECIDE IT WAS FOR ME AS WELL.

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

OXFORD APPROVED IT RIGHT AWAY.

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

SHE WAS A PRETTY AND DOWN TO EARTH DOCTOR. ASK HER ANY AND EVERY QUESTION TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT THING FOR YOU.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I COULDN'T TAKE THE WEIGHT ANY LONGER.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

OTHER POST-OP PATIENTS.

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?

DYING, NOT LOSING WEIGHT.

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 ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE.

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

THEY WERE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE. I AM OUT OF WORK FOR6 WEEKS.

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

IT WAS A GOOD STAY. I WAS THERE FOR 3 DAYS (MONDAY NIGHT-THURSDAY MORNING). I BOUGHT TOILETTRIES, BOOKS AND PAPERS AND I DID NOT USE ANY OF THEM. THE HOSPITAL SUPPLIED IT ALL.

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?

ANXIOUS FOR IT TO BE OVER.

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

MY STOMACH IS SORE AND I LOST CRAVINGS FOR CERTAIN FOODS.

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

ABOUT 1 HOUR. I WAS OKAY GOING AND RETURNING HOME.

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.

NO FATS, SUGARS, BREAD. YOU CAN EAT PUREED AND SOFT FOODS AND SINCE I AM EATING WITH A NEWBORN'S STOMACH, I ONLY EAT WHEN I AM REALLY HUNGRY.

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

LIMITED TO JUST WALKING.

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

VITAMINS, CALCIUM, JUICE AND VEGETABLE PLUS, B12, IRON AND ETC

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?

DUMPING, IT HURT LIKE HELL BECAUSE MY STOMACH HAS NOT RECOVERED AS YET.

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

DUMPING.

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

NYU AND OBESITY HELP

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

STILL HEALING, SO I AM UNSURE.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE SO FAR.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET.