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

a girl I worked with had it and she looked great and had a better attitude plus many of her health issues were improing as she continued to lose weight

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

I did not handle the approval process

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

he was young and very informative

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i was sick of not being able to hold my kids on my lap

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my insurance only covered one type

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 scared i was going to 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?

there were mixed emotions but for the most part they were supportive

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

i did not tell them

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

the first day was hell but each day got better i refused to stay in bed

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

no

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 nervous and I was in the middle of moving

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

I struggled with wanting to eat food like i used to i made myself sick a few times because I did not take my time or did not chew the food up enough

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

45 minute drive

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 have a tough time with meat,pasta,bread, and cheese and eggs mixed

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

it was pretty high

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

i took a multi calcium and b 12

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?

the biggest thing for me is I still have trouble with the same stuff as always I do not dump anymore because I have learned what my limits are

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

for me it was the recovery

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

i went to a local support meeting for a while but then the drama started and I did not go to another

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

scars are scars i had huge scars on my stomace from emergency gallbladder surgery and to c sections

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i hit a "plateau" at 230 a loss of about 80 but then i started back to the basics and some more came off down to 200 a loss of 113 and maintaining at 5 years out

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

some what i am still fat but nothing like before