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

I HEARD ABOUT IT FROM PEOPLE WHO NEW SOMEONE WHO HAD IT AND THEN STARTED INQUIRING ABOUT IT AND INFO ON IT. FIRST IMPRESSION? FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN, I THINK UNTIL I LEARNED MORE ABOUT IT AND WHAT IT COULD HELP ME ACCOMPLISH.

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

i was soooooooo RELEAVED and excited,i called my best friend first and as soon as i said the words approved i burst into to tears and couldnt stop blubbering for 5 minutes..lol

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

scry, i was TERRIFIED he wouldnt approve me or accept me for his program..after meeting i was elated...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my health...i had no other resolutions for my health problems and i felt like i was slowing dying one day at a time........

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

my surgeon dr jawad made the choice for rny laproscopically

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?

fears...hmmm... that i could die on the table, that i would fail at losing the weight i needed to even after the surgery, that it wouldnt solve my health problems...i didnt die..lol..i'm down from 348 pounds to 215 pounds in just under 7 months...and my blood pressure is normal, reflux is cured and i am pregnant 7 months in and i was told i may never be able to have children before i had my surgery...lol

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?

parents were scared, apprehensive, anxious....friends extremely supportive...

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

it was okay..they managed my pain well, not so great on the nausea part until we figured out that it was nerves contributing a lot to it.....

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

none so far ...thank you god and dr. jawad....lol

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

oh i felt like a child waiting for christmas and santa..hmm i wonder if dr. jawad every has been referred to as santa before..lol

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

well ...i've only been home 2 days...lol...but they are good , the first night i slep 12 hours !!!!! i couldnt beleive it ! but i guess i needed it...lets face it the hospital is not the most restful place...lol

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

only 30 minutes to monroe regional medical center in ocala florida

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.

well i am 5 days post op and am on a liquid diet....i dont handle the soups well...yuck..i onlu like tomatoe..lol...but i drink a wonderful drink called "CARB SOLUTIONS" the vanilla has 20 grams of protein in 1 8 oz glass , mixed with water...no sugars at all added and only 2 carbs and it tastes really great..chocolate is good too but has less protein and 4 carbs ..so i say i'm sticking with vanilla..lol. i drink natural juices , sugar free jello, sugar free popsicles/no sugar added fruitsickles etc...my only problem is i drink lots of water and have trouble getting the good stuff in cause i drank my water !! aarggh..i'll get it balanced out though...lol..i did spit up a little last night because i drank water too soon after my dinner..lesson learned...lol

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

slower and tender from the surgery but i was up and ambulatory the next morning...my surgery was late afternoon , so i was pretty drugged that day...lol..home ambulatory..sucks when i drop something..lol..i'm getting creative at picking stuff up..lol

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 nausea, occasional dumping( juices made me dump), and i've lost over half of my hair...thank god it was to thick before...

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

hmmm.. the pain after.....but it went away and i'd do it again if needed

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

we have support group meetings once a month...very informative and kind of fun...

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

i have 7 1 to 11/2 inch scars...oh please ...they are far worth having than all that weight...not even a consideration for the tradeoff...good health and a longer normal life....

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

occasionally i would level off to only a few pounds in a week, it was scary but i would just rethink what i was eating (not healthy enough) and eat better and lose faster...

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

goodness yes....friends, family, people at work...and guys...lolol...to many look at me more....