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

Onthe television, I began to see the comercials.

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

It was fairly easy, but I had to dot every I and cross every T, before they said yes...I had to work at it. Do not give up. believe in your mission and be relentless.

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

Informative, and supportive. I felt like I was not a bad person, that someone was able to help me, and understand me.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It wasn't a big decision. I saw one or two commercials and decided that I wanted to be free of all this fat and I never looked back.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon helped me chose.

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 didn't think about that. I kept my eyes on the positives and focused on that.

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?

Fear! Except my husband and daughter, they were with me all the way. Everyone else however, tried to talk me out of it,,,"You are not fat" " God made you that way" "You just need to eat better" Ha! That was before I lost 130 pounds,,then it was "Wow we never saw you as that heavy" so good thing i didn't listen to them! Now they are all very proud of my hard work!

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

Very positive, very encouraging. I just told them I was going to be out for a surgery and here is what it was for...only 3 weeks.

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

Great. There was a team atmosphere that was supportive and encouraging the whole time. I never felt alone. Bring a good book or MP3 player, so you can listen to music while you walk the halls, hospital music is awful : ) and a book so you don't have to watch food commercials while you rest!

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?

Excited.

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

Day 1 - 5 was awful! My body felt like it had been hit by a truck! I was in the bathroom every hour, that darn drain was strange and irritating and all i wanted to do was eat a cheeseburger! My emotions were wacko it sucked! Dasy 8-15 One thousand times better. I had energy like you wouldn't believe, I was never hungry, I was so excited. The drain was out, and I was loosing weight. Do expect much, rest and be patient with your body. Do the right things and the results will come.

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

30 min

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.

@ 5 yrs. post -op : Milk, ice cream, fast food burgers, most sweets, bread can be hard, fried chicken, fruit juice Let's put it this way it is easier to list what I can eat than what I can't!! : Steak, chicken, fish, seafood, veggies, fruits(non-citrus), cheese, crackers, rice, pasta, eggs. That's about it. I don't tend to eat anything combined like casseroles or chilies or stews. It's all separate items. and usually it's the same day after day, but i don't care because I don't crave variety, i really do just eat to live, i eat because if i don't I'd die. Simple. My family still has to remind me and sometime make me sit down to eat. But it's okay, cause my life is not about food any longer, it's about living! WooHOO

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

AMAZING. I mean I couldn't sit still. I cleaned the house, walked the neighborhood, rearrangs closets. I was a dynimo

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

B12, B1, Multi-vit., Calcium, Protien, Iron, Vit D

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

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

Dumping is bad, I hate that whenit happens, and sometimes it sneaks up on you whenyou think a thing is okay to eat and for whatever reason it isn't. It can be hell on a vacation or trip!

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

Just my friends and family,,without them it wouldn't be possible.

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

I don't have one,,just 4 little dots that look like moles. laproscopy rocks!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I stop losing a long time ago, in fact i have gained some. But it's all apart of being health. In times of stress i loose weight, during the holidays i eat more, and move less so i gain weight. It is a healthy cycle. never too much in any one direction.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Sure, men are more attentive, I get attention all the time, but how much of that is my own attitude projecting outwards and how much is them looking at my body? Not sure, don't care because it's not about them it's all about me. I didn't care before when the looks were bad, and i don't care now when the looks are good.