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

my cousin nd my play sister both had te surgery; I was impressed and so envious that I could not stand it any longer and I was nearing my 60th birthday, I was afraid if I waited any longer, I would be too old and considered too high of a risk to be allowed to have the surgery.

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

no problem; because Dr Kerlakian's staff was so knowledgeable and thorough, I was able to correctly apply for and be immediately accepted into the program

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

A piece of cake; everyone gave me all the facts and I left out determined to have the rouen-y process without hesitation or second thoughts, I wanted the Cadillac(rouen-y) not the cavalier(lap band.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

To finally and decisively do something positive for myself before it was too late.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Cadillac vs. cavalier

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?

No fears, not even concern for even one moment. Go to Dr Kerlakian, if you can and do not allow yourself to worry; if anything were to happen, as far as I was concerned, it would be because of some factor other than due to the fault of my surgeon.

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?

Did not tell them until after the fact; maybe I was wrong, but my caregiver knew and my very best friend. They were 100% supportive after they found out.

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

No reaction, I was off for four days, and I was not scheduled to return to work for two weeks, not because of the surgery, but at the time, I worked two weeks on and two weeks off. Had I been scheduled to work, I would have gone in after about six days after surgery just for good measure; I could have gone back after three days.

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

surgery on Tuesday am. released on Thursday noon and allowed to walk out - no wheel chair. The Dr had me up and walking after 24 hours; I walked 2-3 times a day and 200 a m when I awoke and was not sleepy. I made two complete rounds around my ward/ floor.

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

Not even one

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 fine; I was anxious to get it done and over with.

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

Eat and drink according to your surgeon's instructions and everything should go smoothly; they did for me.

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

Maybe three to four miles

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.

First, only liquids, then light meals and solids after about 4 -5 weeks , if I remember correctly. I did exactly what my instruction manual said, and I read it faithfully every day; it was advantageous for me to cut and paste certain portions of instructions as applicable so as not to have to re-read everything every time.

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

Not much outside activity. Mainly, I focused on my exercises for fear of not maximizing my weight loss.

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?

only occurred when I acted up. I had three occasions of dumping syndrome because I either ate too much or ate too fast. No other side effects, All three occurrences happened within two weeks after I began eating solid foods. I behaved myself and got back on the right track.

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

There was no worst part, unless you consider the anticipation of about to have the surgery; those disappeared as soon as my anesthesia took effect.

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

none. For some, they may be helpful, for me, I preferred to go it alone; selfish, maybe, but it worked well for me.

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

Three tiny trocar scars and a two inch verticalscar which don't bother me.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Can't seem to get under and remain under 160-170

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No one initially believes that I lost 100 lbs. I have to show them my profile with Good Samaritan weight loss program and my photos after surgery.