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

i heard about carnie wilson.i thought it was just great.

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

my insurance company was great!!!!

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

fine no problems ,answered all of my questions and very pleasant person.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

when my older brother had a heart attack and then diagnosed with diabetes.

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?

the worst fear i had was being put to sleep and possibly developing a blood clot,so that night iwas up moving around.

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?

everyone has been really supportive friends,family,co-workers, just GREAT!!!

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

very supportive i was out of work six weeks,beacause i never took off and just wanted time for me!

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

it was o.k. the bed was very uncomfortable.i was in from thursday to sunday.comfortable clothes to go home in and comfortable slippers to walk around in and a robe that fits!!

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

none what so ever.

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 happy,scared just everything,i think i was scared about handling the body change because i was so used to my big body.

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

no problems ionly had to take the pain meds maybe 4x.i had to sleep with a lot of pillows to be comfortable.i was up and walking the neighborhood every morning for 30-60 mins.

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

i live in goldsboro ,n.c. and my surgery was in durham n.c.so aboutan hour and a half.

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 followed dr's instuctions and went from liquids to soft to semi soft to semi solids to slids i try to stay away from sugary foods and i only thrown up if i've eaten too fast.

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

i was sort of sleepy at first,but as the days went on my energy level increased.

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

centrum multi vitamin,hematinic-plus for low iron that i had pre-op,caltrate 600d for calcium i also still drink the high protien boost and i make protien shakes with whey protien.

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?

i haven't had any of these problems.

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

waiting for insurance approval and a surgery date.

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

i haven,t joined a support group, but keep in touch with peers in my town and peers that i met at the wls clinic.

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

my scars are completely healed they look like little scratches.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i can,t say that i have really had any.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes.