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

researched on the internet

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

this was very easy was approved in a matter of days

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

ask a lot of questions no question is dumb. the dumb ones are the ones not asked. they are here to help you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

there was no question after i realized i would be here for my children longer.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

doctor advised which one i should have

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?

tried to keep out of my mind. prayed and thought of my children and that i will have a positive outcome.

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?

i did not care what they thought. i was doing what i wanted for my life.

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

i was out four weeks. i did not go into detail with my employer my reason for going out. as this was none of their business. as long as i had leave there was nothing that they could say.

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

they stay was fine. i had medicine complications and could not leave until this was resolved. i was in 5 days.

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

no complications. i did have the surgery the day before thanksgiving and there was a skeleton crew at the hospital. the techs that were in the room while they check for leaks were not very good. they did not listen to me.

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 very excited and could not wait to begin a new life.

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

i got very dehydrated because i did not want to drink or eat. i had to force myself to get it all in. ended up having to get an iv of fluids at my follow up.

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

local in town. i live in charlottesville va and uva hospital was in my back yard.

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.

since i am very picky anyway it was really hard to find things that i like to eat and could eat. i still to this date would rather have vegetables then meat.

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

slow at first due to the dehydration, but once this was fixed i had more energy to do the things that i wanted.

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

i take b-12 shots monthly, 2 childrens chewables daily and i go about every year and half to get iron infusions.

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?

hairloss. i went from having long thick full hair to very fine thining hair. it is now short as it is too thin to grow long.

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

time in the hospital away from my kids

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

i did not use the hospital support group. i visited this web site on a regular. i can not remember my user name and password to get back in to update it so i started a new one. since spouse not to supportive i would suggest find additional support. this is needed to keep you going.

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

cant see them they are so small and since i have had a tummy tuck most of them are gone.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i had a plateau after i delivered my baby. i did not gain while i was pregnant and lost a lot after her but then it stopped. i found out that i was pregnant about 7 months after my surgery. i was believed to have an infection from bypass (not proven). rapid weight loss caused birth control not to work fully. but if it was not for her i would not be here now. so very thankful.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

people take a second look now because i feel better about myself. my friends and co workers do not (in front of me) treat me any different. they respected me for who i was and not what i looked like.