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

MY MOTHER & HER 2 SISTERS HAD IT DONE IN THE "LEARNING" STAGES, I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO HAVE IT DONE,WHATEVER STAGES IT WAS IN . !!!! AND STILL THANKFUL TO THIS DAY TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE HAD IT DONE !!!

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

MY FATHERS INSURANCE(BLUE CROSS&BLUE SHIELD)PAID FOR IT ,FOR HEALTH REASONS(BORDERLINE DIABETIC,BREATHING PROBLEMS,ETC... )KEEP TRYING,IF U NEED IT THAT BAD THEN THERE IS A WAY !!! :)

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

TERIIFFIC THEY ACCEPTED ME TO HAVE "THE" SURGERY DONE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE I WAS ONLY 15 WHEN I HAD IT DONE , JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE HAVING THE SURGERY DONE IS THE ONE TALKING TO THE DR. !!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY MOTHER & THE DR'S SAID IT WAS OK !!!!!! AND MY NAME WAS NOT "ORCA" NOR WAS I A KILLER(WHALE)

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

IT WAS DECIDED FOR ME , I STILL HAVE NO IDEA WHICH OF THE "2" PROCEDURES IT WAS , THERE WAS ALSO THE "BALLOON" WHICH NONE OF US (FAMILY) HAD DONE.

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?

REALLY ONLY THE NEEDLES, (STILL A BIG BABY NOW), WELL , I COULD HAVE ENDED UP BEING A "FAT" DEAD CHICK OR LIVING A "THINNER" CHICKS LIFE(HEALTH WISE)PICK THE LATTER ONE !!! :)~

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 SUPPORTIVE,HAD NO FRIENDS, WOULD HAVE TOLD EVERY "OVERWEIGHT" PERSON TO HAVE IT DONE,EVEN BACK WHEN I HAD IT DONE !!!!

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

DID NOT HAVE A JOB UNTIL AFTER IT WAS DONE !! WAS ONLY 15

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

11 DAYS,WAS YOUNGEST TO HAVE IT DONE ,BACK THEN

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

NONE AT THE TIME

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

DID NOT HAVE TIME TO REALLY BE "SCARED"

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

I HAD SOME PAIN FROM THE INCISION SITE, IT WAS MUCH LARGER THEN(OVER 6 INCHES LONG(INCISION)

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

LESS THAN 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.

BREADS , MILK PRODUCTS ,& RICE ,. DEFINITELY MILK PRODUCTS

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

DONT QUITE REMEMBER

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?

NO SUGARS AT ALL FOR ME & NO DAIRY

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

THE UPPER "GI" THAT'S IT , EVERYTHING ELSE WAS TOLERABLE

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

NONE

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

6-7 INCHES(WAS DONE 15 YEARS AGO) DON'T LET THAT SCARE U OFF THOUGH !!