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

family doctor....i was scared but excited by the prospect

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

the longest time requirement was the nutritionist so if u can get started with him while your considering surgery then just be patient

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

he was very friendly and informative. took the fear and any doubt away

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

when at 26 yrs old i had a scared up heart

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

wanted something permanant

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?

was afraid of dying

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?

they were all for it after i explained things. very

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

encouraged me. just that i was going for gastric bypass. 10 days

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

HORRIBLE.3 days. family

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

intestines were adhered together and too abnormally configured for actual bypass. my doctor did the best he could by giving me two normally sized functional stomaches. i was devastated

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

excited and afraid. family

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

was very sore and depressed because surgery was unsuccessful.

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

1 hr away

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.

first only liquids the puree then soft. i have two normal sized stomachs so the only thing that bothers me are breads and pastas. make me feel too full

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

moderate for 2 weeks the normal

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

just a multivitamin

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?

hair loss, vomiting, and contipation

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

not being able to get the full surgery

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

none yet but i really need to find one

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

just a bunch of small scares. much better than i had expected

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

im at a plateau right now its almost 1 yr after surgery. i have lost 118 lbs

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes alot. people that knew me from before make me feel weird when they stare