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

my friend told me about another friend getting it done.

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

just have patience and pray

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

i was scared but he was very nice and really helped me understand about the surgery the ben and the down all at once so i would have a clear understanding of what i was getting into

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

praying to GOD about it and looking at my kids sleep and wondering if i would be here in a year or less and be able to run out side and play with them.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i asked my doc what one he like to do.

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?

all i can say is trust in GOD and pray, i was scared about dying.

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?

they were very understanding about it

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

i was off work from 02-21-01 until 04-18-01

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

house coat, toothbrush and that was i really need i stayed about 2-3 days

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

had none

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 really didn't feel bad i felt pretty good with what i had done.

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

alot of pain to be honest

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

not far at all about 10 min drive

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

a little active i walked some

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

prenatl vitamins

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 still have the nausia and the vomiting at times, i love to sleep on my stomach so that was hard the first month and my hair loss was a lot

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?

i don't have one but i need to get into one

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

i have had surgery before so the scar really don't bother me

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i am on a plateau now and have been for months trying to fig out how to get off of it

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not really, more men look now than ever before