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

I have known about it for many years. I thought that Gastric Bypass was too risky. I have known about Lap Band for a few years now, but never seriously looked into it until this past May. I chose Lap Band because I believe it is safer and I like the fact that it is adjustable.

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

The hardest part of insurance approval was waiting a month. I was able to get all of their requirements together within 3 weeks time. It took about a month for insurance to approve it. I was approved on the first request. It was not hard at all, but I have heard horror stories.

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

My first visit with the surgeon went well. I had previously attended an information session so I knew a lot already. He was very nice and willing to help. Basically we just talked about my diet, he answered a few questions, and then said OK, let's file insurance approval. I was pretty much OKed by the surgeon when I walked in the door. However, I had already gotten clearance from my PCP, Dietician, and Psych Eval.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It had come to a point where I knew I did NOT have a choice. If I did not do something I was going to be over 300#, and I just couldn't bare the thought of it. I made up my mind that I was ready for the lifestyle change that this entaled.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had ruled out By Pass before I even looked into Lap Band. So basically Lap Band was my one and only choice. The only one I would ever even consider.

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 complications were less than a 1% chance. I was not too worried about anything happening. I did jokingly tell someone they could have my cat if something happens, but I knew the Lord would protect me. He would not have brought me this far, and sail through approval to have me join him. At least that was my thinking. I did get an infection after surgery. That has been a battle, but luckily the port did not get infected. It has cleared up and I am almost completely healed now. If you have fears I say pray. The Lord will bring you comfort. Also, talk to your surgeon about it. It may comfort you to get reassurance from him/her.

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?

All of my friends and family reacted well. My mother was a little apprehensive, but mainly because of the surgery itself. I would not do anything different about telling them if I could. After surgery EVERYONE was VERY supportive. Especially when I got infected. I could not ask for a better support system. They are still very supportive.

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

My Supervisor reacted suprisingly well. He was VERY willing to work with me. I just explained what I was doing. He was very supportive. I was off of work for 2 weeks. I took an LOA.

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

I was only in the hospital about 2 hours after surgery. My surgery was done outpatient.

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

3 out of 5 incsions got infected. I went to the doc a lot. Luckily it was a superficial infection and had not gone to the port. They are almost all healed now. I just did what the doc told me and prayed.

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 was VERY excited. I did not really get nervous until the day before surgery. This was surgery number 7 for me in my life, so surgery itself did not scare me.

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

I was really sore. Pain medicine helped some. After the first 2 days I did not need it anymore. About the first 12 hours I had these tight contraction like pains that I had to breathe through, but they were not too bad. My infection started setting in about 5 days after surgery. That was/is a battle, but I dealt with it. The first few days I was not hungry at all. I had to make myself eat. I would say just relax and try to get as much rest as you can, but when you are awake WALK that will help get all the gas out and help with pain.

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

My surgeon is about 30 minutes from my home.

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

My surgeon reccomended to wait 4-6 weeks to resume exercise. I did some light walking.

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

2 Flintstones

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?

I have had minor hair loss. Other than that it has been smooth sailing.

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

The infection, and not being able to swim for 8 weeks due to the infection.

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

There is a monthly support group through my surgeon's office. Support groups are very important.

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

2 of them are perfect. The other 3 that got infected are going to be not so pretty, but it's ok. They will eventually fade.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

About 2 weeks after surgery I stopped losing and flutuated up and down without losing for about a week and a half.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not necessarily teating me differently, but everyone is very supportive.