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

4 years ago and was scared

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

be patinet and dont except no for an answer

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

he did not blame me for my weight problem and explined it was a disease

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my health

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

the doctor decided 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?

I would die without it

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?

they were happy for me

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

was not working

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

it was short, lip balm and puzzles

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

did not have any

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 think I did alright, sometimes you get upset because you can not eat like you use to.

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

everybody was very supportive

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

3 minutes

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.

steak and starbucks coffee

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

just walking

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

optisource

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?

losing hair. just starting to come back thicker

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

mental part

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

support group friends and family

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

they are small

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I really have not had any til now

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

just excited about me looking healthier