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

My dietician suggested it to me because I was begging her to find a way to make me thinner. When she told me, I couldn't stand her for saying that. I didn't want to be a cheater. I wanted to be thin the old fashion way, through sweat and tears.

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

Dr. Jones was great he answered my questions, made me feel comfortable and then said more things to back my reasons for the surgery. I had to wait for him, but once he was in the room it was my time. He let me control the pace and let me decide the date.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I started getting depressed and the aches and pains persisted more. I had lost 35 pounds during the winter, but put it all back on with in 3 months. I then saw on the news about Gastric Bypass and they were interviewing these 2 people and asking them why they were doing it and all of there answers were what I was thinking. I am tired of losing the same 25 pounds over and over, it is getting tougher and tougher to get out of bed. I want to watch my kids grow up. So, I talked to a few people that had it done and heard what they had to say, went to a couple of meetings and decided this was the best thing for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

It was decided for me. I went in and the doctor said that I was a candidate for laproscopic bypass and that is what he preferred because he said the healing time was so much faster and it was safer. That is all I needed to hear to agree with him.

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 have 2 young girls that mean the world to me, and I was afraid that I wouldn't make it through the surgery and I didn't want my kids to not have a father... What I would say that have the same fear now is to not worry. Gastric Bypass has been done thousands of times and technology gets better every year.

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 has said that they will support me in anything I do. I believe they are worried and some of them might not think that I need this procedure. My family has been great. They have asked what they can do after the surgery to help me recover. My girls don't understand what is happening, all they know is that they get to visit me in the hospital. My friends have been real supportive. Like my family some of them don't think I need the procedure, but they have said if it makes me happy then they are happy for me.

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

I have a great boss, when I told him, he said really? He said he would support me. The timing of my surgery he would have preferred a different date as we were getting ready to start a huge project. I told him I would be back in time for it which I was.

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

My stay in the hospital was ok. The first day I was there, the nurses were extremly nice and helpful to me. The 2nd and 3rd day, the nurses were really busy so they would take a while to get in to see me. Overall the stay was positive.

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

No problems. It went very smooth.

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

When I first got out, the drive home was very painful. Every bump we hit I felt as though someone was hitting me in the stomach. The first day I was very week and didn't feel like moving much, but I did get a walk in. Each days got better and better. By the end of the first week, I was feeling great.

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

The first couple of days you are moving pretty slow. I had a tube still in my stomach for excess draining of blood. As soon as I got that out, I felt great. I started working out right away.

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

Only about 20 miles

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 only problems that I have found since the surgery is that you eat the same food over and over and it gets very old fast. Being 4 weeks out, I have started testing the waters and have found that grapes should not be eaten this early. The skin of the grapes are thick and don't necessarily go into the pouch, they kind of get stuck. Each week I get to try something new and that helps with the boredom of eating the same foods.

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

After about the first 3 days home, I started to feel so much better, I was able to go for walks...Once my tubes came out, I started working out and my energy level went through the roof.

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

3 years out, I am still taking my daily vitamin, B-12, and iron pill but I dont' think I need that any more.

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 vomiting in the begining, I learned how to vomit with out it hurting. : ) They didn't last long, just when I tried new foods.

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

My scars are very minimal.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

3 years out, I don't just lose weight with out trying. I now have to work at it. I guess the honeymoon is over.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, as a fat person, there would people that wouldn't talk to me...Now that I have lost this weight, I am recognized...Now it is I that doesn't talk to them. My outside appearance changed but I am still me.