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

I first heard about it when my father decided to have it done. I was afraid for his life and health and asked him to consider it very carefully.

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

I didn't have to worry about this, because we paid privately...thank god.

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

My first visit was informative. He really sat down with me and answered all my questions, and made sure that I understood what I was getting into. My advice to anyone considering having this surgery would be to get a notebook beforehand and write down as many questions as you might have cross your mind, because if you don't, I promise you will forget a good many of them on that initial visit with the doctor. You want to leave there feeling as informed as possible so you can make the decision you need to make.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After talking with the doctor, and listening to everything that he had to say, I figured it would be the best thing for me to do. In fact, I really felt like it was the ONLY thing for me to.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

By viewing videos, researching it on the internet and talking to the doctor.

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 feared, naturally, that the surgery wouldn't go well, that something would go wrong on the table, or that I might get a blood clot later on or something. But what I'd tell people now is that the chances of that happening are small and those risks are there for any surgery. I wouldn't let a small percentage where things didn't go well deter me from doing what I needed to do.

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 would not have done anything differently, no. My family was very supportive, but some of my friends weren't.

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

I wasn't employed at the time so this wasn't an issue.

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

I was in the hospital for three days, and I guess overall it was okay. The first day was the worst. I would have liked to recieve some sort of pain killer BEFORE they required I get up and walk around a spell. But that didn't happen. Otherwise it was fine. The most important things to bring are other people! You will need somebody there, not only for emotional support but to help you physically. I wouldn't advise anyone to be alone the first couple of days of their surgery. In my case, I needed help getting in and out of the bed, going to the bathroom, just drinking a sip of water, for the first night. There's no way I could've made it on my own. I would have had to rely on the nurses just to go to the potty and sometimes that could've been a potentially long wait! So most important, is have someone spend the night with you. They of course need to bring whatever is necessary for their own comfort. You, yourself will not need much. But you might want to bring things for your own comfort. I brought socks, an extra blanket, shampoo and soap (the hospital's sucks), and a toothbrush and toothpaste.

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

I didn't have any complications.

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

Not far. The hospital is only about 10 min away from my house.

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

I take a multi-vitamin daily (w/ iron), a B-12 suppliment, calicum suppliment and protien suppliment.

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?

The worst side effect for me was the nerve damage that somehow occured post-op when I got home. It was very painful, so much so that I ended up in tears at times. The severe pain (which isn't so bad now) lasted probably about a month, now it comes and goes.

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

Well...I'd say the pre-op "bowel prep" wasn't that nice. That's got to be one of the worst things...it's disgusting. Right up there with it is the day after, the pain was horrible.

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

My scars are miniscule. They don't bother me at all.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice some female friends treating me differently, yes. Some of them don't even talk to me anymore. I have noticed more attention from the opposite sex, but I try not to let it bother me, esp. if it is negative attention.