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

WILL I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT BARIATRIC FROM A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WHO HAD IT DONE.AND THAT IS WHEN I DID IT.I THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA ABOUT DOING.

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

WILL MY MOM'S INSURANCE COMPANY COVERED FOR THE HOLE THING.AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER WEIGHT SHOULD REALLY THINK ABOUT DOING THIS BECAUSE THIS REALLY WORKS.

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

WILL MY FIRST VISIT WITH MY SURGEON WAS GREAT HE TOLD ME WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND HOW YOUR LIFE WILL BE AFTER YOU DO THE WLS.JUST TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE DOCTOR HAS TO SAY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WILL I MADE THE CHOICE TO HAVE THE SURGERY DONE TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT MYSELF AND NOT TO LET OTHER PEOPLE PUT ME DOWN ABOUT BEING OVERWEIGHT.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I DECIDE TO HAVE THE LAP-BAND DONE BECAUSE THAT IS THE MORE SAFER ONE TO HAVE DONE THEN THE OTHER ONE.

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 DID NOT HAVE ANY FEARS ABOUT DYING I WAS WILL PREPARED FOR THE WLS.AND OTHER PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEEL THE FEAR OF DYING.

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?

THEY ALL WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME HAVING THE WLS DONE AND THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA.

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

I AM NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW.

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 AT FIRST I WAS SCARED THEN I GOT USE TO STAING IN THERE.I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO DAYS.NOTHING REALLY.

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

NO I DID NOT HAVE ANY 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 DID NOT HAVE ANY ANXIETY AT ALL I WAS FEELING GREAT AND I COPE VERY WELL WITH HAVING MY SURGERY DATE I WAS VERY HAPPY.

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

THAT I WAS VERY TIRED AND DOPED UP ON MEDINICE AND IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO WALK UP AND DOWN THE STEPS. AND COULD NOT EAT ANYTHING JUST DRINKS CLEAR STUFF.

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

I TRAVELED 15 MINS TO ATLANTIC CITY NJ. THAT'S WERE I HAD MY WLS.DONE

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.

WILL I COULD NOT EAT ANY THING REALLY.

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

VERY EASY HAD TO TAKE MY TIME WALKING

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

I HAVE TO DRINK A DIETARY SUPPLEMENT DRINK THAT IS CALLED ISPURE.

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?

WILL I HAD SOME DUMPING AND SOME HAIR LOSS BUT THAT WAS IT.

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

I DID NOT HAVE ANY WORST PARTS ABOUT THE BARIATRIC SURGERY AT ALL.

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

WILL I WENT TO ONE SUPPORT GROUP AND THAT WAS IT FOR AWHILE AND I JUST DID GET TIME TO GO BACK TO SUPPORT GROUPS I REALLY NEED TO START GOING BACK TO THEM

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

WILL I HAVE ONE INCH SCARE AND THE REST OF THE SCARES ARE VERY SMALL YOU CAN HARDLY SEE THEM.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I DID NOT EXPERIENCE ANY PLATEAU AT ALL.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES I DO NOTICE PEOPLE TREAT ME VERY DIFFRENT NOW. THEY SAY HEY LOOK AT THAT PRETTY GIRL SHE LOOKS SO DIFFRENT NOW WHAT DID SHE DO.