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

Went to a seminar.

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

I didn't have any problems. I guess because I was clearly a candidate for surgery, my insurance accepted the first time.

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

It was very imformative. Ask any question that you may have.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Got tired of being overweight

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I love food, I needed something that would MAKE me change my habits, because I could not do it on my own.

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 had no fears, I knew that God was in control of everything. I also knew that Dr Balder was excellent in this 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 parents were scared at first, but soon came around when they researched it more. I plainly let them know that this is something that I wanted to do and I was going to ddo this for me and my future health.

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

They weren't happy, but they came around. I was only out of work 10 days, but I had no complications.

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

My stay was 2 days. The day of surgery I don't remember much, but the nurses on the 2nd floor of Conway Medical Center are excellent.

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 good until the day before, then fear set in. I overcame that fear with help from friends and family.

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

I was raring to go after the 1st week. It felt like a huge weight, pardon the pun, was lifted off my shoulders. Take it easy and do what the Surgeon says. Listen to your body.

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

I traveled less than 12 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 three weeks on 64 oz liquids and 45 grams of protein in that liquid a day. It is hard to do, make sure that you have different protein flavors available, because you will get tired of just one.

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

After the second week, my energy level has gone through the roof.

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

B12 shot day I left hospital. Will start taking multivitamin, calcium and b12 on 2nd week.

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 have had no side effects at this time.

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

The Bowel prep the day before surgery was the worst. This was an inconvenience but understandable,not being able to drink anything after surgery until the leak test was done.

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

Support group once a month and Obesity Help website daily. The OH website is truly beneficial for many questions.

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

I have 6 tiny ( 1 inch) places that need to heal, very minor. Yes, this is what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Everyone that knows me has been very surprised at my outcome and are very supportive.