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

I saw it being done on the Discovery Channel and was like stunned,it was sooo cool to see something finally being said and done about the obese people that wasn't negitive and degrading.

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

My experience with the insurance company was fine , my doctors office handled everything and got everything approved in about a weeks time

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

He was the most informative and percise individual I have ever met. He explained everything and he was not impatient at any question we asked and we got the impression that he was ready to sit there and discuss each topic no matter how long it was taking , he was not in any kind of hurry

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I want to live a normal kind of life and be able to run and ride horses again , go hunting in the mountains and walk with my guys and just be able to move without hurting all the time.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My surgeon showed me the different kinds that he does and I chose to do the rny as it rates the highest in sucess.

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 really scared of going under but I talked to the anestisolgist and he informed me that the methods of putting you to sleep has changed dramatically in the last five years. I would not wake up sick to my stomach or anything like that and I didn't either . It was really nice

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 husband , my sons and my father in law are all supporting my decision to have this surgery. as for friends I figure it is my business what I do and if they are my friends they won't say anything one way or the other.My Husband has been a total rock from day one and is still right here for me,and he is all I need.

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

I am currently staying home and not working for awhile until I get some weight off.

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

My stay in the hospital was a total of four days , the first day I was in surgery then recovery then back to my room that evening I got up and walked and the next day progressed nicely, did exactly what the doctor told me to do and was released to go home that weekend.

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

So far there are no complications from my surgery and I am now just five days out from the surgery.My Doctor is one great doctor I am just doing exactly what he is telling me to do and it is working great.

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 only had to wait three weeks to get my surgery done so it wasn't too bad, I had a couple of days there that I thought I was never going to get to my surgery date.Seemed like everything was going to fall apart at the last moment but it didn't and everything worked out okay.

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

the first few days I was home my husband stayed home with me and it was nice to have him around to help me out.I found out that the first couple of days home I was easily tired out and slept quite often.then it gradually faded away and my energy level started to come up.I now experience a lot of bursts of high energy and have to keep moving or it just about drives me crazy......

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

I traveled four hundred and eighty miles , we took two days to just mosey our way home. I have an appointment with my doctor in about three weeks from now. I have 911 if anything goes awry and I have total acess to the doctors office for all other concerns

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.

Okay since the 27th of August to now Sept.19 I was on the liguid while in the hospital,then to soft food and now I am eating regular food no upsets or intolerances so far , I do eat a very small amount now but am satisfied with it and do not care or crave any kind of sweets at all. I really have to think to eat enough because I am really not hungry like I used to get and that is the best thing ever.this is oct 16 and I have to really watch it so I don't eat too fast or drink too fast or I will throw it up instantly, every so often I just forget and my tool reminds me in a hurry. I accidently got too much sugar one day and experienced the dumping syndrome , I threw up alot and then it sort of hit the southern end ,,,,,,,,oh boy that is not something I want to ever do again that was awful...just read everything for the amount of sugar that it has in it now constantly.lol

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

the first few days were kind of slow and tiring but now I have quite a bit of energy so I am pretty active. I walk on the treadmill for about six to ten minutes each day and have been going more places and able to get around the house a lot easier. I still have days that my energy seems to be on the low side but each day I seem to improve quite a bit.

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

I take Flintstones complete two each day and vivactiv for the calicum and B12

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?

well so far no side affects and no hair loss has occurred yet.

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

not being sure if I would be okay and if I was going to have a bunch of complications or not. as it turned out there has been no bad occurances so far.

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

There is just me and my husband. If we have any questions we can call the doctor and his staff answers our questions

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

My scar is almost completely healed up and it is really looking nice. I knew it would be long but I never expected it to look as nice as it does.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have not reached any plateau yet and I am sure that I will reach one soon , but I will just work through it after all it will take time to get all the excess weight off that I packed on over the years.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not really, of course not to many people have really noticed any change yet ,but I am sure that they will shortly.