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

I talked with my friend and she told me about the Lap-Band, I got real interested, and started researching it..

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

I have struggled with getting approval for over a year! I am praying that they will approve me now that I have jumped through all the hoops to prove to them that I can not loose weight. We are now waiting for the approval on RN-Y They denied the Lap-Band

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

I had to take a Picture! Yuck.. I hated that part. But other than that, he was great

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The seminar!! Very Informative

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Well got denied for the lap band, so I am having the RNY. It seems like that is what I needed anyway, now that I have been researching on it

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 am scared about not waking up from surgery, but the positive outcome seems to be much greater.

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 friends are very.. very supportive. Hopefully I will have a couple of them in there with me! My children are excited. They want their mommy back.

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

Well they don't know yet. They will find out when I get scheduled. Like it or leave it. This is something I have to do in order to live a long life.

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

well the most part of 2 years I stayed in teh hospital.. or had home health taking care of me.. I am still being treated!!

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

YES... YES... AND MORE YES!! Many complications! oh so many

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

well the weeks after surgery I was on life support...

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

well when I finally did get to go home, I had home health coming everyday, and I was completely bed ridden.. and then.. oh yes back to the hospital..

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

about 30 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.

well I now can finally eat a lil bit of food, bread is off limits, but I have been fed most of the time through a g-tube or a central line. wow pretty fullfilling!

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

around 24 months later I can walk again. Most of the time I was in a wheelchair.

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

b12 is important! and I take flinstone chewables. Pretty tasty

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?

well I still throw up once a day or so, but it could be from all the pain meds I have to take. Dumping sucks!! But believe me you will dump if you eat the wrond things.. I lost every single hair I had on my head! I looked like I was a cancer patient! The day before my surgery my hair hit my hip. Its now growing back 2 1/2 years later

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

Well im thinking it depends on your surgeon. I really hate I ever decided to get it done. I am now trying to get a real life back.

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

I havent been a part of any support group. Just my kids and home health nurses

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

which scar? I have been cut open several times! But I did finally get a tummy tuck done and now I have no belly button, it looks gross, but much better than what I was left with from all the other surgeries

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes of course, lots of people look at me like I smoke crack or have cancer. I am all bones. its a different feeling from when I was over weight