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

research for a better way to lose and keep of weight. i was so so scared. i thought i would die during surgery but knew i would die with out it

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

my ins. said in the beginig that all was good. i had to go thru the regular pre-op stuff and they paid for it all. my date was scheduled and two weeks before surgery i was informed by my ins. that i had to be on a 3 month dr. supervised diet. after completing this the paperwork was resubmitted and denied because it was supervised by my pcp but my surgeon. a week later my pcp signed off on it an it was once again submitted only to be denied because it was not on his personal letter head. two more days and it was exactlty the way they wanted it. would it surprise you that thay denied me? stating "we have not covered this type of surgery for over 1 year." i was devasted nearly 5 months had passed and now they say this. i pondered for a while then went to my in-laws who were gracious enough to pay for it and give me a wonderfull gift of life. i suggest to anyone" don,t give up. explore all options, even the ones you think could never happen

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

excellent. be prpared for a lot of questions and have yours ready

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

knowing i would not live to see my son grow up if something didnt change

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i know my habbits and knew lap-band was not for me.

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 had fears of blood clots, infection, and dying. my best advise is "pray pray pray" and have others pray for you

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?

most of my family was supportive but scared. my mother was against it altogeher until she went to a seminar with me. after surgery i couldnt ask for better support

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

they were very understanding. i explained this would also make me more productive at work. i was out about 6 weeks due to my type of work requiring lifting.

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

may stay was very plesant. the nursing dtaff was amazing and on the ball. i was there about 2 days before coming home .

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

not exactly from the surgery its self. the first attempt to preform my surgery resulted in me waking up in recovery to hear that they were unable to preform the by-pass due to a hernia in my umbilical area larger than a grapefruit.it had to be repaired fist and then 3 months later i had the by-pass

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 very nrvous and wanted to eat everything in sight. i knew i couldnt and didnt. i felt as if i was giving up my beat friend. thank god for prayer and family, these are the reasons i made it thru.

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

i was overwhelemed not because i had not been educated as to what to expect but just because even knowing sometimes is not enough. gte plenty of rest while walking as much as possible. expect to eat little of any thing, and your family to think you are going to starve.

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

not even 10 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.

i was sick with frothing for so long im really not sure how to answer this question. anything i ate for over a month came up.

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

the first days were slow with as much walikng as tolerable. weeks later day to day activity was resumed

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

barivitamin, calcium citrate, iron, b12 injections, i have had to take potassium, protien shakes or bars

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?

i had frothing for almost two months. coping was an issue, i let myself get vey sick amd haad to be hospitalized, only because i thought i would be fine and every thing would pass and when it didnt my family stepped in.

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

the frothing experince. it was the worst thing i have ever been through.

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

group meetings once a month and having great people to call when something arises at my fingertips. its good to get input from those who have been thru this. uplifting

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

i have scars from previous surgeries so i didnt care what mine looked like it was all about my health in the end

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i am only about three months out and have not had one yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no