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

I initally thought about doing it in 2002 and was told about it by my nurse praticitioner.

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

My insurance covers it and I was approved in 1 day after completing the 6 months of weigh-ins

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

Dr. Wegner is really nice. He did his fellowship with the "father of bariatric surgery" at the Univ. of Iowa. Super sweet guy and very knowledgable. He's also a personal trainer and used to own a Gold's Gym. :o)

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After trying and crying and trying and crying some more I decided enough was enough

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I went to an informational session and the RNY sounded the best for me. LapBand keeps you from eating too much and that's it and that's not too big of a problem for me. I don't eat a lot, I eat crappy stuff.

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 don't really ahve a lot of fears about dying because I'm happy about my life so far. It would suck for my family if I died, not so much me cause I'd be dead and wouldn't care. :o) I'm more concerned about pain!

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 mom was nervous about the RNY. She wanted me to have LapBand but was supportive. My husband was super supportive, as always.

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

I didn't tell anyone I was having surgery. I just told them I needed a week off. I had surgery on a Monday and went back to work the following. They all know now, though.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I was glad I attended but I had done quite a bit of research on my own.

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 for about 30 hours. It was great! The staff was awesome and I had very little, if any, pain.

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 felt pretty good. I hadn't had any issues so I had no regrets. I was afraid this would fail like everything else, but I think everyone feels that way at some point.

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

To get used to not being hungry. It was a new experience for me.

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

15 minutes

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 didn't have many food intolerences. I do try new stuff at home so if it does make me sick, at least I'm not out. So far the only issue I've had was with brocolli.

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

Not a whole lot of activity at first. I didn't have any pain but I was wiped out.

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

Currently I only take a multi and a B12 shot until I get my first labs back.

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?

None

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

The preop stuff

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

I don't attend. I work evenings so they usually don't fall into my schedule.

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

They look pretty good. They are flat and a little dark but fading.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I generally stall for a couple weeks at a time then drop 5-6 lbs, stall, drop, stall, drop....

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Nope. I work in a hospital and usually I get the "I didn't think you were that big" comment. Everyone treats me as great as they did before. I work in a pretty tight department though