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

T.V. and I always knew it was for me.

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

My approval was pretty easy, except I wanted it done lap and my insurance would not approve. They consider lap to still be experimental, which is a crock. I will say, that it caused me a lot of stress that now I know was not worth it. I was afraid of the scars not the incision pain, and now I have a abdominalplasty (tummy tuck) and have the long scar up the middle of my stomach, so it really doesn't matter.

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

Wonderful, my surgeon from the beginning has been helpful and informational. Have all your questions written down, do all your research prior to going in. Don't be afraid to ask any question.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I just knew it was for me. It was the answer that I had been looking for. I don't know why, I just knew and never looked back...

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

Hospital stay was okay, the staff was wonderful, it just isn't alot of fun being in the hospital under any circumstances. I was in the hospital for 5 days because my white blood count was low. I felt well enough to leave after 2 days. The most important thing to bring is..... chap stick .... a robe .... and your support person. Books are useless because you are to sick to read.

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

No, it was a breeze...

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 in some pain afterwards and had trouble sleeping for a couple of weeks, other than that I felt okay. I was never really anxious, just very tired.

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

I had limited support since I live 100 miles from my surgeon, although I will say I think support is imparative. I joined a bulletin board prior to surger (no longer in use) and met some people on line and they became my support group. After the first year I found spotlighthealth and that has been an incredible amount of support and information. I also belong to a Yahoo group that is very informational.

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

My scars from my WLS are VERY minimal. Less than I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateaud many times. I would plateau for a couple of weeks and then take a 5 pound drop. the longest plateau was about 4-6 weeks. I would always increase exercise, and not decrease food.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, I would love to say no, but yes is the answer. Mostly men, they hold doors for you, they speak to you in elavators (instead of avoiding eye contact), they buy you drinks, you get looks everywhere. Women I would say show more respect, especially the ones that know what I went through to get to where I am.