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

from tv and co-workers over the years. Serious talk with my family doctor sent me in this direction with alot more information and I really thought from the start it would be a good idea

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

The insurance approved first go round. The center just took for ever to send it in they didn't know how a bi-polar patient would do. All you can do is wait and I just started learning as much as I could and changing my diet and life style. I lost about 40lbs. from the time I first talked to them about the surgery until I had my surgery. I put the time to good use.

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

Dr McEwen has a meeting and runs a slide show and talks about the procedure and diet and insurance and goes over all the basics. Then you can decide if that is what you are wanting and make a one on one. The first one on one he was sure I would be a good candidate and I know I wanted him to be my doctor.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

There was never any question the weight had to come off and soon

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I did not want to have parts removed if I did not have to have. I am a big baby and this just seemed like the best route to take for me.

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 did not have any real fears other than about being put to sleep. My greater fears of dying would have been if I did not have the 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 family was supportive on this decision. I live by my self and in most ways that makes it much easier no need to have the temptations in the house for the other people to eat. My parents now want to blame any health issues on the surgery, however I believe I had issues but they were being blamed on the weight.

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

They were not happy, did not want to let me take time off from work. I only took a few days off but then I got very weakened and was off for 8 weeks only to end up finding out I have MS. My employer was not very nice about it and I thought I would lose my job from it.

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

MY THERAPIST HAS LEFT THE PRACTICE AND I DO NOT HAVE ONE AT THIS TIME

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

NEXT TO NONE MUCH LESS THAN BABY STRECH MARKS

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

GETTING TO WITHIN 15 LBS OF MY DREAM GOAL AND NOW IT JUST SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

PEOPLE THAT ACTED LIKE THEY DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE UNLESS THEY NEEDED SOMETHING FROM ME WANT TO BE MY FRIEND NOW