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

by watching a t.v. show. it was scary but i thought, god i would love to have that done

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. i was approved on the first shot.

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

my first visit with the surgeon was okay. i would however have liked it to be a little longer. here i am putting my life in this mans hands, and he was done speaking to me after 15 min..

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i had done reasearch about it for 3 years and saw 11 other surgeons besides the one i chose. i had to wait untill i was toally comfortable and ready to face whatever the outcome was.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

that was the easy part. i knew i needed the gastric bypass. i new if i got the lapband, and i was able to suck down icecream, i would...

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 so afraid of dying. i even wrote letters to all my loved ones before having my surgery. there were being held by someone i designated with instructions to give them out to the people i love just incase i didnt make it out alive. i would tell everyone you have the right to be afraid. but you do what you need to do to make things right for you. i also started reading a book and would not finish it untill i came out of surgery. this way i knew i had to wake up so i could finish my book.

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?

every one was supportive before, during, and after.

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

my personal manager was great. i was only out of work for 10 days

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

my stay was to long... 5 days your only supposed to stay for 2. bring something comfortable to sleep in and slippers. they have you up and walking 2 hours after surgery....

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

yes i did have complications. because of the medication they give you to put you to sleep for surgery, my kidneys shut down for 3 days. the doctors had never seen this before.

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 tried not to think about it that much. but i was nervous.

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

you will no be hungry at all. my sence of smell was very very strong. the slightest smell would make me throw up. i didn't have a lot of pain. but make sure to take it easy. dont lift or bend or stretch to far. because you have to remember even though on the outside it might not look like you had a major surgery done, your insides were just rearanged. so take your time.......

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

the hospital was only 20 min from my home.

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.

in the beginning no solids. for 4 weeks. only liquid. thank goodness for those protein shakes.. when i was finally put on pureed foods, i was able to tolerate ground chicken, cottage cheese, other soft cheeses. baby food was also easy to keep down. ground beef on the other hand did not stay down. i am almost 5 months post op, and i still do not do well with beef. i also cannot eat bread or pasta. it does not stay down. i do well with fruit and vegies. i do okay with chicken. you just have to learn to listin to your body. if you take one bite of something wait a few minutes before taking another bite. you will be able to feel the first bite go down and hit your stomach and if its not going to agree with you, you will know. just take your time....

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

i was always active even before surgery. so my activity level did not change.

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

b-12, iron, boitin, calcium, mulit-vitamin, magnisium, tums, protein shakes, all pill must be chewable or sublingual(disolve under tounge)

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?

nausea was bad if i ate to much. it still is. my hair is still falling out like crazy. its been 5 months almost.

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

the worse part was the gas pain in your stomach after the surgery. it hurt soooooooo bad. but the key to that is walking. i didnt belive the nurses in the hospital. i just wanted to lie there and cry from the pain but the nursed made me get up and walk and it helped.. alot....

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

i havent had the opportunity to go to any yet. but i want to..

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

i have 5 small incisions. its exactly what i expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i have been loosing steadily so far...

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not really.