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

clients talking about it, i had alot of misconceptions of what life would be like after surgery

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

very easy, i met all the criteria. You have to be willing to have done a medically supervised weight loss program first.

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

Very informative, I liked him right off the bat. I felt very confident in his abilities.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Seeing my weight and knowing the quality of life i was heading for with the guidance of my grandmother.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

there was no choice for me, I did not want the lap band.

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?

Just that I had 2 children that I did not want to leave, the fear of dying was big for me. That if you keep the weight on you will still not be there for your children the way you can be there when you have the weigt off and are more mobile.

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?

Very supportive! Absolutely not! My true family and friends are always there for me!

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

He was very supportive, anything I need to do for this procedure was fine for him, seeing he went through it also and was part of the reason I did it. He cleared up alot of the misconceptions I had when we would talk about his experience. I was out about 8 weeks I think, but I felt fine to go back after 2 if the doctor would have allowed it.

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

I was there 3 days including the day of the surgery. The only thing noone tells you about is the gas pain on the second day. They pump gas into you to be able to see what they are doing during surgery, and you have to pass that gas. By day thre it was much better. Dont worry about what you bring just get up and walk around, it helps alot!

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 felt fine, no problems at all!

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

I was tender for the fiorst week and just really did what I was told to do. As long as you do that it should be fine.

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

just a couple of miles

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.

nothing raw like veggies or salads until your are about 6 mos out. In the first weeks everything had to be pureed. At first I hated to eat because it felt heavy for about 5 minutes after I ate but that does go away in time. Focus on protein!!!!! and do not drink for the hour after..it helps!

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

normal...my visiting nurse said normally I tell people to get up, but she wanted me to sit more. I did my normal household things. I would go for my daily walks, which the doctor only wants you to start off with around the block so that is all i did.

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

2 multi vitamins and 2 calcium supplements (600mg) p/day

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?

nothing

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

the gas on the second day

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

friend who have been there! they have been a great source of info seeing they did this a good year ahead of me and have been very successful.

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

5 tiny lines on my stomach..better than expected

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice that when I am out its not the people I know It is the strangers who are so much nicer. It upsets my that now people are so much nicer to me than when I was bigger, I am the same person, but it proves all those theories people arent as nice to larger people!