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

I found out about bariatric surgery over seven years ago. I was so hopeful that one day I could get the surgery.

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

When you have medicare you do not have to wait for approval. As long as you truely need it then they cover it.

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

My first visit with my surgeon was great. He explained everything and then he set me up for pre-op tests. That was it.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had made up my mind to get surgery years ago. The only thing stopping me was $. After getting Medicare and Medicade I started looking for a doctor. I called the hospital in my area and asked them to give the phone numbers for doctors in the area that does the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided to let the doctor decide which proceedure was best 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 have not had fear about dying from the surgery. The reason for feeling that way is, I know Im not in control of when I die, thats Gods job. If you die from the surgery then it was just your time to go. Take the chance and finally get to really live.

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?

Everyone was very supportive.

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

I hadn't been able to work for about three years because of my weight.

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

I stayed in the hospital for three days. I brought and change of underthings, tooth brush and a hair brush. If I got board I got up and walked.

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 spent day after day thinking of all the things I will soon beable to do. I really look forward to going bike riding with my children. There were times of depression because I had some problems with over production of bile. But noting that Mylanta didn't help with.

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

The first few weeks weren't so bad. The hardest thing to get use to was that you just can't eat. You don't know how much you depend on food. Once you learn how and what you can eat it is wonderful.

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

2 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.

The first few weeks even months I couldnt eat much of anything. Squash was the main thing I ate. The texture of the food made the difference too. Foods that you can chew and they go away I could eat. Meat was OUt. I am now at month 9 and I can eat most meats as long as i chew chew chew. I can not drink Milk at all it just doesn't make me feel very good. You learn what things make your body feel good and you learn to stay away from those that dont. When you eat the bad things you suffer and soon they just don't sound good anymore.

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

The first nine days I had lost 21 lbs and that made me have so much hope that I moved more and more.

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

I did take chewable vits. but they tasted so nasty It was all I could do to keep them down. I just eat good food now.

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?

The first five months I had a lot of problem with vomiting because I either over ate or what I ate made me sick. With your stomach not being so deep it is not as hard on you to vomit. The food would just shoot back out. The hair loss really sucked for me. My hair was very long and it just got very thin. So I finally got it cut. In two stages: to my shoulders then very short and I like it short.

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

All the time I had to suffer before getting the surgery. Living Fat is far worse than the surgery or the after care.

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

I have a friend that had the surgery five years ago. I have called her a couple times with questions and concerns.

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

My scar is very long but not very wide. In time you won't beable to notice it very much.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

NOne yet. The amount of weight loss has slowed down but that is good so that my skin can catch up.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I DO NOTICE PEOPLE TREATING ME DIFFERENTLY NOW. WHEN YOU ARE OVER WEIGHT THE ONLY THING PEOPLE SEE IS THE WEIGHT.