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

My friend at work had surgery. She has lost over 140 lbs and looks wonderful. My first impression was one of great interest.

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

I had a good experience with my insurance approving me for surgery. Its taken me almost 6 months to get the surgery date, but I know it will be worth it.

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

My first visit to see Dr. Bock was wonderful. I liked him the moment I met him. He is really compassionate and caring.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I needed to do something about my physical body. I'm very healthy inside, but my physical self was going down the toilet real fast. I had to do something drastic to drop this weight and I decided that having the surgery was the right thing to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon decided for me and I agreed with him.

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 guess I'm afraid. There is always a chance of complications during any surgery. But, if I didn't do this for myself now, before I feel way too bad and can't even walk anymore, I might as well have flushed what was left of my life right down that good old toilet (I like using this expression a lot). bye bye Patty

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?

Everyone seems to be happy for me. One of my sons is not so sure and he voiced his opinion to me. I listened to him, but I know in my heart that I have to do this and I think he understands that too, even if hes not too sure about it himself.

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

He just wished me luck and said he hoped everything would go ok.

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

It was ok. Its a nice hospital and the nurses were all nice. The food tasted like cardboard. Pureed meatloaf. I don't think so. I told the doctor he could feed it to his dog. I was there 4 days. I needed to bring a book to read.

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

Didn't have any complications from the surgery. Not even after being "under" for 8 hours for the lap.

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 felt like crap the first week home, but after that everything seemed to fall into place. I wasn't anxious at all, except for wanting to heal faster.

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

The first week all I did was eat, sleep, and try to walk. After that I was a lot better. Moved slowly, but I managed to walk more. I slowly regained my energy. My ankles and lower legs were not swelled anymore and that was toooooooooo exicting for me!

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

Had to travel about 1 1/2 hours to reach my doctor and hospital. Has not affected me at all. Its a good day trip so I can also shop.

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.

I discovered right away that I couldn't drink my 2% milk anymore. I can now drink 1% and have no problems. I've been able to eat everything so far. Sometimes I eat too fast and end up in the bathroom, but I'm getting better about that. I'm still not eating things like steak and pork chops, but do well with fish, tuna fish, crab, shrimp, things like that.

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

First week home walked slowly around inside my house. After that, I started walking outside. Up and down my driveway. About 3 to 4 weeks out of surgery, I started walking the mall as far as I could.

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

I take an iron pill, mutilpe vitamins, B12, calcium Tums, and am not required to drink protein supplements. I have a supplement I can drink if I want. Its called American Whey and tastes ok.

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?

Vomiting has been the worst. Hurts like hell when you eat too fast or overeat. I still puke, but not as much. I just really think about how fast I'm eating and slow it down and I'm ok.

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

The worst part? Nothing. I'm glad I did it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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

I've gone to one support meeting so far, but most of the women there have had a different surgery than I had, so its hard to identify with them. No offense. I have a couple of women at work I can talk with who have had the surgery.

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

I had the lap and have 6 tiny scars. They are still red, but will fade in time.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I haven't experienced a plateau yet. My weight is slowly going down and I'm not stuck yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet. Will have to come back and update this later.