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

my personal Dr

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

got approved the first time i went to see the Dr

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

it was fine saw dr schelded the surgery after talking to him and to the nurse and nutricthon

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my personal Dr suggested that i get it done

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I did not Dr healling suggested the type of surgery

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 breatheing is the only fear i have the last surgery i had i stopped breathing and had a code blue called hard to get started back breatheing

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 are all for me having the surgery

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

none do not work

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

I was in the hospital for 15 days and it was really rough i had bad reactions to most meds and the anthesicia what they put me out with then i was kept under for several days later. they called a code blue on me had heart attack and alergic reaction. almost did not make it. then some of the time the nurses forgot about me and i did not get some meds as well as some meals. and had to wait hours to get cleaned up and to get bed and clothes changed as well as for someone to help me to clean up. i had several blood transfusions and chemichel replacements and other med changes. it was not a good stay at all.

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

yes i did i had several bleeders that caused my stomach to swell and fill with blood that mademe look like i was ten months pregnant as wellas in a great deal of pain, i ended up haveing a secind surgery to drain the excess blood that amounted to about 2 gallons and three transfusions.

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

in the time before the surgery i could not wait for the date to come i was glad to hve it aand counting down the days to the surgery i dealt with it by just counting down the days

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

i was a little upset and angry as to my progress in the hospital and that my Dr was not giveing me the answers that i felt that i needed and that i was in more pain than i should have been in i felt that he had done me a dis service by not listening to me while in the hospital and that some of the things that happened to me could have been avoided. but i dealt with them and i got over it and just focused on getting better healing and hopeing that i would have a good weight loss outcome

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

not far at all only a few miles from my home to the hospital about 3 - 5 miles at the most

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.

it is hard to find things that you can eat what you eat one day you may not be able to eat the next. it is a day to day thing food does not always stay down and you get tired of soup and broth and all the foods they suggest you eat you will find that you cant eat them you just have to try everything that you can and hope that you will find something that will give you what you need in the mean time there are always popcicles they are your life savers when in doubt get a popcicle it will be your life line.

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

i have friends on the diffrent obesity sites and friends at home i talk to that help me when i have a problem or a worry and they are very helpful especially the ones who have been through the surgery we can compare notes as to the progress that we have

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

its long and looks like a zipper it took a long time for it to stop draining but it did but it does look funny splits my stomach in two looks like you have a behind on your front

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i dont feel that i have had any as of yet i did feel that i had not lost any weight and i have lost 50lbs so far and that i think was impressive

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no i am treated the same way that i was before nothing has changed and there should not be any change either