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

i first found out about bariatric surgery from a co worker and my impression was that this is going to be just another one of those fad diets i will loose the weight and within 1-2 months it will stop

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

i had my consultation with surgeon and within 2 weeks after papers were filed with insurance company i had an approval.. keep on pushing the insurance company and dont give up

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

the meeting with the surgeon was so up lifting to know that there was someone out there that really cared and listened to me and understood what i was going through and wanted to help me

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

when i went onto the carnie wilson.com web site and seen al rocker on the today show and how this surgery helped both of them and what a difference it made in their lifes

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i discussed it with the surgeon and we both thought the lap was the best 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?

my fear was death but i told myself that there have been alot of people that have had the surgery and have lived and if i dont have it done then i am facing the same alternative with being over weight and having health problems

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?

at first my family was rather worried about my decision but after some long research they also agreed that this was the best alternative no i would not have communicated anything differently just letting them research for them selves was the best. my family is very supportive now that i have had the surgery and they even eat the same things i eat to help

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

my supervisor was happy for me.....i told them that i had the bariatric surgery i was only off of work for 2 weeks

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

my hospital stay was good i was only in the hospital for 1 day and only in ICU about 3 hours bring chap stick

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

i had an ulcer i went and had a endoscope done and that is when they found it and then they prescribed me prevacid and now i am doing really good

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 over whelmed that they even approved me at all i just took it one day at a time and the closer it got the more anxiety i had

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

during the first few weeks i only ate about 2 oz and ate small bites also drank lots of carnation instant breakfast drinks and lots of milk also i walked alot

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

i traveled about 45 minutes

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.

you can not have red meat, bread, or sugar during the first few weeks you can only eat 2 oz and soft foods diet does change month by month as each month goes by you can add different types of food at the beginning you can only have soft foods, then at 2 mos you add 1 more oz and add some solids like chicken, ham, turkey, then at 3 mos you 1 more oz and add vegetables and fruits and carbinated beverages diet drinks, then at 5 mos you add 1 more oz etc....1 year you will be eating 8 oz of food

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

at first it was walking about 20 minutes in between meals then it was working up to 30 minutes of actvity each day plus all the work actvity

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

b-12 1000 mg once a week flinstone complete multi vitamin 2 a day caltrate 600 plus 2 a day

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?

nausia until they found out about my ulcer walked lots

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

the wait

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

none

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

5 itty bitty lines no i expected 1 large line from the breast bone to the navel

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i have had a plateau experience and i stayed at the same weight for one week then my dietician told me to lay off of my starches and the weight loss came back

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes they tell me how pretty i am getting and that i look good and healthy