dannegrl

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Obesity & Me

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I have been an emotional eater all of my life.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

Moving.. walking, breathing, not being able to LIVE.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

Since I have not lost much weight since surgery, most things are still the same

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

I heard about banding from a dr at a local free clinic. I had heard of stapling as a child. Someone my family knew had his stomach stapled and nearly died from issues.

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

Be sure of what you want and be clear to the dr of what you want. Do your research.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

wanting to live with out having to use a wheel chair to go anywhere

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?

the best thing to do is research your doc, and REALLY listen to what past patients have to say about them.

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?

I told most of my family my plans. I did wait til the last minute to tell some. They were all very supportive.

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

unemployed

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

I was in the hospital 1 day. The staff was AWESOME.

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?

I was scared, but SO excited and looking forward to getting started

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

first weeks are slow moving, not everyone losses weight the same. Some minor pain, discomfort.

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

Traveled 2 hours. This DID affect my aftercare. Meeting were hard to attend, appointments were long trips driving.

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 dont recall exact foods, but followed very close to the dr's guidelines.

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

Activity level was up right away. But energy levels were a huge impact on activities.

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

I took childrens multi vitamins as suggested, as well as b-12

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?

Side effects were minimal. I did have pain from where the port was placed. I still do if I lay wrong and I am 4yrs post op. nausea is still an issue when I eat meats. minor hair thinning was an issue for a year.

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

the worst part expensive tests prior to surgery.

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

after care programs were 2 hours away. I never made any of the meetings. it could have helped alot if I had been able to.

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

the scares are minimal compared to losing life to obesity

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Plateau's were hard, especially with out contact with support groups. But in weight loss there are lots of plateau's, the most important thing is to push through.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no
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