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

I had friends who had had it done and had great success and then my dr recommended it.

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

just be patient, becouase it seems like forever.

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

frightening. have your questions written down so you don't forget anything.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i had just had a baby, and i wanted to be around for her.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

rouxny, dur to it's long term results.

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?

my biggest fear was dying and not seeing my baby again, i even wrote good bye letters to my family, luckily i didn't need them.

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 very supportive, scared of the unknown, but supportive.

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

i was out of work on maternity leave when i decided to have surgery. i am just now returning to work. I wanted to spend the first year at home with my baby.

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

My hospital stay was terrible. I was there 1 week, the nurses were just horrible. The most important things to take is your favorite toiletries, and a member of your family to look out for you ( if you aren't able)

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

no

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

prayer

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

it is a huge adjustment. I wasn't hungry, but mentally it was hard to watch everyone else eat. i had surgery just before christmas so i felt like i was missing out on all the goodies. now i know it's all worth it.

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

10 miles

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.

for weeks i lived on soup. but little by little i add new things and so far i have not had trouble with anything

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

days after was no activity. in the weeks after i started gradually walking and working on a bow flex machine.

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

multivitamin, b12, calciun, iron and protein supplement.

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?

hair loss has been a big thing for me, but it is starting to level out now.

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

nothing

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

dr huffmans patients hane once a month support group meetings.

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

i do have a large scar, and it is begger than i expected, but i don't care i figure with future plastic surgery it can be fixed.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

the weight loss has certainly slowed down, about 10 pounds a month now.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes