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

Read an article in the newspaper. Response to surgery that required cutting/stapling organs was not positive. Positive impression of lap band because the surgery was less invasive and digestive system was not changed.

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

Simple, my physician's office sent request; it was approved within a week.

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

First visit was positive experience - this was the first doctor who didn't just say "you have to lose weight," he offered a realistic way to help. Write your questions down before visit and ask all of them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided as soon as the lap band procedure was available in my area.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Would not have considered anything move invasive that lap band.

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?

My only fear was that it might not work.

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?

I was very open about my decision to all who asked: friends, family and complete strangers. Some were very supportive and happy for me, especially when I lost weight; other who disagreed were nice enough not to mention it. I doubt I would have bothered to debate my decision with anyone. I did take the time to explain it to family members who were concerned that it might be dangerous to my health, especially to my husband, my adult children and mother.

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

Don't have an employer.

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

Nursing staff were awful. For example, despite the fact that I had severe sleep apnea, they didn't bother to give me my cpap machine. I asked for it all afternoon, then finally called my husband. He had to drive a half hour to the hospital, find it in the unit and set it up for me. Later, the night nurse told me I didn't need to use CPAP because I was on oxygen. She somehow missed the fact that if I couldn't inhale the oxygen into my lungs, it wouldn't help. This could have been fatal, especially since I was on strong narcotic pain meds. Luckily, I had the presence of mind to ignore her advice. I was there one night. Bring your cell phone; you may need to call for help if the nursing staff are not responsive to your needs.

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?

I couldn't wait. I was elated. I was much more anxious about being overweight than about having the surgery.

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

I felt pain; especially on left side. Otherwise, I was thrilled at not being able to eat much and losing so much weight.

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

About 20 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.

Had trouble with uncooked vegetables, steak, bread, apples. After a few months I could tolerate anything, as long as I ate slowly. Now I can eat anything, and I can eat pretty fast with no problems, except that sometimes I get the hiccups.

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

Very low activity because of pain on left side.

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

Multivitamin with iron and extra 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?

Side effects didn't bother me much at all.

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

The nursing staff at the hospital where I had my surgery.

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

No aftercare support group, other than my family. My husband was especially helpful.

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

Just small slightly red spots, hardly noticeable. This is what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Stopped losing and started gaining after 18 months. Became more careful, lost the few pounds I gained and have kept them off for past 6 months. It's now harder work to keep weight off than it was in the first year.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, despite being physically much smaller, I no longer get the feeling that I am, at times, invisible. Additionally, I don't have to work so hard to get people to be nice to me. I have found that most people are nice to everyone as long as they're not obese.