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

one of my sisters had it and lost 300+ lbs and said good things about it so any questions i had i would ask her she knew frist hand than a 2 nd sister had it and lost 100 + lbs so my impession of the surgey was good

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

my doctors office took care of everything but i made sure i had everthing i needed before i went to my frist doctors appt.

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

it was good my dr. is so good he told me everything i need to know about the surgery the pros and cons. don't be affaid to ask questions he/she is there to answer them it your body you take charge of what you do with it and if you don't like your doctor don't be affaid to look for a different one.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my health was bad i had all the problems that go with being over weight.i needed to be around for my 3 yr. old i was missing alot.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

2 of my sisters had lap r-n-y and i also looked in to all of them and felt it was the right one for me.

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?

the complications are the same for all surgery i don't see people making a big thing about all the plastic surgerys after.the risks of me dying from my medical problem was higher.

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?

most of my true friends were supportive one or to were not telling me its the easy way out any one who had this surgery knows better.my family was very supportive they knew i was doing it for my health.

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

i don't work at this time home with my daughter

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

it was good. i was there 4 days.lose fitting clothes for when you go home

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

no everything went ok

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

happy at frist then waiting for the approval like to drive me crazy i talked with people i met on WLS web site and got alot of positive emails from everyone

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

i did fine at home becuse it was done lap not open i didn't have much pain and back to my old self fast

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

not to far i'm in a big city so there is public transportation 1 hour bus ride

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.

i stayed on my doctors diet and did fine liquids than soft diet worked my way up now 4 months out i eat all most anything on the list still have to stay away from seeds and nuts just have to watch my fats and sugars.

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

slow at first but day by day it got better did more and more my energy level got better just stick to the diet your doctor gives you

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

one a day vitamins and protien supplement till i was able to eat protien now 4 months out i just take my vitamins

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?

as long as i ate right i don't get dumping the only thing i still have 4 month out i hair loss but its not to bad i have alot of hair in fact i like it batter thin

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

i think it was the waiting for approval

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

my doctor has a monthly support meetings also i have friends i met on the WLS web site i talk to that i think is the most important thing to have someone to talk to that has been where you are.

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

its only 5 very little scars it was done lap i was happy they are so small.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

so far i havn't had any i think its to soon i'm only 4 months out i'm sure i will have plateau's later as i get closer to my goal.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes,i'm 1/2 way to goal and people are looking and treating me differently more friendly the bed looks are gone.