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

20/20 on ABC in 2001

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

denied

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

told I was an ideal candidate

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

told no dieting in the world would help me

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

wanted lap- ended up with open due to complications

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 was told I was an ideal candidate and the risk was low- I ended up in/out of the hospital for a month due to severe complications. I suffered high stress about the medical bills not covered and the complications. It was all worth it as I have lost 100 pounds.

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?

Don't tell anyone before the surgery except very close family. Even my relatives told me to just stop eating so much. They didn't understand my problems.

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

I had a very supportive employer, but I did stress out a lot because of the unexpected length of time lost. (1 month)

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

Supposed to be 3 day stay- ended up in/out of the hospital for 1 month due to complications

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

Many- ended up in/out of the hospital for 1 month due to complications.

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

It was only after being released after my 1 month's in/out stay due to complications, then I didn't feel good for about a month after that.

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

People actually thought I woulc come out of the hospital thinner! Ha Ha!

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

Live in town

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.

It took the first year to experiment with foods. I ended up flat on my back after eating some foods. Foods I can not eat are: alcohol, beef, dairy.

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

2 months after surgery I started an exercise program swimming.

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

Multi-vitamin, iron, calcium, slippery elm (to be regular)

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?

experimenting what foods I could or could not tolerate

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

complications

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

I always meant to go the the support group but never have

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

12 minches down my abdomen- was supposd to have been a lap surgery- had open due to complications

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The first 4 months I lost weight rapidly, after that it slowed down, but at 1 year I had lost 100 pounds

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Most definitely. Especially men. I was able to obtain a better job, after looking for a long time when I was obese. Even the interview process went differently. People just treat obese people with discrimination, even if they don't realize it.