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

My daughter had it done very sucessfully. First impression was it was my only way to get back to health.

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

sThe doctors and nursing staff couln't be nicer or more attentive.

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

No complications from surgery, however I was back in the emergency room winin 10 days for terrible pin from being impacted and the next week for having a major blockage and needed morphine

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 terrible, thought I made the worst mistake of my life. I had considerable pain primarilly from eating. I was week. I was out of work for 8 weeks and it almost killed my business. I had a lot of anxiety and just barely delt with it.

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

I have found that everyone's experience is different. do not expect a bed of roses. Do not think you are automatically cured of the psycological and emotional disorders that contributed to your obesity. You have to work hard at it every day and there will be many days you will fail. However there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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

Not that far 35 miles-- no effect except it was a long ride when I had to go to the emergency room in terrible pain.

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 eat liquid in the beginning, then soup and chilli worked for the most part. I could eat low fat yogurt, but not the drinkable stuff which made me very sick. Fish in any form which I like would always couse me pain including wet tuna salad. (It was one of the first things my daughter could eat?) Hamberger with ketsup goes down OK. Not much else worked very well except for creamy and consume soups.

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

at first just moderate then as time went by it has gotten much better.

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

Centurum vitamins. I eat a lot of soy chips.

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 had bad times of extreme pain once from being impacted ( but the hospital never found this out; I did after having a large bowel movement the next day)I also blocked my hole and was extreme pain for over 18 hours. I went to emergency room and they gave me pain killers until the pain finally passed about 8 hours later. I've gotten blocked since then but nothing like that time or for the amount of time. I'm 41/2 months post op right now and still get blocked sometimes by foods I normally tolerate well. ??

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

the first 10 weeks--Also doubting yourself if you made the right decision and will you be able to maintain the new life stlye or not? I still have my doubts about that one.

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

Primarily speaking to my daughter who wnt through the procedure 18 months before me. I wnt to 1 support meeting and found it helpful and plan on going again.

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

Scars are minimal and you can hardly see them at all. Having a hairy abdomen helps alot also..

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really