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

A co-worker of mine told me about it and i started to research online.

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

The insurance approval was not a problem for me. Just do everything the dr tells you to and all should pan out fine.

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

It was nerve racking but they did not treat you any different. Make sure you take any and all questions with you no matter how dumb you may think the question is.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I want to be around and be able to chase my daughter around with out worrying about bieng out of breath and tired all the time.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Alot of research and talking with people who previously had them done.

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 worried about everything that could go wrong cause i have a one year old daughter at home. I decided that the risks from bieng overweight and the other problems that came along with it outweighed the risks of having surgery. You have to do what's best for you and your the only one who knows this.

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?

Everyone was helpful and supportive of my decision. I would not have changed anything about how i told them. They still help me after my surgery.

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

My supervisor was great. She was supportive and i told her the truth. People do this for their own reasons. I was out of work for only 2 weeks.

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 hard cause it was the first time bieng away from my child for overnight. I went in on Thursday and was released to go home on Saturday morning. The staff was wonderful and helpful with anything you asked for.

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

No 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?

I felt great after surgery. I actually asked to go back to work only 2 wks out. The only thing noticable was it is a mental change.

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

I was sore the first week and the second week i was trying to find things i could do. I had no problems once so ever. I had alot of support from family helping out around the house.

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

Surgery was in syracuse which is 1/2 hr away from my home

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.

The first week was hard due to the liquid diet your on. The second i could start introducing foods. I stuck mostly to Chicken, eggs, potatos, veggies that were ground up. I have not yet made it to stage 3. Its 3 wks post op today.

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

My activity level has increased dramatically.

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

At 2 weeks out i started taking a chewable vitamin and a chewable calcium supplament.

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

For me bieng away from my daughter.

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

I have not yet been to a support group session since surgery but i did before and i think for most people it will be a great help in this huge change in life.

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

6 little insions

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

More people talk to you to tell you that your looking great. They notice the changes very soon after surgery.