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

Contacted bariatric treatment center to get info on rny surgery and was very enthusiastic about it

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

With BC/BS PPO of Michigan I had no problem with coverage for my lap band surgery as long as it was deemed medically necessary. I had many co morbidities that caused my surgery to be medically necessary: hypertension, arthritis, angina, gout, sleep apnea,and others

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

The first meeting with Dr. Boutt and Dr. Bhesania was a seminar with many people there and we listened to nurses and staff explain the procedure and all the required paperwork,etc. THe next one on one meeting with Dr. Boutt was very informative and gave me a chance to ask my questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was encouraged by all the research I had done via the Internet and then after talking to the Dr. Boutt's staff, I really believed that the lap band ws a viable choice for me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I researched both the RNY procedure and the lap band on the Internet. I had one consultation with the RNY doctor and then attended the lap band seminar. I knew right away that I would choose the lap band procedure.

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 felt that my remaining obese was a much more dangerous choice than having weight loss surgery and so I did not really have the fear of dying with my lap band procedure. I was really sure that staying 100 pounds overweight would be the death of me.

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 was very supportive even to the point of telling me how proud they we of me for making this decision. I wrote each one of my siblings and their families a letter to tell them what I was doing and how much I hoped they would support my secision. Everyone was very supportive!

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

I am self-employed and I was able to take off as much time as I needed. I told everyone that I worked with that I was having some minor abdominal surgery and some I actually told that it was weight loss surgery. I was off about a week and a half.

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

My stay in the hospital was not really bad; pain medication kept me comfortable and I walked as much as possible to relieve the gas pain in my back and shoulders. I took a sleeping pill in order to rest better at night.

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

I had adhesions from a previous gall bladder removal so Dr. Boutt said my surgery took longer to perform (nearly 4 hours) and so I stayed an extra night (two nights instead of just one).

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 was very excited and did not really feel any anxiety. I did write letters to my family members to tell them what I was going to do and to tell them what they meant to me and how much I hoped they would support my decision to have weight loss surgery.

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

The first few days are hard because you have to watch what you eat and you have to be careful of your surgery incisions. I was a bit slower moving but not really in pain. Liquid pain medication helped me sleep.

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

Port Huron is about 1 1/2 hours from Ypsilanti. I have no problem driving to my follow-up appointments.

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.

No food is really off limits--it is the amount of the certain food that is limited. I have had to slowly limit amounts of bread, at certain times of the day I can eat half a sandwich but not very often. I have switched to thin crust pizza--one piece instead of my preious 3-4 pieces of deep dish pizza! As my band has been adjusted, I have found what amount of a certain food is comfortable to me.

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

I walked for exercise in the weeks after my surgery. My exercise program has been restricted because I have had gouty arthritis in my right foot from just about day one since my surgery. I believe this is a complete co-incidence.

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

I take a chewable daily multi-vitamin.

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 had no side effects that I can attribute to my surgery.

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

The worst part was being on a clear liquid diet for 2-3 weeks post-op.

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

I am a member of two on-ine support groups through Yahoo! SmartBandsters and Eastside Michigan Bandsters are two very active e-mail support groups. I see Dr. Boutt about once a month for follow-up care. I have had 3 adjustments to my band and have about 1.7ccs in my band ( out of a possible 4ccs).

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

My 5 small scars are nearly faded 9 months post-op.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have had 2-3 plateaus that caused me to worry. When I had lost about 20 pounds, I seemed to stall for about 6 weeks but then I lost 5-6 pounds right after my mentrual cycle. Now Iseem to see that pattern: not much weight loss for a couple weeks and then a lump sum drop of 4-5 pounds.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I do not feel that people treat me differently as much as they just remark about how good I look or how happy I seem.