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

Found info through internet and research

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

being a nurse and knowing what can happen -- either DM, CAD -- or this

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 daughter misses us eating out -- all the time

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

they were great

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

Stay was a little boaring -- hated the ng tube

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

none

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

Right after surgery I constanly fought with myself about eating- I was mad at myself -- mean to Dr Strickland and Amanda and my family. Just mean about not being able to eat at all. About 8 weeks after surg I began to go through a weird transformation -- mental I began to accept myself and really realized what I had put myself through.

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

Fighting with yourself about eating. The issue are everywhere -- TV, the people you live and work with.

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

in town

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.

meat, tuna, anything with fat or oil in it. Soon I began to crave salads.

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

slow to rebound

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

multi

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?

about 3 months -- it was hair loss -- lasted about 4 weeks

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

the fight within myself had to be the worse part. Went into the situation with my eyes wide open. Now even at this weight I feel I could live with it forever.

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

Dr Strickland has a group

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

great

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

very much so -- even those who would not have anything to do with me before surgery because I was fat now act if they are my best freind -- my favorite response "who me lose weight -- nope not the first pound"