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

I found out about bariatric surgery through the media and my first impression was to never have the gastric and I researched LAP-BAND for two years before having the surgery.

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

Insurance companies can be difficult to deal with. They deny you or make you jump through "medical" hoops because it seems as if they want you to go away and not pursue the matter. My best advice is not to give up too soon.

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

My first visit was extremely informative and people were there who had the surgery and could share their stories. Best of all seeing was believing when I saw actual successful weight loss stories.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I realized that I had lost as much as 80 pounds on my own to almost gain all of it back. The yo-yo dieting had to stop if I wanted to regain control of my health.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I felt threatened by the gastric bypass surgery due to the numerous complications/deaths associated with it. Medical complications/death was far less associated with the lapband and this is what made my decision.

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 did not have any fears whatsoever with having the lapband procedure.

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 family and friends were very supportive because they knew of my struggles with my weight.

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

My supervisor was supportive. As a matter of fact, I just finished helping him with his appeal which was overturned to approve his surgery. I had the surgery on Wednesday and came back to work on the following Monday.

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

I only had one night stay in the hospital and I am unsure as to why I was kept overnight because I had no complications. The most important thing to bring is a supportive person.

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

I did not have any complications from the 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 was unprepared for the infamous liquid diet. It was the hardest part of having the surgery.

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

I was not mentally and emotionally prepared for the weeks after the diet that restricted the types of foods and liquids intake.

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

I traveled over 200 miles . This did not affect my aftercare because I went to all of my follow up visits except one during the first year.

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 could tolerate all foods at the appropriate stages after surgery. There was one instance that the band was too tight and I had to have liquid taken out of the band to keep me from throwing up.

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

I walked approximately 3-5 miles per day for 3-4 days per week during the first three months.

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?

I did throw up when the band was too tight. Once band was loosened, I was okay.

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

The liquid stage.

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

I have a group of friends locally who have had the surgery. We rely heavily on each other. I am in the process of starting a support group for our area.

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

My scar turned to kiloid. I don't like it but I would rather have the scar than being overweight.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had several plateaus. However, I always breatk through them.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, people do treat you differently.