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

I WAS AND AM HAVING FEMALE PROBLEM AND MY DOCTOR EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO OPERATE ON ME BECAUSE I FELL INTO THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CATAGORY FOR SURGERY BECAUSE OF MY WEIGHT. HE THEN SUGGESTED THE GASTRIC BYPASS

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

FRYE HAS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND PART OF THAT PROGRAM WAS THAT WE HAD TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED FROM OUR DOCTORS. THAT WAS THE HARDEST PART WAS TO GET THE DOCUMENTED INFORMATION. BUT ONCE THAT WAS DONE WE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH INSURANCE

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

LONG. BECAUSE HE WAS CALLED INTO SURGERY WE HAD TO WAIT FOREVER. BUT I FOUND HIM VERY PROFESSIONAL AND CONFIDANT

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WANTING MORE OUT OF MYSELF.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I ASKED A NURSE WHERE I LIVE WHICH SHE WOULD DO AND SHE SUGGESTED THE BYPASS VERSES THE LAPBAND

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 CLOSER IT GOT THE MORE FEARFUL I GOT. I WAS TELLING THE PEOPLE I WAS CLOSEST TO HOW MUCH I CARED FOR THEM. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THINGS UNSAID. I'M NOT SORRY THAT I DID THAT BUT THERE WAS NO NEED FOR THAT. SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO FACE YOUR FEARS AND DO 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?

MAINLY SUPPORTIVE. I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN 2 OF MY FRIENDS BECAUSE THEY AT THE SAME TIME BECAME SELFISH FOR DIFFERENT REASONS AND AT THE TIME I NEEDED THEM THE MOST THEY WEREN'T THERE. AT LEAST ONE REGRETS THAT DECISION NOW BUT THE OTHER DOESN'T. MY FAMILY IS WONDERFUL. I COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER

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

THEY WERE WONDERFUL. I WAS OUT ROUGHLY 2 WEEKS. I WORK AT A DESK. WHEN I NEEDED TO LEAVE EARLY THEY HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT.

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

I WAS THERE 2 DAYS. THE NURSES AND STAFF WERE GREAT. THE LAST DAY WAS THE DAY THAT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THE NURSES WERE 100% GIVING THEIR ALL

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

NONE

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

RELAXED AND RELIEVED

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

FINE. DIDN'T FEEL LIKE DRINKING OR EATING ANYTHING. SOMETIMES I STILL DON'T. I HAD TO FORCE MYSELF TO EAT AND DRINK.

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

I TRAVELED ABOUT 50 MILES OR AN HOUR AWAY. I AM NOT ABLE TO GO TO SUPPORT GROUPS BECAUSE OF TIME AND DISTANCE.

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'M STILL NOT ABLE TO EAT BEEF OR PORK (HAVEN'T TRIED) TUNA FISH MADE ME QUEASY. THE FIRST WEEK IT WAS CREAM OF WHEAT WITH PROTIEN POWDER. SLOWLY I WAS ABLE TO MASHED POTATOES, EGG DROP SOUP, REFRIED BEANS.... REGULAR EGGS, SHAVED CHICKEN (SOMETHING I DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE AGAIN) THEN REGULAR CHICKEN. I MAINLY EAT PROTEIN AND THEN A LITTLE VEGGIES DEPENDING WHERE I'M AT.

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

SLOWLY STARTED TO WALK. PUSHED MYSELF TO MAKE THE EFFORT TO AT LEAST WALK. NOW WALK MONDAY - FRIDAY AT LEAST. IF NOT ABLE TO WALK THEN DO A WORK OUT VIDEO- OR AT LEAST PART OF ONE.

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

CALICUM, ONE A DAY ADVANCED COMPLETE, B-12, IRON, BIOTON, CRANBERRY VITI. AND BENEFIBER AND STOOL SOFTNERS

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'VE ONLY THREW UP 2 TIMES SO I KNOW I'M LUCKY. THE MAIN PERSISANT SIDE EFFECT IS THE NAUSEA FEELING SOMETIMES AFTER I EAT. I TRY TO WAIT ON THE TUMS OR CALICUM TO TAKE THEN.

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

THE NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE THAT MUCH AFTER THE SURGERY. FELT LIKE I WAS SLIPPING TOWARDS THE END OF THE BED BUT COULDN'T MOVE MYSELF INTO A COMFORTABLE POSITION

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

IT IS IMPORTANT TO GO WEIGH IN AND SEE THE DOCTOR. I'M UNABLE TO GO TO GROUP WHICH IS WHY I'M ON THIS WEB SITE

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

THEY ARE STILL RED. HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO EXPECT BUT PUTTING VITIMAN E ON IT TO HELP IT OUT

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A PLATEAU YET.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

A LITTLE BUT NOT REALLY. SOME WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE SURGERY, OTHERS DON'T CARE.