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

met someone who had it done and was given a booklet

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

It was quite easy thanks to Dr Brolin. HAve your Dr. do most of the paper work. Call and see if anything further is needed.

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

Scary, I didn't know what to ask. He was very helpful and accually explained the entire proccedure. I would reccommend asking questions. Don't feel silly or scared. I was and I didn't ask somethings that I was wondering about. Thankfully Dr. Brolin explained them without me asking

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

There was never a doubt, after I decided to make my first visit I knew I would have it if I was aprroved. I thought of it as my last chance to have a "normal" life

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew I had to do something or else I would have been around much

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 one fear and that was not making it off the table. I had no fear of the pain or what I was in for,

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

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

None really ...I applied for leave and it was granted

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

The sugery pain was lower than expected but my Gout pain was very high. I didn't bring shorts and I wished I had.

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

Just the gout. I tool the meds when I was able. The pain was intense but I knew it would happen going in.

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 wanted it sooner. IT was very hard to wait. I would have prefered to have been approved and then had the sugery ASAP.

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

I had very little sugery pain but I had gout in both knees. It was very hard move. Thank God for my wife.

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

20 minutes. Non factor of the aftercare

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 took things slowly. Tried different foods but very little of them. Found what I could eat and what I couldn't. I was suprise I couldn't hold down Ketchup till months after.

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

IT got better and better with more weight loss

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

Multivitamin, Calcimum, B-12

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?

Worst was the gout. Losing weight causes gout because of the high levels of Uric acid. I still get it alot because of the rapid loss. It well worth it though.

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

Getting tubed while awake

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

none but I wish I had joined. I still want to

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

long but a non factor. I don't care either way. Its semi flat now and seems to be getting shorter

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Hitting 300 will be a big time in my life. Its a major goal

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

MOST DEFENATLY, Fat people are the last people its still politically correct to discriminate against and make fun of.