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

A friend of mine had it down and it sounded very interesting. After I saw her outcome I knew this was for me.

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

I kept being turned down because my weight was not 100lbs over. But I kept appealing for almost one year and finally I had the ok and I had the surgery

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

My stay was 2 days. I dont think I was a very happy camper the day after my surgery but I think no one is. All I wanted was to get off at least one half of my meds and shots.

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

None

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 felt scared,but excited to GO!

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

I was dizzy and lighted for awhile but figured it out that I was not drinking enough fluids. After I started to drink the correct everything was fine. I was having some pain where they had the drainage tube put in but a little while down the road found out it was my gallbladder and I had to go back into the hospital and have it removed. I think they automatically shoud take it out during the gastric since a lot of people have to return and have it done.

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

Three miloes.

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 cannot eat raw cabbage or cauliflower. At the beginning I got the dump syndrome from eating a sausage, I am sure it was from the casing on the sausage. I could not digest it.

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

Fantastic!!!

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

Sublingul B-12 Multivitamins Calcium citrate

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?

Only side effects were and still are my hair loss which to me is almost as bad as the being overweight. It is a year later and I am still losing hair daily and am very disguested with this problem I even had to buy a wig cause the hair loss on the top of my head is so bad. This is my only problem with the surgery.

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

Hair loss!!

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

None

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

Barely visible

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I can now walk 3-4 miles a day and I take no meds or insulin. Thank God for the operation!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No