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

TV, Watching commercial back 1995, wanted it back then but I let my parents talk me out of it.

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

Just keep calling them and asking them where does your claim stand I was approve only after 2 weeks waiting and my insurance was United Health Care

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

He explain everything clearly and I would recommend Dr Mason Jett.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was tired of being fat and not able to enjoy my grandkids plus my legs and feet started swelling

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

vbg felt it was less damage to my body and that I would heal faster so I could get back to work

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?

no fears of dying I just put myself in the Lords hands and told the Lord if it meant for me to die than Im ready, worried about complications only complications worried about is coughing sneezing since I have real bad alergies, for people whom have fears just pray about it Lord will lead you in the right directions ....and after your through and you woke up Praise him ....Thank You Lord

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 and friends was supportive, and there for me on my surgery day...

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

I work for Major Internet Provider and you couldnt work for a better company, Im still getting paid even though Im not working, I have wonderful benefits and my supervisor wish me well...

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

It was ok, about 4 days, Pillow for the trip home.

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?

Oh Mercy, I was very excited and scared at the same time, all I could do was talk about it and tried to find all the information I could.

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

Just to be sure you have someone with you never know when something might go wrong especially if you are on medication and not able to drive yourself.

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

about 20 miles, didnt affect aftercare at all.

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.

Well I really have a hard time with red meat, just gets caught and causes me to vomit most of the time but I keep trying, chicken does the same and I dont eat french fries at all, I cant get them to go down smoothly, no rice or breads, tried toast but I really dont like toast with out all the butter and jelly on it...I tried hambugar was able to eat 1/4 of it and had to take it very slowly, and did ok with it thats the only thing I really miss, but I dont have it very often at all.

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

very slow until the weight started to come off I guess in September I was doing excersizeing and trying to work all this fat off my body but I have slowed down alot since then but Im still very active most of the time except when Im at work I have a sit down job and on the phones 7hours and 15 mintues 5 days aweek...I need to excersize more....

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

first couple of months children vitimins since I had problem swallowing the big tablets, but I dont take them at all now maybe thats why Im a little sluggish at times....but I hate taken pills always been that way...

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?

just vomiting when the food gets caught or I over fill my pouch, sick for about 30 mintues after vomiting, but I dont do that much any more...Just every now and then

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

Just the 2 days after the surgery just the soreness of being rip open

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

Well I dont attend like I should they hold it on Saturdays and that My time with my family

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

My scare faily skinny and really not that notic able the scar I have from galdbladder removal that I had along time ago is the bad scar...

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Well I have been on one since March I have drop 70lbs and Im stuck at the weight of 226-230 its up and down between these amounts been that way since March...

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no not really