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

heard from a friend. My first impression was doubtful that it really worked

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

not an easy task...be persistent

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

very imformative...but I went prepared

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

physical limitations...wanted my life back

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

doctor's recomendation

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?

you here the horror stories...mine went well

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?

some concerned my husband was very supportive of whatever my decision was going to be

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

ok

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

very good -- 3 days most important thing to bring? positive attitude

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

I had a stricture but it was easily fixed

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

ready to do it

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

it was easier than I thought it would be...but I did need help getting up and getting out of bed

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

100 miles... I had to stay within 30 minutes of my surgery for the 10 days immediately following ssurgery

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 had a great deal of difficulty with protein, fats, starches, sugars

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

limited but ever increasing

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

B 12 B complex Multivitamin Iron Calcium Protein shakes

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?

vomiting it improved after stricture was repaired... however I simply limited what I ate to things that I knew I could eat. bean soup became my best friend

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

approval process

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

none

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

extremely small...much smaller than what I expected

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateaued at about 15 lbs more than I want