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

WOM, TERRIBLE THING TO DO TO ONE SELF

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

Like asking a spoiled kid to play with his ball...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

No other option

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Doctor advised 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 felt the risk was worth the benifits.

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 all think it's a cakewalk.

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

Not employed

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

In the hospital you loose all modesty and have problems sleeping.

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

Nothing signigicant.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

Anxious

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

I was sore. tender and dealing with head hunger.

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

Had 1 hour flight home from hospital. Had local surgeon and PCP to give me 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.

Bread pasta and rice are off limmits as well as anything citrus or celery and lettus. Best foods to eat are non-fat low cal yogurt and cottage cheese.

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

On a scale of 1 to 10 I would be a 5.

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

Flintstones complete.

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?

Had to sleep in chair first six weeks home.

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

The day of surgery and waking up.

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

It's bigger and more prominate than I expected

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None so far

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Compliments all the time