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

i have know about it for years but was very scard of it also my ins. would not pay for it then and now they do but it takes awhile to get them to say yes i cant wait till they do say yes

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

have not been aproved yet .keep copies of all paper work dont give up keep fighten them they will help you it just may take time i am learning that now my self just keep fighten

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

ask questions talk to them let them know how you feel

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I DO NOT WANT TO DIE I HAVE 5 GREAT KIDS AND LOVELY FAMILY I WANT TO LIVE

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

reseaching it learning asking questions talking to people watching discovery health channel

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?

well i am still going through this but let me tell you this i am going to die being this weight i cant handle this so why not try this and just maybe have a whole lot better life

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 family and friends are behind me 100 % of the way i cant get no better support than i have

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

i dont work right now but after i get wls done and lose weight i am going to get a JOB

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

the hospital stay was the worst i was in icu for 6 days never got a bath or anything and to top it off i started me period i9 was nasty by the time i got to come home

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

lots of them .. my sugar was out of control , i could not breath .. i was really bad and my surgeon left a stapler inside of me

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 ready i could not wait to have it done i had waited long enough

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

i was very sore but did drop alot of weight i have a hard time getting all thge water and protein in still

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

we drive 150 miles one way to my surgeons office

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 my self limit everything and if i have it on hand i dont want it

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

not very good

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

mulit-vitmun

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?

lossing my hair i had problems with that for about 3 months and i still do if i dont get my protein in

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

the wait

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

here and my family

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

its big and ugly not what i wanted

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i never hit a plateau til i was like 6 months out

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes more people talk to me now and are much nicer now