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

I first heard about it on TV. My first thought was, "Wow, I can't believe that there is something out there that may actually help." I was very excited.

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

My experience was very quick and easy. I got approved on the first try. My advice would be to keep good records of ALL phone calls.

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

My first visit was very informative. The best way to get the most out of the appt is to be prepared. Bring a notebook and a list of questions or concerns.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The support of family and friends in addition to overwhelming confidence in my Dr.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had the proceedure that my Dr. recommended

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 had no fears.

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?

I have the best group of family and friends. I had nothing but full positive support from all freinds and family.

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

My employer and coworkers were on my journey with me from day one. I was very honest about everything. I was off work for 12 days.

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

My hospital stay went very well. I had surgery on a Wednesday morning and I went home on Friday evening. The most important things to bring were personal items such as toothbrush/toothpaste, deoderant, slippers etc.

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

I did not have any complications.

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 was very excited and nervous at the same time. I just talked about my feelings and it made the anxiety go away.

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

I was sore, and very tired, but I really felt great. I had a very good starting weight loss and I think that helped.

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

I had to travel 1 1/2 hours and it did not effect my aftercare.

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.

My first two weeks were strictly liquid nutrition. Then pureed foods for 4 weeks. The soft solids for 2 weeks. Then full diet after that. In the beginning I had trouble with milk, but that eventually got better after a couple of weeks.

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

The first week I just did light walking around the house. The second week I was able to move around better and even went shopping. I went back to work 12 days after surery and I have increased my exercise level and look foward to increasing even more.

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

I take a multivitamin with iron, B complex, and 500mg calcium. ALL LIQUID OR CHEWABLE FORM.

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?

no side effects. the worst thing was the taste of the liquid pain medication. YUCK!!

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

I had to have a upper GI the day after surgery to make sure there were no leaks. I think believe it or not was the worst part.

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

The program that I went through has a monthly support group and chat room. It has been very helpful to me.

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

It is not as bad as I expected. My procedure was Open I has a scar fom my breast bone to my belly button but it is just a thin line.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am still newly postop and I have not had a plateau experience yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet