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

I read Carnie Wilson's book and started doing my research. After collecting lots of data, I knew this was the answer for me.

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

I had no problem with insurance approval. it was done in 3 weeks with no problems

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

It was a good experience. You should go with a list of any questions you want answered.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The fact that I had to start walking with a walker.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Doing the research on each procedure and I decided to have the open .

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 figured if I did not have the surgery I would die and I would rather die trying instead of sitting there waiting for it to happen. Being prepared by researching helped 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?

They were extremely supportive and backed me 150% during the entire journey.

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

I do not work

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

My stay was enjoyable. The staff was excellent and I was there for 4 days. Because I was a distance from home, I brought books to read.

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

No complications at all. Everything was great. The only problem was trying to get the iv started. I have deep veins.

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 never once felt bad, I guess I am lucky compared to some. No mood swings or trouble with coping. I looked forward to every day because it brought me one step closer to my goal.

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

To do thing slow and to stay off the scales. You lose inches sometimes when the pounds are not coming off. Be patient!

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

I had to travel three hours and I see no affect from the travel. We would stop every hour so I could walk.

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.

Your surgeon will let you know the stuff you can and can't eat. I just stuck to the guideline they set up for me. I stay away from the bad sugars and high fats. I had a hard time with beef and did become lactose intolerate, but that ended after a while.

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

I started slow and then increase my activity to fit the way I felt. I made sure I walked everyday.

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

I take pre natal vitamins that my surgeon recommended

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?

The only side effect is sleep disturbance. I still do not sleep very good unless I take tylenol pm before bed. I did not loose hair and did not dump because I watched my diet

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

The waiting for the scales to move.

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

Because of the distance I have to travel to get to a support, I started one in my area.

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

You can barely see it now. I really expected it to be worse than it is.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Just one time I hit a plateau during the 4th month and I just increased the protein and water and up my exercise schedule more.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Now everyone wants to be your friend when before they did not give you the time of day and the overweight people do not like the fact I am smaller.