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

I first found out about bariatric surgery from a commercial with BTC. I sent for the information and was reading that. then from there i started surfing the web and found out about Carnie.My initial impression was like this is a houx of some kind this could never happen.

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

Dealing with my insurace company which is Aetna HMO, was a delight. they approved me in 24 hours after the letter was sent. The dr's office called them on August 16th and the approval letter was dated August 16th. My advice would be to find a Dr's office that deals with the insurance companys and you just make sure that you fill out all paper work and anwser all questions that the office for you.

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

My first visit with the surgeon went great. I guess in order to get the best out of your visit is to write down all of the questions that you have and have them anwser them all. no matter how you think they sound. better to have to much information that not enough. You are required to purchas a post op video from him after you get your date and it is very imformative. He gives you a rubber band to excercise with and also balloons to blow up 3xs a day to strenthen your lungs.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I finally decided that this surgery was for me because I was just getting bigger and bigger. with no end in sight.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

With the Dr's guidance is how I decided what was best, always listen to your DR

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?

My fears was dying and blood clots. In order to get over this I talked to my surgeon about them and we talked about how we can TRY to avoid them how long I was in dager for these blood clots, his mortaltiy rate. the lastley, and it should have been firstly, I ask God to let his will be done.

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 thinks that it is a bit drastic, with an exception of a few. so you could say that I had mixed blessings.

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

My employer does not know about the surgery nither do my coworkers, its not their buisness. I told them I will/have told them that I am/had my gallbladder taken out. I will update after surgery on the length of time I will be out.

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 FINE. THE STAFF THERE WAS GREAT! I STAYED 5 DAYS DUE TO A FEVER. I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WAS NECCESSARY TO BRING WITH ME AT THAT HOSPITAL WAS LIP CHAP AND ROBE AND SLIPPERS. I TOOK A CD PLAYER WHICH WAS NICE. IT FILTERED OUT ALL OF HE HOSPITAL SOUNDS THROUGH THE NIGHT.

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

I HAD NO COMPLICATIONS.

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

THE FIRST WEEK YOU WILL NEED A LOT OF REST AND THAT'S ABOUT IT

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

my first week home from the hospital was a lot of sleeping, i had a lot of visitors and that tired me out. the second through the fourth was very hard trying to drink water has been the most challenging tome. i got dehydrated once and had to get iv. after that i made a miraculous recovery

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

i travel about 45 min to have my surgery, i dont think that hinders after care at all

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

i walked to the corner and back all week and sometimes around the corner. that made me feel as i was really doing something to help myself get well.

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

bugs bunny sugar free b-12 sublingual viactive

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?

i have not had any side effects yet but i will update if that occurs. so hopefully i wont be back to this spot... after the third week i started to get nauseaus all the time but found that i was dehydrated and after i got the needed water i was okay

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

the mourning of the food seemed to be the worst for me, hopefully that will pass soon!

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

i used to attend the support group that was held in the hospital where i had my surgey(see profile) I do not attend that anymore because of my schedule. I really need to even though I am 2 yrs. out I still need to interact with people that share the same experiences. There are great benefits to this

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

I HAVE 6 LITTLE SCARES BARELY 1/8 OF AN IN. AND THEY HAVE ALREADY HEALED. IT WAS BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I had one plateau, in my 10th month post-op. It lasted about 2 months. I was not doing anything different, I was a beautiful size 10 and went on a shopping spree. Ha! now I am a size 2-4

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes yes yes. Men open doors, women treat me as an outcast. So I found new friends, jokes on them