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

by word of mouth, I thought it was unsafe

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

I was told that my insurance was one of the better ones I have had no problems getting approved.

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

My experiance was very pleasent, all questions were answered, people can get the most out of it by asking questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I'm tired of being "sick and tired" I have a 8 yr. old son I wanna see grow up, and I want to be more active in his life.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I want to the semminar, listened to my doctors speak.

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 all the normal fears, maybe moreso because I'm in the medical field.but I try to keep a positive out look.

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?

There was a lot of concerns,but also a lot of support.

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

She acted excited for me.

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

My stay was great, the nurses couldn't have been better.I was there 2 days.

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

no complications at all.

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 had a flood of emotions, I think I went thru all of them.

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

I did very good, Make sure that you get plenty of rest, I think I over did it a few times the first few weeks.

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

45 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.

i have to tell myself to eat ,I liked chicken before but I cant tolerate it now.

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

i walked a lot.

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

Flinstones gummy vitamins, and calcium citrate chewables.

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 have dumped a few times, no hair loss, but have had nausea and vomiting at times.

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

getting on and off the stretcher to go to x-ray to drink that nassssssty contrast.

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

scars are almost gone

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I plateau about every 3 weeks

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes, all the time, I keep getting soooooooo many compliments, I really don't know how to handle all the attension.