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

I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT APPROX. 10 YRS. AGO BEFORE THEY WERE DOING IT LAPROSCOPICALY. INITIALY I WASN'T TOO IMPRESSED WITH IT. I FELT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOSE IT ON YOUR OWN. BOY WAS I WRONG!!!!!!!!

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

I KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE DENIED THE FIRST TIME AROUND AND I WAS BUT FOR SOMETHING MINOR. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT , DOCUMENT AND SEND EVERYTHING IN TO THE INSURANCE. FOLLOW THEIR RULES AND YOU WILL DO OK.

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

IT WAS OK. HE WAS VERY QUIET.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I FREIND OF MINE HAD IT DONE THE YEAR BEFORE AND HAD LOST ABOUT 80 LBS. PLUS MY HUSBAND FINALLY CONSENTED. LOL!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

NOT A PROBLEM FOR ME. SUGAR IS MY DOWNFALL SO I WANTED THE RNY BECAUSE I KNEW THAT IF I HAD THE LAPBAND I WOULD JUST EAT/DRINK AROUND IT.

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?

DIDN'T HAVE ANY. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL SURGERIES AND IT WAS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER.

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 OF MY FAMILY DOESEN'T EVEN KNOW. ALL OF THE FRIENDS THAT I HAVE TOLD HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND VERY HAPPY FOR ME. NOT ONE SINGLE NEGATIVE COMMENT-AT LEAST TO MY FACE!

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

EVERYONE THAT I DID TELL AT WORK AGAIN WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE AND HAPPY FOR ME. I WAS OUT A TOTAL OF 9 DAYS! HAD SURGERY ON JAN. 5TH AND BACK TO WORK ON THE 14TH-WENT BACK A DAY EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.

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

THE STAY WAS OK. NOT EXCEPTIONAL BY ANY MEANS. IT WAS JUST KIND OF THEY PUT YOU IN A ROOM AND YOU FENDED FOR YOURSELF UNTIL IT WAS TIME TO GO HOME.

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

NONE

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 OVERWHELMED. I WAS AFRAID THAT IT WOULD NEVER GET APPROVED AND WAS IN DENIEL FOR A WHILE-AT LEAST UNTIL THE PRE-OP DIET STARTED AND THEN I KNEW IT WAS THE REAL DEAL.

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

I FELT FINE. JUST A LITTLE SORENESS THE FIRST 3 DAYS AFTER SURGERY AND THEN EVERYTHING WAS BACK TO NORMAL.

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

I TRAVEL APPROX. 1 HR. AND IT HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM WITH AFTERCARE.

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.

GROUND MEATS ARE STILL DIFFICULT TO TOLERATE. I HAVE NOT TRIED BREAD OR PASTA OTHER THAN VERY SMALL BITES. ANY AMOUNT OF SUGAR IS TOO SWEET!!!!!

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

I WAS DOING EVERYTHING POST-OP THAT I HAD BEEN DOING PRE-OP EXCEPT FOR LIFTING.

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

CALCIUM CITRATE, IRON, MULTIPLE VITAMIN AND B12

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?

HAVEN'T HAD ANY YET.

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

THE PRE-OP LIQUID DIET.

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

SUPPORT GROUP IS HERE ON OBESITYHELP.COM VERY HELPFUL

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

SCAR IS JUST 6 SMALL AREAS THAT DON'T BOTHER ME.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE HAD 1 SO FAR THAT LASTED ABOUT A MONTH. A LONG MONTH!!!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES, MORE FRIENDLY