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

A LOCAL MAN AND IT WAS VERY POSITIVE.

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

THE PITTS,THEY WERE TERRIBLE....

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

EXCELLENT..

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

HOW I FELT...

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE DOC DID FOR ME. HE IS AND WAS THE PRO.

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?

NO FEARS. DEATH TO ME IS A NEW LIFE WITH JESUS AND IT IS FOREVER....

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?

REACTION WAS OK AND I WOULD DO NOTHING DIFFERENT.

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

OUT 6 WEEKS. EMPLOYER DID NOT REACT,HE DID NOT REALLY CARE.

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

VERY POSITIVE...14 DAYS AT CRAWFORD LONG AND 14 DAYS AT EMORY....DR S. ARCHER AND DR. C. DANIEL SMITH ARE GREAT DOC'S WITH GREAT COMPASSION......I LIVED THANKS TO GOD,THE DOC'S AND THE HOSPITAL STAFF.....

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

MANY AND 2 SURGERIES

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

ELATED BECAUSE I WAS TRYING FOR 2 YEARS BECAUSE OF UNCARING INS. COMPANY..THANKS TO THE ATLANTA V.A. AND PRESIDENT BUSH BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT THE VETERANS......

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

IT WAS TUFF BUT I HAD GOOD FAMILY SUPPORT AND GOD WAS WATCHING OVER ME AS ALWAYS...HAVE FAITH AND SURRENDER IT TO GOD,BECAUSE IF YOU LIVE LIFE GOES ON BUT IF YOU GO TO THE BIG HOME IT IS FOREVER AND YOU MUST BE READY AND IT IS ETERNAL. FOR ME BOTH OPTIONS WOULD WORK.....

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

2.5 HOURS BECAUSE I WANTED THE BEST AND WENT TO THE BEST....

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.

BEEF AND MOST MEATS ARE SLOW ONES BUT DO MAKE ONCE A WEEK.. YOGURT AND COTTAGE CHEESE ARE GREAT FOODS. I ENJOY DRY CEREALS AND ARBY'S GOOD SALADS AND BEEF SAND.EGGS,POTATOES, BAGELS, PUDDINGS, DOMINO'S THIN PIZZA WORKS WELL AND MOST OTHER FOODS ARE TRIAL AND ERROR. HAVE ONLY HAD DUMPING SNYDROME 3 TIMES SINCE SURGERY ON 08-13-02. YOUR SYSTEMS WERE VERY HELPFUL TO ME PRE-SURGERY. I GAINED A LOT OF INFO FROM WLS TO MAKE HELPFUL DECISIONS.....THANKS!!!!!!

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

VERY SLOW AND CAUTIOUS BUT BY MY CHOICE. I WANTED SUCCESS AND IT IS HAPPENING..

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

CHEWABLES- KIDS WITH IRON AND 2 MONTHS OF TUBE FEEDING ON ENSURE TYPE PRODUCTS...

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?

DUMPING, NOT FOR LONG AND I JUST SAT IT OUT.DR SMITH AND HIS TEAM WERE A BIG SUPPORT.

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

THE LEAKS AND THE SECOND SURGERY.

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

FAMILY,FRIENDS AND DR .SMITH AND HIS GREAT STAFF. VERY GOOD AFTER CARE.

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

VERY MINIMAL AND LESS THAN EXPECTED FOR 2 SURGERIES AND 4 TUBES. NICE JOB FROM THE HEALTH-CARE TEAM.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

RIGHT NOW STAYING AT 204 TO 205 FOR 2 WEEKS BUT FOR 9 MONTHS I HAVE GONE FROM 342 TO 205. VERY GOOD LOSS AND NOT A LOT OF EXCESS FAT. NOT MUCH EXERCISE YET WAS HOPING TO GET TO 180 BEFORE EXERCISE BUT I GUESS IT MAY BE TIME TO BEGIN...

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES AND NO. SOME DO NOT REMEMBER UNTIL I SPEAK. IT APPEARS DISCRIMINATION IS NO LONGER VISIBLE AS IT SURE WAS IN THE PAST..