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

An aquaintace had it done, it worked for her and so i said if she could do it, i could do it

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

nothing my surgeon handled everything

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

i did tons of research before going to him, so i pretty much knew all about it. besides i have used him in the past

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i was ready, ready to change my life aroung for the healthier

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

just listened to what my surgeon had to say about pros and cons of wach and asked what he would reccommend

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 think all my fears are pretty normal and as i said i trust my doctor and will do what's right for me, I'm not gonna go this far and screw it up

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?

some were against and some were for it, but let' sface it, i'm the one that has to live with me

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

If i was sure they supported me, they honstly didn't think i was heavy enouph but again MY decsion!

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

i hate hospital beds and couldn't wait to get home. 2 nights home on the 3rd day, a toothbrush!

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

not yet and let's hope never!

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

it's only been 4 days, very sore but every day is better

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

to kisten to their body and don't over do it, you'll be sorry and for every stupid action there is a price to pay

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

not far the hopspital is 5 minutes away

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.

fatty and artificial sugered foods. just eat smart and keep drinking!

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

tired but like everday is better

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

small multi-vitamin my protein and calicim drink b-12 every month

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?

sleep disturbance Just from the incsion (understandably) nausea like mad for the first 3days (probably from anesthesia ) but you know what i mean. i don't plan on dumping (let's hope i don't ) they say everyone does when that happens you'll be the 3rd to know

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

learning to eat as if you were a baby again, liquids, then mushy soft foods, it like being a baby all over again but knowing how good that damn steak and potatoes taste

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

went to a couple meetings but i work in the medical field so there really wasn't anything i didn't know, i wasn't really needing any support (so to speak)

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

they were very small and fade over time. i had a great surgeon!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

gas, holy hell i thought i was gonna die, i think in a way i wanted to, i swore that i had a leak or something bad- it was child labor all over again, so when you got to pass- let it pass!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yeh i kind of notice a lot more men checking me out, and things like that, but even heavy i never let me weight bother me!