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

the stories are everywhere, books, tv magazines, people who know someone who did it

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

My insursnce is good, all but $200 was covered

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

Listen and ask and follow up with questions

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

health and the fact I coulod not do it on my own

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

the docgtor decided

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 didn't hsve surgery fears, I had confidence in my surgeon, I fwlt very confident

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 disagreed with the idea, my friends were and still are very supportive.

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

Everyone is great and watxch what I eat even weeks after.

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

I had a great stay in the hospital I was there for five days. Bring personal items, things to do puzzles, books to read, a journel to write in.

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

No complications, just incision oozing and a little slow to heal

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

It is now 7 weeks , I still finding it hard to adjust to portion I am so in a bad habit and it is hard making that change to control

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

it is hard to adjust to handling, and cooking for others, I ate baby food so the decision was easier for myself

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

the hospital was only 7 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.

I have tolerated all foods, no problem with the type of food just how much I cn eat. when you are use to large portion and large variety is is hard to adjust.

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

I walked from the first day, around the hospital floor. the more you move the better. Now I need to excercise daily

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

Flintstone complete daily , feosol iron, tums for calcium

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?

Only when I OVER eat do I fel very uncomfortable and feel like vomiting.. when I cheat and eat things I souldn't like popcorn I get loose b.m.

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

For me the adjust of the mind... the mind says hungrey... the stomach says no

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

there are support groups meetings

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

it is big, but healing well

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I slow down weight lose and need to exercise harder

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I only lost 35 lbs so the real difference not yet