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

I WAS VERY IMPRESSED.I KNEW THIS WAS MY ONLY HOPE OF EVER BEING A NORMAL SIZE.I READ THE AFTER AFFECTS, THE TYPES OF WLS,I WAS EXCITED. AND FROM THEN ON EVERYTHING WENT FAST.

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

I WAS APPROVED THE SAME DAY. THROUGH MEDICARE THEY WERE VERY NICE.

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

I WAS SO NERVOUS AND EXCITED. I COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. HE ASKED ME WHEN I WANTED THE SURGERY, ITOLD HIM ASAP.I WAS SCHEDULED FOR ONE MONTH LATER. I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. HE HAD A CANCELLATION AND I WAS PUT IN THAT SPACE. THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!1

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

EVERYTHING. I AM A DIABETIC. HAVE SLEEP APNEA, KNEE JOINTS ARE GOING. I AM ONLY 47 AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LIVE TO SEE MY GRAND CHILDREN GROW UP.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I KNEW I WANTED THE LESS AVASIVE. SO I ASKED FOR THE LAP. AT FIRST HE DIDN'T THINK HE COULD. HE SAID THAT I WAS TOO THICK IN THE MIDDLE. BUT I WAS ABLE TO HAVE IT DONE BY LAP PROCEDURE.

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 AM A CHRISTIAN I WASN'T SCARED AT ALL.

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?

MT KIDS WEREN'T THRILLED. THEY WERE SCARED TOO DEATH. BUT AFTER I EXPLAINED IT THEY WERE FINE WITH MY DECESION.

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

HE WAS EXCITED FOR ME. HE IS A VERY OVERWEIGHT PERSON. BUT HE TOO IS SCARED TO BE PUT TO SLEEP.

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS FABULOUS. I WAS SCARED BECAUSE I LIVED ABOUT 60 MILES AWAY. I HAD NEVER SEEN THE HOSPITAL BEFORE. BUT THE PEOPLE WERE SO GREAT. I COULD NOT HAVE HAD BETTER PEOPLE. THE ENTIRE STAFF WAS ANGELS.

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

THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THE FACT THAT I STILL HAVE TROUBLE KEEPING MY FOOD DOWN. BUT I HEAR THAT TOO WILL SUBSIDE SOON. I CAN'T WAIT EITHER. IT IS NOT FUN.

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

I WAS SO EXCITED, AND COULD NOT WAIT. AND I AM WAITING FOR THE REST OF MY WEIGHT TO BE GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

I WAS FINE , I CAN'T BELEIVE THAT I WAS HARDLY EVEN SORE. I WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND VERY WELL.

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

60 MILES. I WENT TO ANDERSON S.C. AND I LIVE NORTH OF SPARTANBURG.

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.

MEATS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO DIGEST FOR ME. BUT THIS VARIES WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

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

WELL I DID MOST WHAT I WANTED AND NEEDED TO DO, WITH LITTLE OR NO HELP.

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

2 CHILDREN'S CHEWABLE AND 1 SUBLINGUAL B12

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?

LOTS OF NAUSEA, GOOD BIT OF VOMITING. MY SLEEP WAS NOT DISTURBED BECAUSE DUE TO BACK SURGERY AND SLEEP APNEA I SLEEP ON MY BACK ANYWAY. AS FOR THE HAIR LOSS NONE YET, BUT I AM ONLY 6 WEEKS POST-OP.

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

THE AFTER AFFECTS OF BEING PUT TO SLEEP. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A MAJOR HANG OVER OR SOMETHING. THAT PART I HATED.

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

AT THIS TIME THERE ARE NO SUPPORT GROUPS HERE. BUT THEY ARE WORKING TO GET ON STARTED. I HOPE IT WILL BE SOON.

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

IT IS NOT BAD. I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. BUT THE DR. THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE TO DO AN OPEN, BUT IT TURNED OUT THAT HE DID THE LAP. THE SCAR IS HEALED VERY WELL/

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PLATEAUS. BUT THE WEIGHT LOSS BEGAN AFTER A WEEK OR SO.I THINK IT VARIES WITH DIFFERENT PEOPLE.IT ALSO HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH EXERCISE.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

ONLY NOTICING THE WEIGHT LOSS AND HOW MUCH BETTER I GET AROUND.