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

My aunt had it done in 2003 and i was JEALOUS.

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

Tricare in my region took care of everything!

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

My first meeting was the required seminar. It answered ALL of my questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was desperate and hopeless.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i like suger, so i went with the roux-en-y.

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 any concerns, i had faith ing od and just hoped for the best.

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 husband had alot of concerns, but no one else had much of an opinion.

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

I wasnt employed, thank god! my recovery ended up taking forever! 8 days in the hospital, a week at home hooked up to a PICC Line, and about another week after that.

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

My stay was wishy/washy. Some of the nurses were WONDERFUL, and one was TERRIBLE. I was there for 8 days, and I had a nurse visit my home for about a week after my stay. Things to bring... CHAPSTICK, shampoo and conditioner.

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

YES My bowel herniated up into my small intestine and was being cut off from my blood supply, so nothing could go through. i had to have a second surgery three days after my first to correct the issue.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

EXCITED I was soooo anxious to be thin again.

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

my husband had to whipe my butt for me because i couldnt reach! i couldnt move comfortably for weeks. I had a JP tube in my tummy and if i twisted even the littlest bit it hurt really badly. because of my complications i couldnt eat or drink anything for a total of 15 days!!! not even water! i had to be hooked up to my PICC Line for 12 hours a day for nutrition.

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

about an hour and 15 minutes.

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.

my tolerance changes from day to day... some foods give me pain more than others... like beef. but i can pretty much eat anything i like.

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

0 for a while, but it is back to normal now.

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

flintstones, vista vitamins now

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?

hair loss, back pain, headache, nausea

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

the NGT in my nose for 6 days!!! it was sooooo uncomfortable. and it hurt to turn my head.

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

support group at Bremerton Naval Hospital once a month... it is awesome!!! i like seeing other peoples success and it is fun to share mine with people who understand.

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

about 8 inches or more and it is wider than most bc my incision opened up after my staples were taken out. it is much larger than i expected... it is higher than i expected... it starts between my breasts and just keeps going.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have hit two plateaus... one at 289, and one now at 264.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES!!! I get checked out alot more!! when i see people i havent seen in a while, they freak out! my husbands friends are all jealous!