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

I found out through a very good doctor whom I will forever miss.

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

It was touch and go but in the end I was approved. I would advise those who are going through this to hang in there and keep on trying.

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

I was a little scared and hesitant but warmed up to my surgeon after a 1 on 1 sit down. You will learn alot by having a 1 on 1 discussion with the surgeon who will perform the surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I read all the available material that I could get my hands on.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I weighed out the pros and cons of each procedure to determine what was best for me.

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?

My biggest fear was if I was going to wake up after the surgery. I would suggest that anyone with these same fears to talk to as many people as you can and hope for the best.

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?

Most of my family and friends were very supportive of my decision. I would have asked that those who were not to try and accept the decision I have made for myself. My family was very supportive of me after the surgery as well.

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

I was not employed during my pre-operative procedure, however I found it a little easier to find work after I lost most of my weight.

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

I had a very good stay at the hospital I was at.I was there for 7 days. The most important thing to bring is anything to pass the time cause it can get a little boring.

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

I did not have any complications after my surgery, things went very well.

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 felt a little scared and anxious at the same time, I had family and friends to support me and keep me on track.

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

I was sore as hell. I would tell people to expect to be sore as hell.

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

I traveled about 400 miles to get to the hospital I chose. I had to find my aftercare elsewhere due to travel constraints.

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 could not eat anything except clear liquids for the first 6 weeks. Then I could have other liquids for the next 6 weeks. I was then able to have soft foods for the next 6 weeks. I was then able to have solid foods after that. The things I could not have were rich tasting foods, most red meats, spicy foods, or candy. I am now almost able to eat most foods however there are some foods that I can no longer eat cause they will upset my stomach and are mostly indigestible.

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

I found that I could move around more and even start riding my bike 6 months after my surgery. My activity level giot more and more active evry month after the 1st 3 months after my surgery.

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

I take a multivitamin every day, an Iron pill every day and a vitamin b-12 supplement every 7 days.

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?

Nausea was the worst also I occasionally went through hot flashes once in a while. The biggest problem for me now is the hair loss. I still have some of these after effects even today but they a minute next to a new life.

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

The worst part for me was the pain. The soreness was alot for me to handle.

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

I have the support of my family and a counselor to talk to. I feel it is important to have a person to talk to about things so I can stay on track and keep the weight off.

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

The scar was big but that was because of the open surgery I had however now because of the cosmetic surgery I have had the scar is minimal. I didn't really expect the scar to be as big as it was.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had tremendous success in my overall feellings of myself and my life. I am making alot of progress towards my goal but have yet to reach it.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes alot of people now get to know who I am and don't judge me first however some people still do, also alot of people are quite surprised when they find out i used to weigh almost 500 lbs.