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

I WAS REFERRED BY MY DIABETIC DR, AND I WAS SCARED TO DEATH!

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

MY INSURANCE WAS GREAT AND APPROVED IT WITHIN 2 WEEKS

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

WAS OVERWHELMING, BUT VERY IMFORMATIVE

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY FAILING HEALTH, AND THE OUTCOME FROM FRIENDS WHO HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH IT

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE OUTCOME AND MY SPECIFIC MEDICAL SITUATION

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?

ACTUALLY THE PROCESS WAS SO QUICK, NEVER REALLY HAD MUCH CHANCE TO FEAR IT

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?

THEY WERE EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE, AND PROUD OF ME

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

THEY WERE ALSO SUPPORTIVE, AND FOLLOWED UP WITH ME CONSTANTLY AND I WAS OUT OF WORKS 2 WEEKS

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

IT WAS EXCELLENT I WAS THERE FOR 4 DAYS TEDDY BEAR

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

NONE

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 FELT GREAT, AMBITIOUS AND ENERGIZED

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

THE HARDEST PART WAS THE FLUID, VERY HARD TO DRINK CONSTANTLY

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

1 1/2 HR DRIVE, AND DID NOT AFFECT MY AFTERCARE

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.

1ST 2 WEEKS POST OP WAS ALL FLUID, PROTEIN DRINKS, POPS, AND JELLO..NEXT 2 WEEKS WERE PUREE, BABYFOOD, MASHED POTATOES COTTAGE CHEESE AND EGGS, THEN FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ( WHICH IS NOW ) I AM ON SOFT FOOD..TURKEY BURGERS, FLAKY FISH AND MORE COOKED VEGGIES

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

EXCELLENT

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

B12, TUMS, PEPCID,MULTIVITAMIN

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?

HAD NONE OF THE ABOVE SO FAR

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

THE TUBE DOWN MY THROAT WHEN I WOKE UP FROM SURGERY

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

MY DIABETES CENTER OFFERS SUPPORT GROUP AND MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS

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

ALOT SMALLER THEN EXPECTED AND HEALED VERY FAST

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

2ND CHECKUP ONLY LOST 1 POUND, WAS DEHYDRATED

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET