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

i have know other people that had had it and i was very nervous

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

make sure you have your primary dr note all medical problems you have including rashes and everything casued by weight and extra skin

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

my dr was wonderful. make a list of questions so you dont forget to ask everything you want to know ask long term and short term questions research as much as possible

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my dr made me feel so comfortable i trusted him to do this for me, i couldnt live unhealthy anymore i wanted to make my life better

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i left that up to my dr to decide what one would be right for me

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 had a lot of faith in my dr i wasnt afraid of dying i was more afraid of the pain being unbearable it was my 1st surgery and that scared me the most

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?

they were very supportive. my hubby was kinda of nervous for me but backed me up and was very helpful. i think explaining everything to them helped and including them in my decisions made it go smoother. i also think that explaining why i wanted this was best

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

bring comfortable clothing. . dont pack alot you wont need it, i was in the hospital a week

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

i had blood clots in my pouch which caused nasua and vomitting

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 somewhat depressed, my food i loved was gone and i couldnt do alot for myself i was used to being the one to take care of everyone else i was not used to having people take care of me

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

exspect a big change i missed my food, ask for help from family

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

the town i had mine in was 10 minutes away

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.

mytastes for foods changed meat was hard for me turkey took the longest to be able to eat

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

i didnt feel like doing much of anything fo rthe 1st 2 weeks after this was my 1st surgery in my life and i am really a big baby about those things im not a very good patient

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

i started of on sugar free childrens chewables then went to a prenatel and one a day multi vitamin

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?

hair loss wasnt to bad it was there but not severe, getting comfortable while sleeping was hard

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

the drain bothered me but they were not as bad as i thought they would be

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

i use my local support group it helps alot i went before and after surgery

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

my scars were not very visable at all

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

at 1 year post op the weight loss has really slowed down its scary when that happens. but im 3 years our now and am still losing here and there

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes people pay more attention to me, they seem to like me more now that i am slimmer which is wrong cause im still the same person