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

I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE SURGERY BY A FRIEND AND CO-WORKER AND INTIALLY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE I WAS NERVOUS BUT I CAME TO TURNS THAT IF I WAS EVER GOING TO CONTROLL MY HEALTH AND WEIGHT THE OPPORTUNITY WAS HERE AND I NEED TO ACT FAST SO I SHOOK OFF THE JITTERS AND GOT DOWN TO BUSSINES

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

THAT WAS NO PROBLEM IT WAS DONE AND APPROVED WITHIN A WEEK I COULDNT BELIEVE IT MY SELF

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

I LIKED THE GUY HE IS WONDERFUL AND VERY KNOWLEDGABLE ABOUT THE SURGERY AND WAS HIGHLY CONFIDENT HE COULD DO THE JOB WITH MINIMUM PAIN AND SIDEEFFECTS

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I THOUGHT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ME AND REALIZE THEIR IS NO FUTURE WITH OUT THIS SURGERY EVERYTHING I WORKED FOR AND ACHEIVED WAS ALL IN VAIN WITH OUT THE HELP OF WEIGHT LOSS I SAW MY SELF DOING SO MUCH MORE AND GAINING SO MUCH MORE BUT I HAD TO BE ABLE TO LOOSE WEIGHT FIRST SO I CAN FEEL CONFIDENT IN ACHIEVING (SP) MY GOALS

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

FIRST I DECIDED THE LAP BAND AND THEN WHEN I TALKEDTO THE DOCTOR AND FOUND OUT GASTRIC IS THE SAME PROCEDURE AND MORE OF A GUARANTEE OF WEIGHT LOSS AND AT A FASTER RATE I THOUGHT WELL IF YOU GOING TO DO IT GO ALL THE WAY OUT AND DO IT GIRL IF IT DONT KILL YA WELL IT CANT HURT NO MORE OR LESS HUH SO I DECIDED THE GASTRIC AND I AM HAPPY AND HAVE PEACE THAT I MADE THE RIGHT DECISION.

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?

I KNEW I WASNT GOING TO DIE BECAUSE ME AND GOD HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP AND HE SHOWED ME THINGS IN MY DREAMS THAT CONFIRMED I AM GOING TO BE AROUND FOR A WHILE LONGER BUT MY ONLY CONCERN WAS I DIDNT WANT TO BE SICK VERY LONG AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO TOLERATE THE PAIN A BIT MORE AND BE OBEDIENT TO THE RULES OF THE SURGERY THAT I HAVE TO FOLLOW FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE

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?

ONLY SELECT FAMILY MEMBERS KNOW I HAD THE SURGERY AND THEY WERE A GREAT HELP AND SUPPORT FRIENDS ONLY A SELECT FEW KNOW AND THEY TOO HAD THE SURGERY DONE TWO WEEKS AFTER MINE SO OF COURSE WE CAN T WAIT TO GO OUT AND SHOP TOGETHER AND PHONE EACH OTHER TO TALK ABOUT OUR EXPERINCE WE ARE LIKE FAMILY AND WE CHERISH THIS EXPERINCE SO MUCH

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

NONE OF MY SUPERVISORS KNOW I HAD THE SURGERY THATS NONE OF THEIR BUSINESS I DID TELL ONE CLOSE FRIEND THAT DOESN'T SUPERVISE ME ANYMORE AND SHE WAS SOOO SUPPORTIVE AND GAVE ME HER BLESSINGS AND WAS A TRUE FRIEND TO TELL ME LOOK GO AND GET IT AND COME BACK SEXY AND HEALTHY "DO YOU MS LADY DO YOU " WAS HER ATTITUDE AND THAT WAS WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR THAT DAY. I WAS ONLY OUT OF WORK FOR A TOTAL OF 8 DAYS AND BACKTO WORK WITH NO PROBLEMS BENDING AND LIGHT LIFTING AND STAIRS AND LOTS OF WALKING

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

THE HOSPITAL STAY WAS WONDERFUL I HAD MY OWN PRIVATE ROOM THE STAY WAS FOR ONE NIGHT AND THE MOST THING TO BRING IS I,D, AND INSURANCE CARD WITH AN OVER NIGHT BAG FOR THE NEXT MORNINIG TO GO HOME

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

NONE NO COMPLICATIONS WHAT SO EVER I WAS SO HYPED I WALKED FOR HOURS IN THE HOSPITAL JUST HAPPY TO GET IT DONE AND EXCITED TO HAVE A COMPLETE HEALING PROCESS

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 CONTINUED GOING TO WORK TO RELEASE ANXIETY AND NERVOUSNESS I LISTENED TO MY GOSPEL CD'S AND PRAYED AND JUST TALKED TO FRIENDS AND SOME SELECT FAMILY MEMBERS AND THOUGHT ABOUT THE PROCEDURE MENTALLY WAHT I NEED TO DO TO ACHIVE MY IDEAL WEIGHT LOSS GOAL

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

IF YOUR DOCTOR WAS AS GOOD AS MINE YOU SHOULD NOT BE IN ANY PAIN BUT A LITTLE DISCOMFORT AND YOU SHOULD GET UP AND WALK AROUND THE HOUSE GO OUT SIDE GET FRESH AIR AND WALK ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO RELEASE NERVOUSNESS AND ANXIETY AND IT HELPS TENSION IN THE BODY.

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

I TRAVELED ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES TO THE HOSPITAL FROM HOME AND BACK.

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.

RIGHT NOW I AM ONLY TWO WEEKS OUT AND I CAN EAT SOFT EGGS AND MASHED POTATOES AND DRINK LIQUIDS BUT I AM HAVING A HARD TIME DRINKING THE PROTEIN SHAKES LIKE BOOST AND SLIM FAST THEY ARE NAST Y.

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

I WAS ACTIVE SOON AS I CAME OUT OF SURGERY I HAD NO DELAY MANY IN THE HOSPITAL MADE COMMENTS THAT I WAS LOOKING AND WALKING LIKE I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE SURGERY THEY WERE ALL SHOCKED ONE NURSE RAN ME BACK TO THE BED SHE SAID I WAS MOVING TO FAST.

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

THE PRESCRIBE VITAMINS I NEED TO TAKE EVERY DAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF LIFE ONLY 5 SUPPLEMENTS THOUGH

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?

NO SIDE EFFECTS BUT HAIR LOSS AND I WAS LOOSING THAT BEFORE THE SURGERY SEE I PUT SOME DYE IN MY HEAD AND FOR SOME REASON IT JUST STARTED SHEDDING LIKE FOR TWO MONTHS BEFORE SURGERY BUT I AM BLESSED MY HAIR IS SO THICK YOU CANT TELL THE DIFFERENCE

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

DRINKING THE FLUID YOU HAVE TO DRINK IN X-RAY THE NEXT MORNING TO MAKE SURE THE OPERATION WAS A SUCCESS NOW THAT IS SOME NASTY STUFF I GAGGED FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES AFTER THE TEST BUT EVENTUALLY THE TASTE LEAVES YOUR MOUTH.

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

THEY ARE SO SMALL YOU CAN BARELY SEE THEM

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES MY FIRST WOW MOMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX WAS AT A GAS STATION WERE THIS NICE LOOKING GUY WAS REALLY CHECKING ME OUT AND I CAN SEE HIM IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE HE OFFERED TO CLEAN THE BUGS OFF MY WINDSHIELD I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO CUTE I HAVE NEVER HAD ATTENTION LIKE THAT FROM PEOPLE I DIDNT KNOW.