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

MY DADDY HAD THE SURGERY. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST THING IN THE WORLD

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

MY EXPERIENCE WAS GREAT, I HAD NO PROBLEMS AT ALL IT WAS VERY EASY.

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

MY SURGEON WAS THE BEST, VERY FOWARD AND UP FRONT ABOUT EVERYTHING.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

LOOKING AT MYSELF IN A MIRROR WHEN I WAS TRYING ON CLOSE IN A DRESSING ROOM.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WANTED THE LAP RNY BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE A REALLY BIG LONG SCAR DOWN THE MIDDLE OF MY STOMACH.

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?

JUST BELIEVE IN YOUR MAKER AND HAVE FAITH IN HIM. DON'T GO INTO SURGERY WITH FEAR ON YOUR MIND AND JUST PRAY.

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 HUSBAND WAS AGAINST THE SURGERY TOTALLY, MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE SO SUPPORTIVE. THEY WANTED ME TO BE HAPPY WITH MYSELF

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

MY BOSS WAS HAPPY FOR ME AND VERY SUPPORTIVE, ALL OF MY FO-WORKERS WERE HAPPY AS WELL.

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

MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS VERY NICE AND I HAD THE BEST NURSES EVER. I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR 4DAYS.

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

MY COMPLICATION WAS HAVING LOW HEMOGLOBIN,WHICH I ENDED UP HAVING TO GET A BLOOD TRANSFUSION AFTER MY SURGERY. I PUT EVERYTHING INTO MY MAKERS HANDS AND PRAYED THAT THE BLOOD I WAS RECEIVING WAS NOT DICEASED.

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

I WAS SO HAPPY I STARTED HAVING DREAMS ABOUT BEING SKINNY AND WEARING SEXY CLOTHING. AND I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME SLEEPING AT NIGHT FROM ALL THE EXCITMENT.

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

GET OUT OF THE BED AND GET ON YOUR FEET AND WALK. ALSO YOU NEED TO DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS POSSIBLE.

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

MY SURGEON WAS ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY, SO I HAD NO PROBLEMS GETTINGTO HIM.

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 COULDN'T EAT RAW CARROTS, THEY DON'T DIGEST WELL AT ALL. I'VE NOTICED WHEN I EAT FRUITS THEY REALLY MAKE ME BURP. WHEN I DRINK REG MILK IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING TO ME AT ALL, SO I'VE REALLY BEEN BLESSED WITH THIS SURGERY.

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

THE FIRST TWO WEEKS I WAS RELLY NOT DOING MUCH, BUT MY THIRD WEEK I JOINED THE GYM AND GOT REALLY MOTIVATED TO TONE AND FRIM MY BODY.

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

I HAVE BEEN TAKEN CHEWABLE MUTI VITAMINS,CHEWABLE CALCIUM & CAPSULE BIOTIN FOR PREVENTION OF HAIR LOSS & ALSO B-12 SUBLINGUAL.

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?

MY SLEEPING HABITS AFTER SURGERY IMPROVED SO MUCH I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I ACTUALLY STARTED SLEEPING THE WHOLE NIGHT WITHOUT WAKING UP. SO FAR I HAVEN'T HAD ANY HAIR LOSS. I ONLY HAD DUMPING ONE TIME WHEN I ATE A RAW CARROT, WHICH I HAVEN'T TOUCH THEM SENSE.

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

THE WORST PART TO ME WAS HAVING THE TUBE DOWN YOUR THROAT AFTER YOU WOKE UP FROM SURGERY. AND THE REMOVAL OF THE DRAINAGE PUMP.

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

USC HAS A SUPPORT GROUP BUT I HAVEN'T ATTENDED IT YET. MY SUPPORT IS MY FAITH IN GOD. AND SEEING THE FAT COME OFF MY BODY.

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

I DIDN'T EXPECT TO HAVE SO MANY ON MY STOMACH, BUT I GUESS BECAUSE I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS BLEEDING BECAUSE OF THE LOW HEMOGLOBIN. I HAVE A TOTAL OF 8 SCARS.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

HAVEN'T HAD ANY PLATEAU'S YET

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I GET SO MANY NICE THINGS SAID TO ME EVERY DAY.