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

Heard about by-pass surgery and was not interested in that at all. When I hit 300 pounds, my husband and I started researching options and found the lap-band option.

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

No problem, the insurance came through in just a few weeks.

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

First doctor was not impressed with at all. Felt I would never see him again after he got my money. Then after visiting a support group for found current doctor and he was great! Ask questions. If the doctor won't give you the time beforehand, he certainly won't after surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Weighing over 300 pounds and insurance approval.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

No way I was going to have the by-pass- too drastic. The lap-band is adjustible and not so invasive.

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?

that this was for THE REST OF MY LIFE. Then I decided I wanted to have a rest of my life.

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?

Surprise, supportive. Of course my Mother in Law made the comment, last Christmas (and down 80 pounds) "You'll probably gain it all back". Don't need that kind of support.

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

Didn't tell them 'what' surgery I was having, only that I was going to be off for surgery.

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

Went in about 8 am, was able to go home the same day as soon as I could drink a bottle of water.

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

None. Worst part was the reaction to the latex in the bandaid. Once I switched that to non-latex everything was great.

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

The weight loss more than made up for any anxiety. Almost immediately people started noticing the weight loss which boosted my morale.

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

You are totally focused on 'what' and 'how much' you can eat. STill that way 2 years out, but it just seems normal. My eyes are still bigger than my stomach!

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

10 miles. Aftercare is just a few miles from my 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.

Soups, rotisserie chicken, mexican food worked for me. Rice and pasta still give me a little problem. Can't eat corn at all.

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

Went back to work the next week. Wasn't very productive the first week, but was fine after that.

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

none.

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?

Had some hair loss at first. Doctor told me I wasn't getting enough protein.

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

Having to take off work at a time when I was so busy. Liquid diet ahead of time was a little rough.

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

Local support groups are very important.

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

Still a red mark 2 years out.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateaued for about 6 months, my own fault as I was enjoying large quantities of ice cream, milkshakes and other fattening food. ( I was overfilled and didn't go to the doctor for an adjustment). Once I was properly filled, I've gotten back on track and now lost over 100 pounds.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I love the compliments!