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

I first heard about it when Carnie Wilson had it done. At first I thought it was to dangerous, but now that I have been doing research on it I feel the complete opposite.

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

I have Blue Cross PPO and so far I haven't had any problems at all.

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

He was very nice and easy to talk to. He was very informative about what to expect after the surgery. Make sure you take a list of questions with you so you don't forget anything.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I am tired of failing and I know with this I will not fail as long as I do what my doctor tells me to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

open rny was the only one he does

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?

Everyone has a fear of dying or having complications when you have any type of surgery but being overweight can kill you and give you a lifetime of complications.

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 scaredat first but when I told them about everything and the did their own research they became very supportive.

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

I don't work out of my home.

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

2 hours away

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

there have been no bad parts, everything has been great

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

my family plus i talk to a girl from my home town that had this done by the same doctor as me. also my doctor and his staff are very helpful

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

5 inches long, not that bad looking

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none so far

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no