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

My mom had this surgery over 20 years ago and it scared the crap out of me with some of her complications (like getting sick over dairy products). But,now with, modern technology and wanting to have a healthy life and kids, I am so excited to have this surgery and get on with my life.

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

that is a tough question. they uped my date by a month and we called and got it approved.

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

it went well, he was open to answering questions that my husband and i had and was honest with the complication factors

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to get health and give myself a chance to possible have children.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

doctor recommendation

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 fears are that I can die without this surgery also. Having this much weight isn't good for your body at all. So, I feel it out weighs the fears.

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 mom had this surgery 20 years ago and had some complications with it and was very worried about me having the surgery. I explained how importand it was for me to have it and it was for my health. All have been very supportive.

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

my supervisor and employer were very supportive. I told them i was having gastric by pass and they were really excited for me

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

I think everyone is so different. The first night was hard because you aren't sure how to move to get in and out of bed or up from a sitting position. By day 3, I was going stir crazy.

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

15 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.

Onions are a touch and go thing and so is "creamy" noodles.

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

somewhat high. a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 and almos 2 months later it is a 7 or 8

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

Tums and Flinstone chewables

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?

dumping... it is an on and off thing

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

learning that i can't down that can of pop i want really bad