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

2 OF MY FRIENDS HAD THE SURGERY .I WAS IMPRESSED W/THEIR WEIGHT LOSE.

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

BE PERSISTANT.

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

ASK ALOT OF QUESTIONS.MY SURGEN WAS VERY NICE&VERY HELPFUL.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I WAS EATHER GOING TO HAVE IT OR POSSIBLE DIE FROM A HEART FAILIER.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

MY DOCTOR HELPED ME.

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?

I WAS SCARED BUT MY FAMILY&FRIENDS WERE THEIR FOR ME.

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 SCARED FOR ME&A LITTLE ANGRY AT FIRST.BUT WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT IT WAS EATHER THIS OR I COULD DIE THEY BECAME MORE SUPPORTIVE.

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

I SLEPT ALOT.THE NURSES WERE GREAT.DOC ASLEM CHECKED ON ME EVERY OTHER DAY.I WAS THEIR 4 6 DAYS.A SPECIAL ITEM LIKE PICS OF FAMILY OR FRIENDS.OR A STUFFED FRIEND WAS HEIPFUL 4 ME WHEN I WAS IN PAIN.

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?

I WAS SCARED BUT I TALKED TO THE DOC ,THE NURSE &MY FAMILY&FRIENDS.

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

SOME PAINE.SOME DIFICULTY WALKING.IT WAS HARD HAVING TO DRINK FLUID AN NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT FOOD.MY BOYFRIEND WOULD EAT IN ANOTHER ROOM SO I DIDNT HAVE TO LOOK AT FOOD.

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

I LIVE AROUND THE CORNER OF MY HOSPITOL.

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 4 DAYS WAS JUST PLAIN FLUIDS.THEN I COULD HAVE ABOUT A TBSPOON OF APPLE SAUSE EVERY HOUR,YOGURT&PUDDING.THIS WENT ON 4 ABOUT 3 WEEKS THEN I COULD HAVE SOFT VEGGIES,COTTAGE CHEESE,CRAKERS&CHIKEN NOODLE SOUP.THEN AFTER THAT IT WAS A TRIAL AND ERROR TYP DEALW/MEAT POSTA&RICE.I CAN EAT ALMOST ANY THING I WANT EXCEPT GREASY FRIED FOOD LIKE FRIED CHIKEN,FRENCH FRIES&DEEP FRIED SEA FOOD.THIS IS HARD 4 ME BECAUSE I LOVED FRNCH FRIES,FRID SEAFOOD.I ALSO CANT DRINK ALCOHOL OR SODA.I DONT MISS THE ALCOHOL BUT I MISS MY PEPSI.IT IS NOT THE SAME 4 EVERY ONE.SOME CAN DRINK THESE THINGS SOME CANT.

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

I WAS A LITTLE SLOW MOVING&TIRED ALOT PLUS SICK ALOT BUT IN TIME THIS WILL PASS.

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

VITAMINS ,CALCIUM,B12,TUMS&DRINK NUTRISH MILK.NOT EVERY ONE NEEDS TO DRINK NUTRISH MILK.EAT ALOT OF VEGGISE!

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?

I HAD ALOT OF NAUSIA.A LITTLE VOMITTING.SLEEP WAS NOT A PROBLEM.MY HAIR IS GETTING THIN BUT NOT TO BAD.

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

THE NOT BEING ABLE TO EAT SOLID FOOD&THE NAUSIA&VOMITTING.I THOUGHT THST IT WOULD NEVER END.

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

FRIENDS&FAMILY PLUS THEIR IS SUPPORT GROUPS.THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT!

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

MY SCAR IS PINK.NO I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE REALY BIG &GROSS BUT IT IS NOT.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES THE MEN LOOK MORE NOW.