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

let l said from a friend of mine and l thinks its great to hear about it and its surely one way to lose weight , l think and l did hear alot from other sources which did lose alot of weight and they can do it ....... so can I

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

say alot of prayers and just keep up with the insurance company no matter what happens!!!!!!!!!!!

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

WELL DR LE DE CRUZ IS A SWELL DOCTOR ANDHE WILL HELP U AS MUCH U HE CAN

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

WELL FOR MY HEALTH AND I WANTED IT TO FEEL MYSELF AGAIN..........

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

L FEEL THE GASTRIC BYPASS WAS FOR ME AND I REALLY DO FEEL FINE ABOUT THE ADJUSTABLE BAND AND I FEEL SUPER ABOUT THE GASTRIC BY PASS AND WHEN FINE AND DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL..........

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?

WELL L FELT THAT L HAVE ALOT OF FAITH AND SAIDALOT OF PRAYERS AND EVERYTHING WENT FINE FOR ME AND NO COMPLANINTS.........!!!!!!!!!!

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?

MY FAMILY WAS SUPPORT AND HELP ME THROUGH IT AND IT IS A MAJOR SURGERY AND THANK GOD FOR THAT L CAME OUT FINE.........

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

AM NOT WORKING AT THEMOMENT............

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

L STAY IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 2 DAYS AND 1/2 AND THE HOSPITAL WAS VERY GOOD TO ME AND HELP ME OUT ALSO.....ALL U COULD BRING IS A NIGHTGOWN AND PAIR OF UNDERWEAR FOR THE DAY TO GO HOME AND I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO BRING ANYTHING WHICH L DID BRING MORE STUFF THAT L EXPECT IT TO BRING WITH ME ........

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

NOPE NOT ALL AND L DIDN'T HAVE PAIN AND L HAD THE LAPOSTIC GASTRIC BYPASS.......L REALLY FELT GREAT...........

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

WELL L DID FEEL KINDA OF FAINT THAN ANTOHER THAT THAT L WAS FINE BUT L TOOK MY VITAMINS, CALCUIM AND IRON AND PROTEIN SHAKES AND SURE DID HELP ME ALOT TOO ........MY SURGERY DAT E L WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND FELT FINE ABOUT IT........

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

WELL MUST DO TAKE IT EASY FOR FEW DAYS AND DO NOT OVER WORK YOURSELF AND WALK AROUND FOR LITTLE AWHILE TILL U FEEL YOURSELF AGAIN IT WILL TAKE LIKE A WEEK OR TWO ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR BODY

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

WEL IT TOOK ME AT LEAST 20 MINTUES FROM MY HOME AND DID NOT AFFECT MY AFTERCARE AT ALL...........

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.

L REALLY COULDN'T DO MUCH OR ELSE L FELT LIKE L WAS GOING TO FAINT AND CANNOT EAT ANY SUGAR AND HAD NO COFFEE OR TEA FOR TWO WEEKS ANDNOWIT GOING ON MONTH NOW AND L AM EATING FISH, CHICKEN THROUGH THE FOOD PROCESSOR AND YOGURT AND JELLO SUGAR FEE....... AND L TRIED BROCCLI AND WENT WELL BUT L CANNOT TORLEATED VEGETABLE SOUP AT ALL AND MADE CHICKEN SOUP IN THE PROCESSOR AND TURKEY BUT AFTER AWHILE I JUST COULDN'T TAKE TURKEY SOUP MUCH LONGER.....

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

VERY LITMITED..........

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

CHEWABLE VITAMINS AND CHEWABLE CALCUIM AND TAKING LIQUID IRON WITH HERBS AND THAT IS VERY GOOD AND PROTEIN SHAKES........

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?

NOTHING ABOVE L FEEL FINE

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

NOTHING I SURE FEEL GREAT AND AM GLAD L WAS APPROVED THE SURGERY AND NO REGRETS

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

WEL I GO TO THE SUPPORT OF MY DOCTORS ONCE A MONTH AND I HAVEN'T STARTED A PROGRAM YET STILL LOOKING AROUND FOR A GOOD ONE TO START WITH BUT WALKING ALOT ..........

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

ITS LIKE PENCIL LINES AND ITS FINE FOR ME AND NO PROBLEM WITH MY SCARS AT ALL

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

YES L HAVE LOST AROUND 30LBS AND THAT IS MY PLATEAU FOR NOW AND ITS VERY DISCOURAGING FOR ME NOW SO TIME WILL TELL..........

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NOPE AND THEY TELL ME I LOOK GOOD AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.......