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

I found out thru a famaily memeber who had it done...i was unsure if at first i could give up food

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

When i changed to united health it was no fuss no muss. Cigna on the other hand was a bit much to deal with always rejecting and sending me for more test.

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

It was very good he explained the different surguries and we decided on which one was the best for me

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was losing the battle with the pain in my back. siince the surgury it has almost went away

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

based on advice from the Doc and the stage in life where i was at the time

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?

none

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?

none my family was very supportive my son is going to do the same thing in the near future

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

no reaction i was not off any went back to work on my next scheduled day

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

I was in the hospital 1 day and they were great. The staff keep me motivated to get up and walk and to do just about everything as normal from just hours after surgury

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

Yes i had a stricture. It was no big deal after i got over why i could not even drink water.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

The only thing i felt was a loss a personal loss from the fact that good food had always been my source of comfort

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

I was alittle sore and other then the stricture i was good. It was nice to start eating solds after being on liquids for 3 weeks.

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

about 30 miles. It makes it impossible to go to the support groups

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.

no fatty foods still to this day. I choose to only eat certian things. i turly live by the saying eat to live not live to eat

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

for the most part it has increased but i do seem to get tiered very easy. This still goes on 7 months after surgury

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

Opti-source i take 4 per day

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?

none

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

the wait.

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

I use this web site and of course the follow-up with the Doc.

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

5 little places and with all the other surgical scars its no big deal. to date i have had 22 surguries to replace knee and to mend my back

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i have had none

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Young girls seem to notice me and talk to me. My supervisor have seemed to taken more notice of the things i am doing in a much more positive light