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

I FIRST FOUND OUT BY THE DOCTOR SHE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING FOR ME I WAS SO EXITED WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT.

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

WELL WITH MY INSURANCE I WAS APROVED ON THE FIRST TIME AROUND. I JUST TELL ALL TO BE PATIENT WHILE WAITING ON APPROVAL

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

WELL IT WAS NICE HE WAS A GREAT DOCTOR HE LET U KNOW EVERYTHING HOW IT WOULD BE. HE ANSWERED ALL QUESTIONS THAT I HAD TO ASK .

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

AFTER STUDYING UP ON THE SURGERY AND REALLY SEEING HOW IT CHANGED SO MANY PEOPLE LIVES I REALLY WANTED TO HAVE IT

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I TALKED WITH MY SURGEON.

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 DIDNT HAVE ANY FEARS I JUST LEFT EVERYTHING IN GOD'S HAND I HAD NO WORRIES AT ALL

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?

AT FIRST MY FAMILY REALLY DIDNT WANT ME TO HAVE THEY WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD DIE OR SOMETHING. BUT AFTER EVERYONE WAS THERE TO SUPPORT ME.

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

DIDNT WORK

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

I WAS IN SOME PAIN. I COULDNT LAY DOWN IN MY BED FOR A FEW DAYS I SLEEP IN A RECLINER THAT WAS MORE COMFORTABLE TO ME.

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

I HAD SURGERY HERE IN MONTGOMERY WHERE I STAYED

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 WAS ON A LIQUID DIET THENAFTER 2 WEEKS I START EATING SCRAMBLED MASHED POTATOS IN SOFT THINGS LIKE THAT AND WATER WATER WATER.

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

I WAS WEEK FOR ATLEAST A MONTH OR SO AFTER SURGERY

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

I WAS TAKING A KIDS CHEWABLE VITAMINS BUT UP IN MONTHS I NOW TAKE A PRENATAL VITAMIN AND TAKE B-12 SHOT EVERY MONTH

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 WAS A LIL NAUSIA FOR A COUPLE WEEKS AFTER SURGERY BUT NO OTHER PROBLEMS

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

NOTHING REALLY JUST THE SORENESS AFTER SURGERY AND THAT IS WITH ALL SURGERYS

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

I GO TO A SUPPORT GROUP ONCE A MONTH

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

IT NO MORE THN LIKE 3 INCHES U CAN HARDLY TELL I HAD SURGERY

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

WELL I WAS ON A PLATEU FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS VERY DEPRESSIN BUT I HAVE CAME OFF OF IT IT DIDNT LOOSE ANY POUNDS OR INCHES