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

From a friend; it sounded interesting.

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

No problem with insurance at all

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

A little scary, but the surgeon and staff were so non-chalant about he surgery and recovery, it helped relieve my fears.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I really think in the grand scheme of things, I was just ready or I would've never done it when I did.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Least-intrusive surgery

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?

Most were really excited; with one exception.

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

I told the truth. She was apprehensive, but supportive. I was off 3 weeks.

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

I stayed overnight. By the afternoon of the surgery, I was sitting in a chair eating jello.

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

2 and 4 months following surgery, I was back at the hospital having hernia surgeries. They really were harder on me than the bariatric surgery.

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 felt great physically, but it was hard being on a liquid diet.

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

Don't expect too much from yourself too soon. Know that this is not an easy solution, but so fulfilling!

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

It was only about 10 miles from home.

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.

I started in the first weeks on a liquid diet, then gradually advanced to mushies and so forth. It definitely took some getting used to, but it's well-worth it. I have not eaten anything fried, pasta, rice, or bread since the surgery. I haven't had any soda. It's a lifestyle change, not a temporary fix.

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

I walked quite a bit, but didn't life for quite sometime.

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

Centrum Silver multi-vitamin.

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

My family and friends are my support system. For the most part, they've been right there along with me!

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

Really minimal scarring, which is what the doctor told me to expect.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Probably the worst is the weight-loss plateaus. You have to expect that you'll lose rapidly at first, then slow to a snails crawl after a while. It's normal and perfectly alright!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

The majority of the people seem really excited for me, while a few seem a bit resentful. That's rare, though, and normally girlfriends who haven't had any luck losing weight.