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

I DID ALOT OF LOOKING ON THE WEB AND FINALLY CHOSE THE LAP BAND AND DR RODRIGUEZ IN JUAREZ MEXICO HOSPITAL ANGELES - AND WHAT A GREAT CHOICE I CANNOT STOP TALKING ABOUT HOW WELL EVERYTHING WENT

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

I HAD NOT INSURANCE AND COULD NOT GET ANY NO ONE WOULD COVER ME - SO THIS WAS ONE OF THE REASON WHY I WENT TO MEXICO - IT WAS 7000.00 AND MY PLANE FAIR - THIS IS THE WAY TO GO IF YOU DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE - YOU ALSO DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT THAT SILLY ONE YEAR PERIOD AND GO THRU ALL OF THOS EVALS THAT THE AMERICAN DOCS PUT YOU THRU - AS LONG AS YOUR BMI IS THERE THEY WILL HELP YOU WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED - AND YOU WILL LOVE DR RODRIGUEZ

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

MY FIRST MEETING WAS THE DAY OF MY SURGERY AND HE MADE ME FEEL LIKE I HAD KNOWN HIM FOR YEARS

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY WEIGHT AND MEDICAL REASONS

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I CHOSE THE LAP BAND DUE TO NOT WANTING THE DRASTIC SLEEVE OR GASTRIC

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?

NORMAL I AM SURE - BUT NOT AT HOSPITAL ANGELES OR WITH DR RODRIGUES

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 NERVOUS BUT ONCE THEY READ ABOUT IT AND I SENT THIS ALL THE INFO THEY WENT ALONG WITH ME AND ARE SO SUPPORTIVE

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

AWESOME

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

AWESOME - IT WAS SO CLEAN I WALKED AROUND FOR TWO DAYS IN WHITE SOCKS AND THEY ARE STILL CLEAN ONLY I KNEW THEY WERE DIRTY - THEY ARE SO SWEET - THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS A LITTLE LANGUAGE BARRIER BUT NOT MUCH AT ALL - I WAS THER FRIDAY SAT AND LEFT SUNDAY AM

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

JUST A LITTLE WITH A GAS BUBBLE RIGHT AFTER THE SURGERY BUT THEY WERE RIGHT THERE TO PULL ME OUT OF MY PAIN - BUT NOTHING THAT IS NOT NORMAL FOR SOME

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 FEEL AWESOME IT IS ONLY ONE WEEK AND A LITTLE AND I AM ALREADY DOWN 12LBS - I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DID NOT STAY ON THE LIGUIDS FOR TO LONG I HAD MY SURGERY ON FRIDAY WAS HOME SUNDAY AND BY WEDNESDAY I WAS ON CREAM OF WHEAT - MY STOMCH IS GETTING BETTER FASTER THAT THYE SAY IT WILL - BUT I HAVE CALLED THEM AND THEY SAY FOR SOME THIS IS NORMAL - I HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE PROTEIN DRINKS SO LET ME HELP YOU OUT RIGHT AWAY - GO TO THE STORE AND GET THE YOPLAIT YOGURT DIGESTIVE PLUS ONE CUP HAS ALL OF THE PROTEN YOU NEED IN ONE DAY - AND IT TASTES GOOD

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

ALOT OF GAS ESPECIALLY IN MY NECK - THE PROTEIN DRINKS - PLEASE JUST TAKE THE YOPLAIT YOGURT DIGESTIVE PLUS HEALTH THE VANILLA IS GREAT - IT HAS ALL THE PROTEIN YOU NEED IN ONE DAY IN ONE SERVING

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

I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND WENT TO JUAREZ MEXICO

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 TROUBLE WITH THE PROTEIN DRINKS AND ALSO WITH THE ATKINS DRINKS BUT SO FAR NOTHING ELSE AND I HAVE ALSO TRIED SOME SOLIDS VERY SMALL AMOUNTS AND THOSE ARE ALSO JUST FINE BUT AM TRYING TO STAY WITH THE FULL LIQUIDS AND THE THE SOFT FOODS BUT WILL GO WITH WHAT MY BODY NEEDS

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

1 WEEK SLOW 2ND WEEK MUCH BETTER

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

YOPLAIT DIGESTIVE PLUS YOGURT FOR ALL OF MY PROTIEN AND THE ADVANT EDGE VANILL - AND THE FUZE DRINKS - PLUS A B12 SPRAY AND AN IRON PILL - I AM GOING TO GET MY CENTRUM CHEWABLES THIS WEEK

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 NAUSEA AS OF YET EXCEPT FOR TRYING THE ADTKINS DRINKS THE FIRST DAY IT WAS GOOD BUT THE SECOND DAY I COULD NOT DRINK THEM - A LITTLE SLEEP DISTURBANCE BUT AFTER FIVE DAYS I AM SLEEPING THRU THE NIGHT NO HAIR LOSE

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

HMMMMMMM - I REALLY CANNOT SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE CLEAR LIGUIDS - I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER EATING CREAM OF WHEAT :-)

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

OH AND MY FRIENDS THAT I MET AT THE HOSPITAL WE ARE ALL STAYING VERY CLOSE AND GOING THRU IT TOGETHER

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

NOT TO BAD

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NONE YET

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YEAS THEY ARE ALL TELLING ME HOW AWESOME I LOOK AND HOW THEY CAN ALREADY TELL MY WEIGHT LOSE - ALSO MY COMPLEXION AND MY EYES ARE MUCH CLEARER NO TO SURE WHY BUT EVERYONE IS SAYING IT