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

A GIRL I WORK WITH HAD THE SURGERY ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE I DID AND SHE WAS MY COACH THROUGH IT ALL.ALSO I SAW CARNIEE WILSON ON T V AND THAT WAS MY FINAL DECISION MAKER.

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

BE PATIENT. SOMETIMES IT TAKES LONGER THAN OTHER THINGS TO GET AN APPROVAL.

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

MY FIRST VISIT WITH MY SURGEON WAS KIND OF SCARY. WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE SO YOU WILL BE BETTER INFORMED.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I KNEW THIS WAS MY LAST OPTION TO LOSE THE WEIGHT. I HAD TRIED ALMOST EVERTHING ELSE AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THIS WAS THE PRCEDURE THAT MY DOCTOR PREFORMS ON MOST OF HIS PATIENTS.

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?

FIND A DOCTOR THAT YOU FEEL TOTALLY COMFORTABLE WITH.

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?

AT FIRST MY FAMILY DID NOT LIKE THE IDEA. BUT ONCE I HAD MADE MY DECISION THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME. NOW THEY TINK IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT I COULD HAVE EVER DONE FOR MYSELF.

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

EVERYONE IN MY OFFICE HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME. I TOLD EVERY OF MY DECISION. AND I WAS OFF WORK FOR 8 WEEKS.

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 4 DAYS. MOSTLY I SLEPT AND VISITED WITH FAMILY.

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

I HAD NO COMPLICATIONS FROM SURGERY.

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

AT FIRST NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT REGULAR FOOD BOTHERED ME THE MOST. BUT AS TIME WENT BY AND THE MORE WEIGHT I LOST IT DOESN'T BOTHER ME A BIT NOT TO BE ABLE TO EAT MUCH NOW.

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

EXPECT TO BE VERY TIRED AND NOT BE ABLE TO DO MUCH.

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

I TRAVELED 50 MILES FOR MY SURGERY.

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.

SINCE SURGERY I EAT VERY LITTLE OR NO MEAT. NO DAIRY AND NO BREAD.AT FIRST WHEN I WAS ABLE TO EAT SOLID FOOD I WOULD GET SICK AFTER EVERY MEAL. BUT AFTER ABOUT 8 WEEKS THAT PASSED.

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

IT TOOK ME ABOUT 10 WEEKS TO FEEL NORMAL AGAIN. I NOW HAVE TO MUCH ENERGY AND FEEL GREAT MOST OF THE TIME.

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

I TAKE TO FOLTRIN A DAY AAND TWO ONE A DAY VITAMINS A DAY.PLUS ZINC AND AMINO ACIDS. AND A PILL TO REDUCE THE ACID IN MY STOMACH BEFORE BED EVERY NIGHT.

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?

MY HAIR HAS BEEN FALLING OUT SINCE ABOUT 3 MONTHS POST OP. I JUST LOOK AT IT AS NORMAL. IT HAS SLOWED DOWN A BIT AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IT STOPPING ALL TOGETHER.

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

THE UPPER GI THEY GIVE YOU AFTER SURGERY BEFOREE THEY SEND YOU HOME.

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

I WORK WITH A FEW PEOPLE WHO ALSO HAD THIS SURGERY AND THEY ARE MY SUPPORT GROUP. IT IS VERY NICE TO BE AROUN PEOPLE WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN THROUGH THE SAME THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH.

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

MY SCAR IS ABOUT 6 INCHES LONG. AND IS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD LOOK. IT IS STILL PINK BUT I KNOW WITH TIME THAT WILL CHANGE.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

AT ONE POINT FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS I DID NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT AND I WAS SO DEPRESSED. EVERY DAY I WOULD GET ON THE SCALE AND WOULD NOT HAVE LOST AND OUNCE. DON'T WEIGH EVERYDAY!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I FEEL LIKE EVERYONE TREATS ME DIFFERENT NOW. THEY DON'T LOOK DOWN AT YOU AS BEING INFERIOR TO THEM.