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

searching the internet, my initial impression was that this would be a great thing for me.

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

I did not have any trouble getting approved. The doctors turned the paper work in and I was approved within a week.

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

My first meeting I was excited but very nervous. I would say take someone with you that will be able to tell you what the doctor has said once you get home and your not so nervous. Also ask as many questions as you can, no matter how stupid they sound.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to start my life over, being healthy.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The hospital I went to almost always does the laproscopic, so I agreed with that.

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 was a little scared, but that is normal. Jsut keep thinking how your life will be better once the surgery is over and your a lot thinner. The good outweights the bad.

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 all supportive, and of course scared because it's major surgery anything could happen. But they were all there for me before and after the surgery.

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

My stay at the hospital was not bad. I went in for surgery on a tuesday afternoon and I went home on thursday afternoon. I would say the most important thing that I took with me to the hospital was chap stick. You don't realize how dry you get until you don't eat or drink for a few days.

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

NO complications at all!

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 could not wait for the day to be over.

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

I really did not have any trouble after surgery. I did not take any of my pain medication, The only thing that was kind of annoying were the drain tubes. I know that some doctors do not use them. They don't hurt, they just kind of bug you hanging on your belly.

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

I only had to go 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.

First few weeks it was just water, broth, crystal light. Then I got to go to soups, milk. liquidy things. After about a month I started with the eggs, cottage cheese, softer food. At about a month and a half I was pretty much back to normal eatting. I am now 2 month out and I can eat pretty much anything, the only things that I have trouble with is meat. The only meat that I really eat it chicken.

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

I was tired a lot, but I think that it was probably because I was not really eating. I tried to do my treadmill at least 30 minutes a day.

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

There are a lot of vitamins. To many to remember off the top of my head.

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 really did not have any side affects. The first one that I had was when I tried to eat ground beef, a little over a month and a half out. I got a full feeling and stopped eatting, but It seemed like the food just would not go down, I eventually vomitted it up and I immediately felt better.

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

Like I said before the worst part for me was the drain tubes in my stomach. They did not hurt, they were just really annoying.

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

The only aftercare that I have are my doctors appt. 1 week 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and then yearly.

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

I have six little scars, less than 1 inch each. Barley noticable.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice people telling me more that I like nice, like I really lost a lot of weight.