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

A friend of mine had the surgery maybe about 10 years ago. I wasn't quite as big then and didn't understand why anyone would do that. I didn't realize how hard it was to lose weight after you get to a certain size. And after quitting smoking and starting menopause, I found out. I put on more weight then than I ever have.

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

My insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield, (Federal) makes you do six months of a physician diet before they'll approve it. Other than that, no problems.

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

The place where I had my surgery has information seminars for people interested in the surgery. On my second one, the doctor who did my surgery was the speaker. It was very informative and they allow questions and answers. My first one on one with him went very well.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I could see my health deteriorating as I was gaining more weight and getting in that middle age syndrom. I felt I was missing out on life because I wasn't really participating. It was kinda sad.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Actually, it was the only one my insurance would cover. I had no choice on which weight loss surgery to have.

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 way I looked at it, if I continued to live the way I was, I was going to die anyway. It was a risk I was willing to take to have my life back.

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 and friends supported me all the way. I had some hesitation from my fiance because he was afraid I would die but we discussed it and he realized I was going to do it with or without his approval. He supported me whole heartedly after that. My family was the greatest.

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

My supervisor was very understanding and supportive. He has a wife who is interested in this surgery also. I only stayed out of work for 2 weeks. I went back on a limited duty status for maybe 4 weeks. Then I was back on full duty. No problems there.

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

My stay at the hospital was fine. I had the surgery in the afternoon and stayed overnight. I was released the next day and went home to recuperate.

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

I had absolutely no complications from this surgery.

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 actually got my surgery date about 2 weeks before my surgery. I didn't have a lot of time to prepare, but I was already mentally prepared to have this. I was ready to just get it done.

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

My first few weeks after the surgery went great. I was amazed at the small amount of food I could eat. And so happy with the fact that I just wasn't hungry. I think that was the best part. Not being hungry anymore.

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

I'm not sure but I think around 25 or 30 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.

For some reason, I have a hard time with fish so I just don't even eat it or try to anymore. As long as the meat is moist, I don't have a problem with it. Any meat that is dry is off limits. Leftovers don't work too well. Meats have a tendency to dry out when leftover. Eggs are kinda hard to get down.

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

I went back to work as quick as I could so I could stay active. I still had problems breathing at first so I was still limited. But I walked a lot. (as much as I could)

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

I have taken all the vitamins, calcium, everything the bariatric place recommends you take. I also take glucosamin Chondroitin for my arthitic knees.

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?

So far, the hair loss is the worse. I am still coping with this. Nobody seems to want to discuss this topic. I don't know how long this will last. But it is pretty bad. Every night when I shower I have to clean a clump of hair out of my drain.

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

The recovery room was the worse for me. They didn't have a room for me and the other guy who had the surgery after me and we were in the recovery room till almost midnight. My fiance had planned to stay the night with me and had to wind up going home to sleep and I had to go through that alone. This was the only surgery I had ever had and I was very scared and nervous. That was the worse for me.

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

We have support groups at the hospital where I had the surgery at. My sister had also had the surgery about 9 or 10 months prior to me and has really helped me with a lot of things. I believe you need some kind of support because you always have questions about things.

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

I have six small incisions on my stomach. Only one of them looks like it might be kinda ugly.. This isn't a big deal to me.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I had one plateau around three months after surgery. It was kinda frustrating. It did prompt me to start an exercise program as I had been putting it off till then. So I guess it actually helped me to start exercising. Until then I wasn't hardly losing any weight for about 2-3 weeks.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes, As my weight is dropping, I have noticed people being more attentive to me in public. Sales associates seem to find me more suitable to wait on now too. Go figure, it's still me.