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

A COUPLE OF PEOPLE I WORK WITH HAD THE SURGERY DONE.I WANTED TO HAVE IT DONE AS SOON AS I FOUND OUT ABOUT IT

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

I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH INSURENCE.MY DOCTORS OFFICE TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING FOR ME.

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

I MET WITH DR.GRABERAND HE PUT ME AT EASE.THIS WAS HIS SPECIALTY AND HE BELIEVED IN IT.HE CALLED IT A MIRACLE SURGEY.I FELT SO CONFIDENT WITH HIM

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I KNEW IT WOULD HELP ME TO LOSE WEIGHT AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF AGAIN

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WENT WITH WHAT MY DOCTOR SUGGESTED

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 KNEW I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF OTHER PROBLEMS SO I DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DYING.I WAS AFRAID OF BOWEL OBSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS BUT I HAD COMPLETE FAITH IN MY DOCTOR AND MYSELF SO I DIDN'T LET IT DRIVE ME CRAZY

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 WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE.BUT MY HUSBAND WAS A LITTLE AFRAID THAT I WOULD BE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE NEW AFTER I LOST ALL MY WEIGHT BUT I THINK HE IS UNDERSTANDING NOW

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

THEY DIDN'T WANT ME TO HAVE THE SURGERY WHEN I DID BECAUSE IT WAS IN JUNE.THE WERE AFRAID I WOULD BE OUT FOR THE SUMMER BUT I WAS BACK TO WORK IN 3 WEEKS

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

I WAS ONLY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 24 HOURS.MY STAY WAS FINE BUT I WANTED TO GO HOME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

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

NO

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 JUST TALKED TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY

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

THE LIQUID AND SOFT DIETS SEEM LIKE THEY WILL NEVER END.EATING IS REALLY BORING.I GOT SO I DIDN'T WANT TO EAT BECAUSE THE CHOICES WERE SO LIMITED.BUT EVERYTIME I STEPPED ON THE SCALE I FELT SO MUCH BETTER ABOUT IT

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

MY SURGERY WAS LOCAL

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.

BREAD PRODUCT MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH EVERY TIME I TRY THEM.IF I DONT EAT AS SLOW AS THEY TELL YOU TO I ALSO HAVE A LOT OF NAUSEA.I AM ONLY 7 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY SO I HAVEN'T TRIED A LOT OF THINGS YET

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

I FEEL MORE ACTIVE ALREADY

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

TUMS AND FLINTSTONES COMPLETE

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?

JUST NAUSEA

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

EVERYTHING HAS BEEN OK SO FAR

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

JUST HERE

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

I HAVE 7 TINY SCARS.THEY ARE LESS THAN I EXPECTED

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAD A LOT OF CONSTIPATION AT FIRST AND DIDN'T LOSE ANY WEIGHT FOR ABOUT 6 DAYS BUT NO PROBLEMS AFTER THAT.7 WEEKS AND DOWN 41 POUNDS

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOT YET