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

a sibling pursued it and I went to seminars

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

stick with it...it took me two years to get approved however, I have found that those individuals that had an easy process to get there have not been as sucessful

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

find a GREAT surgeon do your research and find a surgeon that is all about his profession, continues to do studies in the field---not just doing it because it is an easy money maker for them

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

after years of struggling, becoming diebetic I decided that it was time to take care of ME

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

research

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?

none I have worked in the medical field for years. Once I found the surgeon I wanted I knew that it was in gods hands if anything went wrong

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?

awesome

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

strongest supporter of all

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I was so self educated, they didn't tell me i didn't already know

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

exceptional care, my surgeon routinely releases next day but I knew I would be heading home to a house of chaos and requested an additional day to rest which was granted. tooth brush :)

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?

pure excitement about having the surgery and being off work

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

minor discomfort I rarely took pain medication--walked regularly---stayed on liquid diet---do not expect to feel like eating

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

10 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.

meat, not a good thing after surgery and only consume small amounts 16 months out bread, to thick, only one bite well chewed lettuce--no thank you but love fresh spinach soup is my best friend to this day

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

greatly increased I am as active as I was in Jr High--tennis, baseball, swimming, racquetball, jogging, hiking, etc

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

GNC mega womans formula, powder in protein shakes still on this product and no intentions of stopping for life

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?

Hair loss got to me a lot, felt like a chemo patient. it started growing back in after a ten months vomiting when I ate the wrong thing/still never experienced dumping I have to stay on nexium now for acid constipation is a problem for me on a weekly basis

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

nothing

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

surgeon's group meetings every month but I rarely went

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

scope---nothing compared to the excess skin

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

six to eight month mark----thought I was never going to get going again, devastated but I just kept doing everything that I was taught and it started up again

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

oh my god yes!!!!! more respect more dates but I am still the same person---hard for me to understand