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

I have been researching this surgery, via the internet, for almost three years. I finally got a job with insurance that would cover the surgery. My husband and I talked it over, and he told me to go for it! Now he is having the surgery on May 20th. I can't beleive how much better I feel. I had so much more energy, even only 2 weeks out.

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 can get down liquids, with protein powder,protein bars seem to be okay, except that I can only eat about 1/2 of one at a time. Small amounts of chicken and fish go down okay. I have found that I cannot eat late in the evening, it just does not want to stay down.

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

I was walking the halls within two hours of surgery, I walked all the way around the floor. I started back to water aerobics at 4 weeks, although I could have been back sooner, my doctor figured that since that one incision was not healing well, I needed to wait.

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

I take a liquid high potency vitamin by "Buried Treasure", I found this in Vitacost.com. It is a 16 oz bottle for 8.99. I use two of these a month. This is about the cheapest I have found, and it is packed with vitamins, including 1000 mcg of B12.

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 have never been one to vomit, this is the worst for me, thank God it has only happed three times, and this I think came from eating too fast.

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

I have not had a bad experience. Everything has gone wonderfully for me, minus the three episodes of vomiting.