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

I saw a show with Diane Sawyer years ago and they followed a two women from start to about six months out

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

I was armed with all the information that i could find on the www and had talked to a friend who had the surgery a year ago..........it was a wonderful and unbelievable visit..........a doctor treating me like a human and not a fat tub!!! he answered all my questions and explained in detail what was going to happen to me.............then sent me home with even more info and lab slips lots of lab slips GET ANY AND ALL INFORMATION YOU CAN SO YOU SOUND INTEL. WHEN YOU MEET THE DOC FOR THE FIRST TIME

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

If i did not have the surger I was going to die .......no doubt in my mind .....my BMI was 72.2 that was the clincher

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my doctor pretty much told me which one was best for me.......after many talks

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?

infection and dying of coarse..............i would tell them that if you are at the point that haveing the WLS is going to save your life you have no choice..........the hell you are living in has to be much worse than what any surgery can be

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 were conserned and worried but very supportive..............they love to hear about my losses and my melting away!!!!

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

i am dissabled

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

my stay was good......icu for 24 hours .........then onto a private room and wonderful nurses.........my husband was able to stay with me all night so i had great support......' i was in for 6 days most important things to bring.......chap stick ........magazines........a loose night gown.............

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

yes, i got an infection about 3 weeks post op they had to re open my wound and heal from the inside out. it was murder......i cried and became depressed

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

happy sad worried wonderful could not wait ..........could wait the whole gambet!!!! my husband and son kept me going and doing things to keep me going like the movies and shopping

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

it was painfull .........take your pain killers and walk walk walk..........i felt like i was hit in the chest with a baseball bat!!! it is major surgery ..........treat it that way........not a lot of visitors ........rest .......drugs and walk and drink water walk and drink water

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

i only had to go about 5 miles

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.

at first you eat only what is on the "menu" from the doc......apple sause.......cottage cheese .........only a tablespoon full and that is a meal..............then as weeks go on you get a little more free with the food......not much........like chicken or veggies cooked well........soup is good too...........bread and rice are off limits .........they make me puke.....no sugar or food like cookies or candy............i miss my diet coke!!! carbination is gone forever for me..............no red meat for the first six months ........i have found that i can eat fish and lobster and crab

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

very slow like a snail ..........the infection kept me down alot

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

I take flintstone chewable vitamins 2xa day............and get a B-12 shot every month

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 sleep much better now .....i can lay flat.........yippee.........i did have some dumping in the begining ...........i am at 5 months now and am loosing my hair this is the worst for me............i still vomit at times if food gets stuck..its funny you just learn to cope with what is given you.......just like when i was 100 pouns heavier

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

waiting.......................................WAITING!!!!!

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

pENSACOLA has a great patient run support group.........i started going about 4 months before my WLS......it keeps me going........i would know what to do with out it

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

it is smaller than i was told it would be ...............

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

it is my 5th month and i am loosing slooooooowwwwwly

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes