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

my primary care physician suggested it.

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

my pcp was very helpful in getting my approval, he wrote letters and made phone calls to speed the process up.

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

very informative, everything was described to me , re: what the surgery was like and the healing process

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

there never was any doubt, that i need the surgery and without it i would die.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

left the procedure up to the doctor he is the one that knows best

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 worried about dying, but i knew if i did not have the surgery i would surely die.

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?

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 advised that i would be off of work for app. 8 weeks, they were very supportive, little did i know the problems that they would make for me afterwards, by not letting me return to work saying that i was to fat to do the job.

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

i went in on a monday morning at 5 am they prepared me for surgery, i was in the pre op room for about an hour then into surgery, the next thing i knew the surgery was done and it was afternoon. i was released about noon on wednesday, two days later i went to the mountains with friends and family for our ritual deer hunting trip.

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 was sore for the first few days, and i learned very quickly not to try to try and speed up the process no matter how hungry you think you are dont try solid food untill it is time.

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

sore for a while, but nothing major

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

about an hour and a half trip each way

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 found that i could not have pork of any type for app. 10 months. now there is no problem eating anything, but i have found that my desire to eat red meat has been greatly reduced

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

increased level of activity almost immediatly after the surgery

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

antacid everyday for the calcium, a childrens chewable vitamin and B complex vitamin along with vitamin C

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?

Vomiting was the worst, but it was my own fault for trying to eat solid food to quickly

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

the may my employer treated me and my family after the surgery

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

never went to a support group per say, my best support has come from my friends who have had the surgery after mine, and my family

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

very small scars almost un noticible

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

most people can not believe the diffrence it has made in my entire life, and the energy that i have nom compared to being a couch potato before.