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

I first heard media reports about people who had the surgery. I thought that it sounded pretty crazy and like a Frankenstein's monster situation.

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

Not hard at all because of medical complications.

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

I attended a group consultation.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was tired of being obese and diabetic. The medicines I took had me on a blood sugar roller coaster.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided on the lapband. During the operation the surgeon told my wife that they couldn't do a lapband on me because of the layer of fat I had surrounding an artery and she authorized a gastric bypass.

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 knew that there is always a risk of dying when under general anesthesia. I felt that it was worth the risk and that the odds were decidedly in favor of my surviving the operation.

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 wife was supportive. I believe that other people considered it extreme and rather crazy.

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

People at work thought that it was a crazy thing to do. As I am a Labor Union member my employer/supervisor opinion was irrelevant. I was out of work for 6 weeks because I lift heavy objects (such as operating a 100lb jackhammer).

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 just a blur in my memory as I was taking painkilling drugs and asleep most of te time. I was in the hospital for 3 or 4 days.

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

No complications.

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

For the first week or two I felt like I had been run over by a truck. I had thoughts early on of "What have I done?"

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

The first week was pretty rough. After that I felt fine.You come to realize that you actually can't eat food.

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

I attended a group for about 8 months but started working overtime and couldn't make it and fell away for the group. Support groups are very important early on.

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

I had laproscopic surgery with very minimal 1 inch scars here and there.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh yes indeed.