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

MY MOTHER HAD THE WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY 30 YEARS AGO...

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

I HAVE UNITED HEALTHCARE..SO IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING MY APPROVAL WAS A SNAP... PLUS I HAD DIABETES SO I HAD A HEALTH ISSUE.

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

DR. RIFINBERY WAS A LITTLE RESERVED. HE IS VERY NICE. I REALY LIKE HIM AND MORE IMPORTANTLY I TRUST HIM.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY HEALTH WAS GOING DOWN HILL FAST. MY ENDROCANOGIST TOLD ME I HAD TO DO SOMETHING SOON.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I KNOW MANY FRIENDS WHO HAVE HAD THIS SURGARY AND FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIANCE WITH MY MOTHERS SURGERY.

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 AFRAID OF THE DRASTIC LIFE STYLE CHANGE.

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?

ALL WHERE SUPPORTIVE BUT A FEW WHERE AFRAID. NOW THEY ALL SAY I LOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAT THEY ARE GLAD I MADE THIS CHOICE.

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

I HAVE WORKED FOR COMCAST FOR 4 YEARS...MY IMEDIATE SUPERS WHERE THE ONES WHO WHERE AFRAID FOR ME...BUT LIKE I SAID THEY STILL SUPPORTED MY DECISION...

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

I WAS ONLY THERE FOR ONE OVERNIGHT STAY. I WOULD SAY THE BEST THING TO BRING IS YOUR SLIPPERS AND FAVORITE P.J.'S. THE HOSPITAL WAS GREAT!

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

NO I WAS FINE. I REMEMBER TALKING TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS A COUPLE OF DAYS AFTER AND SAID WHEN I HAVE MY SURGERY...AND SHE SAID "YOU ALREADY DID...!"

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 EXCITED, AND SCARED AT THE SAME TIME. EVERTIME I GOT SCARED AND COULDN'T SHAKE IT I WOULD LOOK AT THE PICTURES OF THIS WEB SITE AND TELL MY SELF THEY DID IT AND THEY ARE JUST FINE....

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

MASS RELEARNING EVERTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT YOUR EATING HABITS. YOU ARE COMING INTO THIS NEW LIFE WITH A CLEAN SLAT LIKE A BABY...AS A MATTER OF FACT I HAD TO THINK OF MY POUCH AS A BABYS TUMMY FOR AWHILE..

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

ABOUT 5 MILES NO BIGGIE!

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 ATE TWO SODA CRACKER AND THEY SWELLED IN MY POUCH...I WOUND UP IN THE ER..THE PAIN WAS UNREAL AND I VOMITED FOR 28 HOURS...THATS WHEN I DECIDED TO LOOK AT MY POUCH LIKE I WOULD A BABYS TUMMY...IT DID HAPPEN ONE MORE TIME OVER REFIRED BEAN SICK 21 HOURS..ONE MEAN DUMPING SYNDROME..JUST BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU EAT AND START WITH VERY LITTLE AND CHEW-CHEW CHEW!

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

MY ENERGY IS COMING BACK SLOWLY BUT IT IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY..I STARTED RIDING THE STATIONARY BIKE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AFTER MY SURGERY FOR 20 A DAY.

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

TWO FLINTSTONES-2 B12 DOTS- 1 TBLS CENTRUMS LIQUID- 1 IRON AND 4 TUMS-AMD MOST IMPORTANT MY PROTEIN DRINK....

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?

i THINK THE WORST IS THE VOMITING FOR 28 AND 24 HOURS.. AFTER THAT WOULD BE THAT I GET A HARD THUMPING HEART BEAT...I JUST TRY TO IGNORE IT TILL IT IS GONE.....

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

SURGERY WISE WAS THE JACKSON PRATT TUBE STICKING OUT OF MY BELLY FOR A WEEK..WHERE IT WENT IN WAS VERY SORE.

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

I HAVE A ONE A MONTH WLS MEETING AND ALSO ABOUT 10 FRIENDS FROM WORK WHO HAVE HAD IT BEFORE ME...

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

I HAVE 6 LITTLE MAKES ABOUT A INCH LONG THATS ALL!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

ON A PLATEAU NOW AND HATING IT...IT KIND OF SCARES ME CAUSE I KEEP THINKING THAT I AM THE ONLY ONE NOT GOING TO LOSE ANOTHER OUNCE.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET I HAVE NOT LOST ENOUGHT YET BUT I WILL UPDATE WHEN MORE TIME HAS PASSED.