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

I went to a women's show in town. One of the exhibits was a doctor giving a presentation about gastric bypass surgery.

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

I had no problem getting approval for the surgery from my insurance company. My advice about getting insurance approval would be to check carefully about what your insurance requires for approval of the surgery.

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

Dr. Stahl and his staff was very nice Dr. Stahl listened to my questions and concerns. He answered all my questions and put my mind at ease about any concerns that I had.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Not having the energy to play with my children and the support of my husband is what made up my mind about having the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I talked to Dr. Stahl about my options. I let him know that I would rather have the laproscopic surgery.

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?

My family was very supportive. They knew that I was having troubles. I really did not want my grandmother to know because she worries a lot about anyone going in for surgery. But, she was very supportive when she found out about it.

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

My stay in the hospital was o.k. I was there for 3 days. The staff at the hospital was very friendly. The one complaint I have is that I do not believe that some of the nursing staff ever read my chart. They were suppose to get me up and walking after my surgery. No one ever got me up to walk. I had to get myself up the next day and walk. I walked on my own for the remaining two days with no supervision of a nurse or nurses aid. Also, I found out the day I was to get out of the hospital that they were suppose to keep up with my urine output in order to make sure my kidneys were working properly. This did not happen until 3 hours of my release.

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

I had no complications after 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?

Weeks after surgery, I was somewhat sore, but I was glad I had the surgery.

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

Everyone is different after any type of surgery. I was able to do most everything I normally did. I had to rest more often. Everyone was surprised how energetic I was out of the hospital.

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

The hospital that the doctor's office chose is three miles from my house.

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

My activity level was high after surgery.

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

I take Centrum chewable and Calcium Citrate + D.

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

Because I had my gall bladder removed laproscopically, I knew what my scars would look like.