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

my doctor told me about it -thought it might work for me

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

It was not that bad -I decided in august to have it by nov i was approved .I had to see a cadio dr ,diet ,psy ,and approval from my general dr .once they all oked it it took about a month for the insurance to approve it

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

I was there 3 days .I got a fever and had to stay an extra day .They were great .I was dry heaving pretty bad and could not keep anything down .Those first few days were the worst .it was worth it . really I only needed some comfort items ,they supplied the basics .a robe ,gown and slippers .I brought a lot that i never even used .

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

I had a fever while I was there and they kept me an extra day .They didn't want to let me go home till I got some food to stay down .They get you up righ away walking up & down the hall -that's why a robe is a good idea .

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

ok ,I had a great surport system with my mom and family .i felt better after I steped on that scale the first time .

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

It will take a few weeks ,the liquid part is the hardest -once I was eating solids it was not bad

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

my doctor has a surport group ,I went to some of those ,but my family was the best therapy I had

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

my Scar from my gall bladder surger is worse than my wl surgery scar .they healed fine .

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am on a plataeu now ,about a year or so you really slow down (at least for me)it really depends on how much you have to lose ,the closer you get to goal the harder it becomes .I still need to lose about 25-30 pounds but if I never lose anymore I will be happy -I have not been this size in 30 years

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes ,sad to say but people do treat you different . I am more outgoing now ,not as afraid to speak to people .