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

A FRIEND OF MINE HAD IT AND WHEN I SEEN HOW WELL SHE DID I WANTED TO TRY IT.

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

DONT GIVE UP. I HAD NO PROBLEMS EITHER TIME. I WAS APPROVED ON THE FIRST TRY BOTH TIMES. BUT I DO KNOW PWOPLE THAT WAS DENIED AND FAUGHT IT AND FINALLY GOT APPROVED.

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

ASK ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO. THEY ARE THERE TO HELP..

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

HAVING COMPLICATIONS FROM MY FIRST SURGERY AND WAS GAINING ALL MY WEIGHT BACK THAT I HAD LOST.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

WHT MY FRIENDS HAD THE FIRST TIME AND THE 2ND TIME I STUDIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT ONE AND CHOSE.

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?

MY ONLY FFEAR WAS NOT WAKEING UP AND BEING ABLE TO RAISE MY DAUGHTER. ALL I COULD DO WAS PRAY AND HOPE THAT THINGS WOULD TURN OUT OK.

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?

ALL MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE. MY MOM WAS A LIITLE HESITANT ABOUT ME HAVEING IT AGAIN BUT SHE IS HAPPY NOW THAT I DID BECOUSE I AM DOING ALOT BETTER.

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

MINE WAS ENCOURAGEING ME TO HAVE THE REVISION. TOLD ME DONT WORRY ABOUT THE TIME OFF MY JOB WOULD BE THERE WHEN I RETURNED. SHE HAD HAD THE BYPASS A FEW MONTHS BEFORE.

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

THE FIRST SURGERY I WAS IN THE HOSPITOL FOR 4 DAYS AND THE STAY WAS NOT PLEASENT. VERY RUDE NURSES AND STAFF. THE 2ND TIME WHEN I HAD MY REVISION ISTAYED FOR 3 DAYS AND IT WAS SO PLEASENT. THE STAFF WAS NICE AND HELPFUL AND WORKED WITHME IN ANYNWAY I NEEDED THEM.

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

THE ONLY PROBLEM IHAD WAS THAT MY BLOOD PRESSURE SHOT UP, THEY GAVE ME MEDS AND GOT IT UNDER CONTROL REAL QUICK.

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 SCARED BECOUSE I WAS HAVING THE REVISION. WHEN I GOT TO THE HOSPITOL THE MORNING OF MY SURGERY THE NURSES AND STAFF REASSURED ME THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE OK AND TALKE ME THROUGH IT.

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

TO TAKE IT EASY AND GET AS MUCH REST AS YOU CAN. DRINK LOTS OF FLUIDS.

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

NOT THAT FAR..ALTHOUGH I WAS VERY SCARED WHEN I GOT TO LEVE. AFRAID THAT SOMEONE WOULD HIT US AND HURT MY STOMACH..

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.

ON MY FIRST SURGERY AFTER 8 YEARS I COULD NOT EAT ANY MEATS OR BREADS.I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EAT ALMOST ANYTHING WITH THIS ONE. I CANT EAT BREADS SOMETIMES AND SOME MEATS BUT I CANT EAT VEGATABLES AND FRUITS AND I LOVE THEM...I NOTICED THAT I CAN EAT DIFFERENT THINGS AT DIFFERENT TIMES. ONE DAY I CAN EAT IT AND THE NET WEEK I MAY NOT. BUT CHEW SLOWLYAND TAKE SMALL BITES IS THE KEY.

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

OH I WAS UP AND GOIN THE SAME WEEK ON MY FIRST SURGERY, HOWEVER ON THE 2ND ONE I GOT OUT OF THE HOSPITOL ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS BACK IN THE HOSPITOL WITH PHEMONIA THAT FRIDAY. BUT AFTERTHAT I WAS UP AND GOING.

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

FLINTSTONES

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?

ITS ONLY BEEN 4MONTHS SINCE MY 2ND SURERY AND I AM STARTING TO LOOSE MY HAIR. AND SOME DYS FEEL LIKE I DONT HAVE ANY ENERGY.

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

THE TUBE IN MY SIDE. I ALSO HAD MY GALL BLADDER REMOVED.

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

NA

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

WELL SINCE I HAD 2 IT IS WORSE NOW. ITS ALL THE WAY DOWN MY STOMACH.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I SEEM TO BE AT A STOPING POINT FOR SOME REASON NOW. I HAVE AN ULCER AND A LOT OF STRESS GOING ON IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT. I HAVE ALSO BEEN DRINKING WHEN I AM EATING AND I WAS TOLD THAT IS A NO NO ALSO.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO NOT REALLY. I DO GET MORE ATTENTION THAN WHAT I DID BEFORE FROM THE GUYS..LOL