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

A FRIEND OF A FRIEND HAD IT DONE AND SHE LOOKED AMAZING AND FELT GREAT, ALSO CARNIE WILSON

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

I HAD AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE WITHJ MY INSURANCE MY SURGEONS OFFICE HANDLED EVERYTHING I GOT A VERY QUICK APPROVAL

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

I AM AN RN SO II WAS REALLY PREPARED TO QUESTION HIM. DR. GARBER IS SUCH A SMART MAN HE KNOWS HIS STUFF.HE HAS CONFIDENCE LIKE EVERY DR. SHOULD HAVE. YOU SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO ASK ANYTHING

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY FRIEND BRITT HAD IT DONE AND SHE LOOKS AND FEELS GREAT SHE IS A MOTIVATOR AND TOTALLY INSPIRED ME

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE ONE WITH THE MOST SUCCESS. LAP RNY

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 WAS EXTREMLY NERVOUS I HAVE TOO SMALL CHILDREN I DID NOT WANT TO DIE BUT I DID MY RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THE PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS WERE VERY SMALL. I DID HAVE SOME COMPLICATIONS BUT I STILL WOULD DO THIS SURGERY IN A NY MINUTE

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 WAS VERY NERVOUS SOME TRIED TO TALK ME OUT OF IT BUT FOR THE MOST PART I MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS MY DECISION AND NOBODY WAS GONNA CHANGE MY MIND. NOW THEY ARE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE

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

I DID NOT TELL THEM EXACTLY WHAT SURGERY I WAS HAVING I HAD SOME COMPLICATIIONS SO I WAS OUT FOR 8 WEEKS. MY LETTER SAID I WAS HAVING ABD SURGERY

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

THE STAY IN THE HOSPITAL WAS OK I FELT A LITTLE NEGLECTED AT TTIMES I WAS READMITTED TWICE I DID HAVE SOME AMAZING NURSES. INITIALLY I WAS THERE 2.5 DAYS AND THEN ANOTHER THREE SENT HOME AND ANOTHER 5 DAYS. EACH TIME WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BUT WHEN YOU NEED TO WALK EVERY TWO HOURS YOU MAKE SURE YOU CALL THEM OR YOU WILL BE LEFT ALONE

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

YES I HAD AN INFECTION IN MY JP DRAIN, GI BLEED, INFLAMMATION AROUND THE STOMA AND THEN HAD PANCREATITS I WAS VERY NERVOUS BUT MY SURGEON WAS AMAZING AND I DID FINE I PUT MY TRUST IN HIM AND HE PULLED ME OUT OF IT I STILL WOULD HAVE THIS SURGERY AGAIN

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 RETHINKING IT I WAS SO AFRAID I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WAS MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION I JUST KNEW IT FELT RIGHT

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

PAIN LOTS OF GAS PAIN . VOMITING, BUT AGAIN I HAD COMPLICATIONS EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT

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

ABOUT 45 MIN FOR BOTH

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 COULD NOT EAT ANTHING IN THE FIRST 3 WEEKS I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN AND THE NAUSEA WAS TERRIBLE AS I FELT BETTER LIKE WEEK 4 I PRETTY MUCH TOLEREATE EVERYTHING I DID NOT TRY ANYTHING THAT MAY CAUSE ME TO DUMP

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

I AM STILL VERY TIRED WEEK 7

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

FLINSTONES CHEWABLES AND TUMS

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?

STOMACH PAIN AND NAUSEA LASTED FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS STILL SLIGHT PAIN

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

THE COMPLICATIONS THE MILLIONS OD DR, VISITS AND WAITING FOR THE DATE

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

I SEE THE SURGEON 1X PER MONTH AND I GO TO A SUPPORT GROUP THROUGH HIM 1 X PER MONTH . I NEED THEM THEY TRULY ARE HELPFUL

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

SCARS A MINIMAL AND ARE FADING

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I AM ON A HORRIBLE OE RIGHT NOW WEEKS 6 AND 7 NO WEIGHT LOSS STILL WAITING FOR IT TO BREAK

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES THE COMPLIMENTS ARE ENDLESS I LOVE IT