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

i heard about lap band from my sister in laws sister who had all the info. from the dr and was going thru some of the tests as i was just looking thru her info

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

I have very good insurance so i dont really know what to tell others. i had no problems getting approved. everything went as smooth as could be

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

dr kwon is a very nice down to earth guy. he answers all ur questions and then tells u how things work step by step.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

first of all, i felt it was best for my health and well being. secondly i wanted to do something for myself that would make me happy for the rest of my life. i did it for me and no one else

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

well i did some research on lap band versus bypass and deceided taht lap band was the best one because i wanted to keep what i have since it's not broken or needs to be removed and the band can always b removed if need be and i'll have nothing less than what i started with

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 didnt really think about death to be honest. the dr told me he's never had anyone die from this kind of surgery. if i was to tell anyone having fears i'd just tell them not to think about the future and focus on the present and that everything will b fine.

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 family (mom) thought i could do it on my own and i told her i had tried to do it numerous times on my own before and have failed everytime. theres nothing i said b4 that i wouldnt say the same way again. they were very supportive after surgery and were concered i was doing what i was told by the dr and kept watching me when i ate to make sure i was ok . i gave each of my family member a copy of each phase i was in so thay knew what i could eat when i went there for family gatherings so that helped alot.

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

my boss told me to do what i had to do and not to worry about anything when i came back. also said to take it easy and dont over due it to just take things one day at a time. i didnt really tell them what i was having done . i was out of work for two weeks as i didnt want anything to happen with the band .

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

my stay at the hospital was very pleasant and the nurses were there if u needed any pain pills or anything else. it was same day surgery so i was there only part of the day. i didnt need to bring anything with me except fro someone to drive me home or they wouldnt discharge me to leave.

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

i had no complications what so ever

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

well after the surgery it felt ok . i wasnt hungry or tired but i just had to get out and walk to get the gas out. i was just happy the whole thing was finally over and that soon i could get getback to my normal life

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

well they wount b hungry for about the first 5 days afterwords. like i said earlier i had no problems so i dont really know what to say here

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

my drive to the hospital was only about 25 minutes.

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 carbs were off limits. certain veggies were off limits(starchy ones) they gave me a detailed list of wheat foods to have and which to stay away from. too mauch to actually list here

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

i had no restrictions except excercise for about 6 weeks after the surgey

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

thay have ne on multi vitamins and calcium suppliments. u can get them in pill or chewable form. i take the chewables becuz they r like candy for me to have

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?

to be honest i didnt have any side effects except for a little bit of ahir loss that didnt last very long

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

i'd say the worst part was having the oddles of tests done to prepare for the surgery. it depends on how fast u get all ur tests done that u can have ur surgery scheduled

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

i go to support groups weekly. they teach u the techniques of eating and drinking and what not to do .

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

the scar is only 2 inches long. i thought it would b much bigger

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i've had times when i wasnt losing and saw the dr and we talked about what i was eating and how much and realized i was either not eatiing enough or i was eating too much . that did the trick

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

people in general r treating as they did b4 but i have noticed that since i've been losing they are getting a little bit jealous and telling me dont lose too much