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

I learned about Bariatric surgery in 2004. It took me until 2006 to get the Lap Band and it hurt so bad...its taken this long (6 more years) to have the reviosion surgery to Gastric Bypass.

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

Getting through to the insurance was an issue and it took a long time, but once it was approved, they scheduled the surgery within a month.

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

Antonio Coirin is a wonderful surgeon.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Tired of being fat. Tiered of being sluggish and tired. I need more energy!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

After going thru the Lap Band procedure, and experiancing what that was like, and NOT liking the way it made me sick, it took me 6 years to decide to go for the Gastric Bypass and see if this will help me more.

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 am very scared because I have very small kids, 2 older and 2 smaller, so this is something that concerns me a great deal. I don't think anyone can make me feel good about this. It is just something you have to deal with.

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 family...hummm, my kids say dont do it. My mom says dont do it, my friends say do it. The people that I know have had it, one gained ALL her weight back, one is sick all the time, one looks great but feels bad, so its all up in the air. Lots of mixed emotions!

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

I'm a day care provider, so many of them are too young to care...lol. But the parents seem to understand the "health" part of it. I had little to no problems.

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

I was happy to go and learn more about the different types of surgery. It was good to hear from the post-ops, good and bad. It help in the decisions that I have made.

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

With the Lap Band, I was in there for 3 days, and I hurt for over a month, was sick and threw up 10 times or more a day, and that never got better. Dealt with that for 4 years and had the band completely drained. I feel better now, but not loosing weight, Im maintaining. Gastric Bypass January 17, 2012

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

Pain.

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

N/A

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

N/A

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

1.5 miles

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.

breads of any kinds, including tortillas, rice, fried foods, candies, and the worse yet...soda.

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

non existant

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

multivitamin. soon to add B-12, B-50, Iron and Calcium

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?

vomitting

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

vomitting

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

none with the Lap Band, but I am going to attend the Gastric Bypass support groups regularly.

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

5 "gun shot" holes in the belly

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Lap Band is a complete joke, I dont recommend it to anyone. The reason I chose Lap Band is because I didnt want to wait for the Gastric Bypass 6 month diet plan. (I know, dumb reason) And Lap Band didnt require it.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no.