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

Friends had the surgery and made it sound so easy. I don't think they told me the truth or my body sure has not reacted to the surgery like theirs has.

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

PATIENCE!!! Call your insurance company but be nice. Try to talk to the same person and always thank them, you will be surprised how much they will help you.

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

Listen to everything the doctor says, good and bad. Make a list of questions to ask. Don't go in with your mind already made up like I did. I thought surgery would be a magic deal and I would get rid of all my troubles. NOT TRUE It is only a tool, but you have a LOT of work on your part.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had a mild heart attack, scared myself silly. I thought, have the surgery, lose the weight, live happy ever after. WRONG

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had a hiatal hernia and could not have the lap band. So the doctor suggested the R&Y.

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?

For me it was die from complications of obesity or complications from surgery.

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 husband was not to keen on the surgery but my children were behind me all the way. i would have tried harder to lose the weight if I had known more about how it changes your life afterward.

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

N?A

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

3 days. The staff was extremely kind and helpful.

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

I have a lot of allergies to medicine so we had to work around that, but surgery went pretty well.

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

Like with everything I deal with I ate

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

Be prepared to have someone to help you with cleaning your drains and changing dressings. I could not do it myself and my husband is not able. I was lucky enough to have a sister-in-law that is a nurse. If it wasn't for her I don't know what I would have done.

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

80 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.

Absolutely nothing tastes like it did before surgery, not even water. Chicken has been hard for me to handle. I hate to eat now because I get so disappointed when the food does not taste good. I am eating food but mentally I am very depressed at 9 weeks out. Sometimes I eat things that I should not just searching for something that taste good.

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

After the first week I did pretty good.

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

My Flintstones I can get down good, but the other stuff I throw it back up.

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 did not have nausea or vomiting until I was about 5 weeks out and I'm still at it.

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

Not being able to drink water. I was use to turning up a bottle of water and gulping it down. Now all I can do is sip the water and my thirst is never satisfied especially if I get hot exercising.

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

Coaching for victory has been a God send for me. I also see a personal therapist that has helped a lot. Support groups are a necessity. We did not get to this situation without some emotional baggage and I did not realize how much of what I ate was because of my state of mind.

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

Quite small, but I've had surgeries before and at 60 years old I'm not in the market for a bikini.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I'm at a plateau right now, but I'm not sticking with the program like I should and that's my fault. Got to get my head straightened out.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Everybody wants to know how much I have lost.