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

I started a new job and met a girl who had it done. I thought that I might as well look into it. She gave me this site to do some research. 10 months later I set up a consultation, only after some intense research.

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 to do anything regarding insurance. My dr.'s office did everything. I did initially call them to make sure it was covered. Then I waited to get the approval notice.

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

My Dr. was very professional. He answered all my questions and was very understanding regarding what I was going through. I would say, before going to the consultation, write down all the questions that run through your head and put them in list form. That way you can run down the list in the office.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was sick of being uncomfortable all the time and looking at thin people and thinking "god are they lucky". I also was sick of being tired all the time. I felt like I wasn't doing much with my kids and I needed to do something about it.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

It's the only one my surgeon does.

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 scared at first. I'm sure I will develop a bigger fear when it gets closer. I did enough research to know that it's as safe as a gall bladder removal, they are done daily all over.

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 only chose a few people to tell. Most were ok, some still don't understand.

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

I'm not going to give them specifics.

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

The hospital stay was very good. I think I expected alot out of the nurses cuz at times they just didn't understand what I was going through. I was there from Wed - Sunday. Definetly will need a fan, pending on the hospital, they get real hot. A body pillow (it's a life saver). I don't recommend much of anything else, you'll be resting most of the time. You might want to bring something that covers your back and keeps your feet warm while walking the hall.

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

No complications, everything came out well.

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

After my surgery the main thing that bothered me was the head hunger. I constantly thought I was hungry and it made mad I thought that I was going to fail. I took it day by day and realized that it was just in my head.

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

You'll be sore for about a week. I had an open RNY and was fine within the first week home. I also experience some major mood swings with being weepy. Other than that it wasn't that bad. THE STAPLES ARE ANNOYING!!

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

1 HOUR, It wasn't that bad.

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.

At first I couldn't tolerate water, but that's gotten better. chicken was really tough for me. I was also able to tolerate sugar which scared me. I can't stand it now, even my favorite chocolate treats make me sick and don't taste right anymore.

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

At first it was real slow, but as the weight continued to come off I found myself wanting to do more things that I havn't wanted to do in some time.

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

I started with 2 flinstone's chewables daily and one sublingual B12. Now I take the B12 every other day if that and one a day maximum.

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?

Hair loss was really bad for about 3 months, month 3 - 6, it stopped and now the hair is growing back nicely

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

I kept feeling like it was a mistake, how did I come to resort to something like this. I should have been able to do this myself. I don't know why but I was so weepy. Everytime I turned around I was crying. Eventually it subsided and I came back to reality. I could not have done this well without this surgery. I'm still a work in progress and I'm anticipating the future.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Most definetly, some better, some worse. It takes some getting used to. There are some people that I havn't told that i've had the surgery who have not said a word to me about the weight loss. I'm currently down about 90 pounds and find it hard to beleive that they just havn't noticed.