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

I had a friend who had the lap-band surgery several years, and I was really impressed with how much weight she dropped. I considered it for several years, but was scared and didn't think that my insurance would pay for it.

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

Don't give up. It's a slow process, but with patience and proper documentation, alot more insurance companies a finding out that in the long-run it's cheaper to pay for the surgery than to keep paying for multiple medications, medical problems, and doctor visits.

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

Dr. Rose was very professional and very patient with all of my questions, and believe me, I had alot of questions. She never acted like she was in a hurry, and while I was with her, I was the most important patient she had.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was continuing to gain weight, my Rheumatoid Arthritis was getting worse, and my general health was rapidly going downhill.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I researched all of the different types and just decided that the Rouy- En-Y was the best one 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?

Any surgery carries some risk, but when you are 100#+ overweight, that's enough risk in itself. The surgery is scary, but when you look @ the overall benefits vs. the possible complications, it really isn't alot to think about.

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 were initially totally against the surgery because they had heard all of the bad things about it and all the things that could go wrong. I couldn't tell them anything different now than I did then. My brother was probably the most verbal against the surgery, and now he looks @ me and tells me how proud he is of me.

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

I was already disabled due to the arthritis, so I didn't have to deal with this part.

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

Aftercare is very important. I haven't gone to any support meetings, but have a very good support system involving people who have had WLS.

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

My scars are not nearly as bad as I expected. I have 5 very small abdominal incisions and one slightly longer incision on my left side.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit a plateau @ about 30# for about a week, but have been losing steadily since then.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I don't really notice that people treat me any differently, but I have noticed that I tend to be more open and outgoing.