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

I HAVE A WONDERFUL FRIEND THAT WAS THINKING OF IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I THOUGHT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I COULD EVER DO.

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

MY INSURANCE COMPANY WAS ABSOLUTLY WONDERFUL. I HAD ONLY HAD MY JOB WITH THIS COMPANY FOR A YEAR , AN I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN TREATED BETTER. I WAS QUITE SUPRISED.

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

MY FIRST VISIT WAS KINDA OF AWKWARD, ALTHOUGH THE CHAIRS WERE TOTALLY MADE FOR LARGER PEOPLE, I FOUND THAT COMFORTING. TO GET THE MOST OF YOUR FIRST APPT I WOULD HAVE SOME BASIC QUESTIONS AND HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WNAT TO LIVE A LONG LIFE, IF I COULD QUIT SMOKING, 8YRS, I COULD CERTAINLY DO THIS

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I HAVE HAD 2 BABIES AND NO OTHER HOSPITALIZATIONS, SO I WAS NERVOUS EITHER WAY. THE RNY LAP PROCEDURE SEEMED TO HAVE MUCH QUICKER RECOVERY TIME. I HAD NEVER BEEN KNOCKED OUT FOR ANYTHING BEFORE

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 FEARS OF THE SURGERY WERE OVER WEIGHED BY MY FEARS OF DYING TOO YOUNG, I WAS SO UNHAPPY I WAS IN FEAR OF LIVING. THIS IS BETTER!!!!

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?

I HAVE A SOLID GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HEPLED ME.

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

MY SUPERVISOR HAD HAD THIS DONE HERSELF SO I WAS IN GREAT COMPANY. SHE WAS EXTREMELY HELPFUL IN GETTING ME HERE.

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS GOOD, I THINK THEY HAD BETTER BEDS THAN WHEN I HAD MY KIDS. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FROM TUES---FRIDAY. THE BEST THING I COULD BRING WAS MY FAITH AND A DETERMINATION TO SUCCEED.

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

I HAD NONE, BUT I COULD HAVE USED SOME ADVISE ON HOW TO GET UP FROM MY REGULAR BED FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS THAT WAS KIND OF TOUGH

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 REALLY GOOD, I HAD A FEW COUGHING FITS, I GUESS THAT WAS FROM THE ANESTHESIA, BUT I GOT REALLY GOOD AT HOLDING A PILLOW TO MY BELLY. AFTER 3-4 DAYS I REALLY FELT PRETTY GOOD

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

I WAS HAPPY WITH MY PROGRESS, I TRIED TO HAVE LITTLE PROJECTS TO DO AROUND THE HOUSE. I TRULY WAS AMAZED BY HOW LITTLE YOU COULD TAKE IN AND STILL FEEL OK. I TRIED TO GET OUT A LITTLE EACH DAY, WHICH WAS EASIER AFTER THE FIRST 2 WEEKS. IN THE BEGINNING IF I WALKED TOO FAST I WOULD GET A CRAMP IN THE SIDE. I THINK IT WAS JUST THE LARGEST INCISION HEALING.

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

MY DR AND HOSPITAL ARE ONLY 12 MILES FROM HOME.

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.

THE FIRST FEW WEEKS, I WAS THE LIQUID THING. THE MOST TIRING OF THIS TO ME WAS THAT ALL I COULD EAT WAS COLD FOOD. I DID GET BRAVE AND TRY SOME INSTANT POTATOES, WHICH I PUT SOME NON-FLAVORED POWERED PROTEIN IN, AND I WOULD DO ABOUT 1/3 CUP OF THOSE BUT IT WAS NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS WARM. I DID GET A LITTLE TOO BRAVE AT ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND SPENT ABOUT 2 WEEKS WITH THE DAILY VOMITING. THAT GETS OLD IN A HURRY, SO I JUST BACK UP WITH TRYING THINGS AND THAT CALMED RIGHT DOWN. I STILL , AT 6 MONTHS, STRUGGLE TO EAT CHICKEN. I AM FIGURING OUT THAT MOST IF IT IS A CHEWING ISSUE . I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A STUFFER. THAT HABIT IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST FOR ME. I WAS THRILLED WHEN I HAD BY FIRST BURGER.

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

I WAS A LITTLE SLOW A FIRST , BUT AFTER THE FIRST 30 WERE GONE, I GOT MORE EXCITED. I WOULD HAVE THINGS TO DO AT HOME OTHER THAN THE COUCH. I WOULD PUT AWAY CLOTHES, I WOUDL MAKE DINNER FOR MY FAMILY, AND WE SAT AT THE TABLE, EVEN IF I COULDN'T HAVE MUCH. I AM SO MUCH BETTER WHEN I GET HOME NOW, SOMETIMES I DON'T SIT TIL THE KIDS GO TO BED. AND I STILL FEEL GOOD.

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

I AM STILL ON THE LIQUID MULTI VITAMIN AND THE B12, I HAVE HAD A HARD TIME WITH MY REGULAR PILL VITAMIN, I HAVE TRIED IN THE AM /PM/ WITH WATER/MILK/WITH FOOD AND HAVE VOMITED OR JUST FELT REALLY BAD, SO FOR RIGHT NOW I AM STAYING WITH THE LIQUID. DURING MY STRUGGLE WITH THE VITAMINS MY HAIR STARTED TO FALL OUT SOME AND SO I WOULD RATHER USE THE LIQUID THAN NOTHING

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?

RIGHT AFER MY SURGERY I HAD A HARD TIME DRINKING WATER, I OWULD TAKE A BIG SWALLOW AND IT HURT. THE VOMITING IS BAD, BUT I HAD WORS ATTACKS WITH THAT WITH MY MIGRAINES. MY HAIR IS STILL COMING OUT SOME, BUT I BLAME THAT ON MY LAPSE WITH THE VITAMINS. I HAVE LOTS OF HAIR SO I THINK I WILL BE OK WITH THAT.

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

THE WORST PART FOR ME WAS THE IV IN THE HOSPITAL, MY SURGERY WAS IN THE AFTERNOON AND THEY HAD A HAD TIME WITH THE VEINS. THE AFTER PAIN WAS NOT REALLY SO BAD. I FELT BETTER WHEN I GOT UP AN STARTED WALKING AROUND THE HOSPITAL. USUALLY I DID THAT AT 3 IN THE AM, NO ONE TO SEE ME AND BY THE 3RD DAY YOU DONT LOOK YOUR BEST, COULDN'T HAVE A SHOWER TILL THE DRAINS WERE OUT.

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

MY SURGEON HAD A SUPPORT GROUP THAT IS MONTHLY, I HAVE MISSED TWO SINCE I STARTED THIS PROCESS. I FIND THAT VERY HELPFUL. IN THE BEGINNING YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT AND YOU GATHER SO MUCH INFO FROM OTHER PEOPLE AND THE EXPERIENCE

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

ALL BUT ONE ARE HARDLY VISIBLE IT IS LESS THAT I EXPECTED

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I GOT A LITTLE STUCK AROUND 50 LBS, THEN I MOVED PRETTY WELL TO 75 AND STAYED THERE FOR A FEW WEEKS. NOW I AM MOVING AGAIN, I JUST BROKE THE 90 LBS MARK LAST WEEK. I HAVE NOTICED SINCE ABOOUT 4 MONTHS IT IS SLOWING DOWN, BUT I COULD NEVER HAVE LOST 90 LBS IN 6 MONTHS BEFORE

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

MY CIRCLE OF SUPPORT IS WONDERFUL, NOT THAT MUCH HAD CHANGED, I AM STILL WAITING FOR ME TO SEE MYSELF DIFFERENTLY