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

a friend of mine had the wls, but i said this is not for me. i can do this myself.

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

my stay went very well. i am not gong to lie it was very painful the first few days and the medication did not really help all that much. the most important thing to do is make sure you get out of the bed and move and walk. i am a nurse and i know the importance of moving and walking after surgery to prevent a number of very serious complications. iwas in the hospital for 4 days. the most important things to bring are your toilet articles.the things the hospital supplies are not very nice.

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

i did have some drainage from my incision for about 2 months, the dr told me it was fat coming out. it was not an infection. and i dealt with it changed my dressings when needed and went back to work with no problems

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 very very tired after the surgery, and i knew i should be feeling pretty good after about 6 weeks. i saw om pcp and had some bloodwork and found i had a problem with my thyroid. started on medication and felt great i reall had no anxiety at all

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

i had a lot of pain because my incision opened up about a week after i came home. i was not very hungry and had a hard time making myself eat.

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

i live in pittsburgh and had my wls in the city

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 was able to eat everything i ate before the surgery. i just could not eat a lot of it. i was not a sweet eater before but i did eat sugar and had no episodes of dumping. since the very first month after wls i have been able to eat anything.

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

after i went on medication for my thyroid i felt great and my enery level was great i began walking and doing weight training

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

i take a multivitamin daily and i take fish oil pills for some hair loss

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?

hair loss came about 3 month post-op. i got my hair cut short and my dr told me to try the fish oil pills. have had no nausea or vomiting.

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

the pain

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

my dr conducts a support group the first monday of the month. it is very helpful and i attend faithfully.

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

my scar is long about 12 in. i do not heal well after surgery, so the scar did not concern me very much i am prone to forming keloids after being cut.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i have not been weighing myself at home i only get weighed when i go to the drs. i did not want to become a slave to the scale.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no