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

I wanted it that same day.. i really dont know where i hurd it first...

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

I have filled out the OHIP forms..out of country sergery...im in Ontario and the waiting list that i am on is 2 years..not cool! so this way is much faster!!!!! i have been waiting fir over a month to hear back..it should be any day now! I was approved!!

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

Dr Hagen was great. He explained everything. He laied out all of my options. Make sure you write down questions before you go. One you get face to face you forget everything~!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I want to chage my life and this was the way for me

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

OHIP covers gastric bypass..that is it...that was what i wanted!it worked out!

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 didnt have worries about the surgery untill 20 mins before the surgery! for real!! i was reconsidering...untill Dr. Hagen came out and talked with me! then i felt better!

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 was amazing! i bought books and passed them around..so they were educated!

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

I told them only what they needed to know!

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

I was in for 2 days! the nurces were so amazing!! there was one! she was so good and honest!!!! the most important this i brought was a cd dick man! jus to have music..and a book!!! it was nice to relax!!!!!

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

No i was so blessed to have none!!!

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 had many other family issues before the surgery..my dad had a heart attack and he was having his surgery 1 day before...this was almost a blessing...the 1 day befoer thing~~~~ not that he had to have surgery!!!! but i focused on him and i did not have time to think about me!!! it was a good thing!

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

Today is my first day home and i really am scaried!! i dont know how to read my body yet!!! i dont know what is full and what is gas!!!! oh the gas...not fun!

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

2 hours!

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.

the first 2 weeks it was a full liquid diet...cream soups, cream of wheat,yogurt, pudding low fat everything! now im on moosh diet!!!! yum yum!

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

Very minimal i watched Tv and peed! good times!

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?

so far i have had not side effects!

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

the SCope

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

My scars look like this ______ all 5 of them! very nice!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At aobut 6months i staf at 234 ish. it was really hard but i knew what was oing on so i just hung in there... it dropped after about a month. i am now at 214 and sitting...it is just the norm for me now!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes i do.....Boys are so nice and flirty..girls can be nasty! ones that were not before!