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

i FOUND OBESITY HELP DOING A SEARCH FOR OBESITY CHATS. iT CHANGED MY LIFE!

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

Dr Pinnar's office took care of it all. It was a breeze. I was approved in a week.

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

ask plenty of questions! no matter how silly they may seem. and ask a lot about AFTER the surgery too!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

the desire to never have to regain it all again!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

the safety issues! RNY is just too dangerous and fool hearty in my opinion!!

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 was very confident after being on the board for 3 months. I learned alot!!

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?

they were happy for me but concerned about safety.

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

n/a

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

I was in and out the same day. But they treated me like Gold! Reston Hospital is amazingly caring!

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?

you go thru a feeling of guilt that you had surgery because you think you could have done more. But it fades in time.

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

you will be sore but not in a lot of pain. You may be depressed and scared but it is all normal.

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

from maryland to Va.

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 had restriction after my 2nd fill. it is a game of patience and trial and error learning what you can still eat. But it can be fun!

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

I joined a gym 2 months after surgery and went every day for 7 months!! the weightloss was great!

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

daily multi vitamin chewable!

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 hail loss was bad for a while but it tapered off and now is just fine.

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

all the pre testing sucks.

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

this board has been my support group

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

my port scar is very small still a little purple but fading nicely.I have had 3 plateaus but they usually go away if you change exercises and eat more protein.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

people treat you nicer when you are thin. sad but true