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

I FIRST FOUND OUT FROM MY SISTER AND I FIRST THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY.

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 A PROBLEM WITH MY INSURANCE BECAUSE I ALREADY KNEW THAT THEY WOULD COVER IT.

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

MY FIRST MEETING WAS GREAT. I HAD A LIST OF QUEATIONS TO ASK HIM. I TOOK THAT DAY OFF FROM WORK BECAUSE I NEED TO KNOW ALL OF THE PROS AND CONS TO GETTING THIS DONE. YOU GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM THIS MEETING.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS CLOSE TO 400LBS AND THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING HERE FOR MY CHILDREN.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WANTED TO WORK HARD AT LOSING THE WEIGHT AND ONE DAY WEARING A 2-PIECE BATHINGSUIT AND I JUST DIDN'T WANT A BIG SCAR.

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?

YOUR GOING TO HAVE THESE FEARS BUT IT GOES AWAY BECASUE THE DOCTOR ASSURE THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE. I MOSTLY PRAY ON EVERYTHING EVEN ON THE DAY OF MY SURGERY. FEAR IS SOMETHING THAT WILL HAPPEN AND I HAD ALREADY HAD ALL OF MY BUSINESS TOGETHER JUST IN CASE OF ANYTHING.

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 OF ME FOR GETTING THIS DONE. SOME OF MY FRIENDS WAS OK WITH IT AND SOME OF THEM SAID THAT I JUST NEEDED TO WORK OUT AND DO IT THE OLD FASHION WAY. SOME SAID THAT I WAS FINE THE WAY THAT I WAS. SO THOSE THAT DIDNT SUPPORT ME I STOP TALKING TO BECAUSE THEY WAS BRING ME DOWN.

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

MY BOSS WAS HAPPY FOR ME AND SHE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE ME BACK AT WORK. I WAS ONLY OUT OF WORK FOR A WEEK & HALF BUT I TOLD MY BOSS THAT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. SHE ASKED ME ABOUT IT AND I TOLD HER SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS THAT SHE SHOULD GO THROUGH WITH IT.

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

MY TIME AT THE HOSPITAL WAS GREAT. I ONLY STAYED FOR 2 DAYS. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I BROUGHT WAS A MINI BIBLE AND PERSONAL HYGINE STUFF, CONFRONTABLE CLOTHES TO WLK AROUND IN AND CELL PHONE.

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

NONE AT ALL I MOSTLY HAD A LOT OF GAS. THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT IS LET IT PASS.

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

WHEN I GOT MY DATE I WAS ON CLOUD 9. I WAS SO HAPPY THAT I JUST COULDN'T WAIT AT ALL. I WAS COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS.

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

MY FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS HOME WAS A SOMETHING TO GET USE TO. I HAD TO REALIZE THAT I WAS ONLY ON LIQUIDS AND COULDN'T EAT ANYTHING SOLID. SO COOKING FOR MY KIDS WAS HARD FOR ME. PEOPLE SHOULD EXPECT TO BE UPSET AND MAD FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT REMEMBER THAT IT WONT ALWAYS BE LIKE THAT.

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

I DIDN'T HAVE TO TRAVEL FAR AT ALL. THE NIGHT BEFORE I STAYED THE NIGHT AT MY SISTER'S HOUSE SO THAT WE WOULD GET THERE QUICKLY.

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.

IN THE WEEKS I WAS ONLY ABLE TO DO LIQUIDS FOR ALMOST A MONTH. THEN I WENT TO PUREE FOODS AND THAT WAS MOSTLY SOFT FOODS THAT I WAS EATING LIKE MASHED POTOES AND SOME BABY FOODS. IN 2MOS I STARTED MY TRAIL IS ERROR PHASE. DURING THIS PHASE YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU CAN AND CANT EAT. I CANT EAT BEEF,PORK, OR DRINK MILK. I DONT EAT FAST FOOD ANY MORE NOW BECAUSE MY STOMACH DONT AGREE WITH IT. I MOSTLY EAT VEGGIES, FRUIT, PASTA AND LEAN MEATS ONCE A WEEK. SO MOSTLY I ONLY EAT MEAT ONCE A WEEK. THE REST OF THE WEEK I EAT VEGGIES AND FRUIT.

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

DAYS AFTER THE SURGERY I WAS TIRED BUT I DID WALK AROUD THE BLOCK. IN WEEKS I STARTED WALKING A LITTLE FURTHER THEN BEFORE AND WITHIN MONTHS I STARTED THE GYM AND BECAME VERY ACTIVE.

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

I TAKE A MULIT-VITAMIN AND CALIUM AS WELL.

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?

THE NAUSEA AND VOMITING WAS THE WORST TO ME. BUT I NOTICE IT REALLY STARED FROM SMELLING SOMETHING COOKING AND IT WAS MAKING ME SICK. IT DIDNT LAST THAT LONG IT COMES AND GOES FROM TIME TO TIME.

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

JUST THE GAS. THE GAS WAS THE WORST THING EVER FOR ME.

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

I DONT HAVE ANY.

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

MY SCARS IS FINE AND THEY HAVE HEALED VERY NICELY.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE HAD A SET BACK EARLY IN THE SURGERY. BUT SINCE THEN EVERYTHING HAVE BEEN FINE.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES, SOME OF MY FRIENDS DONT CALL ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE SURGERY. SOME OF THEM WANTS TO INVITE ME TO EVERYTHING THEY ARE HAVING NOW.