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

I don't actually remember the "ah ha" moment of learning about WLS. But I have thought and researched it for about 2 years

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

Do not submit anything until you have EVERYTHING in the packet, even if the insurance says its not required, like the psych eval, they will use that as a reason to deny it and force you to appeal. Also, some insurances only permit one or two appeals

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

It was very comfortable. The best way to get the most out of the meeting is to research everything you can, talk to others that have gone before you and be ready with all the questions you might have.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and I am only 42 years old. I am too young to face such large health problems

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I am only about 80 pounds overweight so I didn't think I needed the more invasive procedures so I chose lapband

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?

The surgeon and staff really pushed the possibility of dying or having serious complications which freaked me out more than I ever have been in previous surgeries but I wasn't nervous at all. I knew it was the right thing to do.

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 is the only people I told before the surgery and they were supportive but didn't ask as many questions about the procedures as I would have liked them to. I felt their lack of questions made them not as interested in what I was doing.

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

I didn't tell anyone at my work until after the surgery and since then they have all been supportive and interested in the procedure and my weight loss

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

I was in the hospital from check-in to check out was 15 hours. I could have left after 10 but Utah was playing BYU and we didn't want to miss any of it on the drive home-LOL

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

None whatsoever

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 excited I cried and then I tried to keep myself occupied so not to think about it too much. Luckily is was right before Christmas so there was alot going on.

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

I had surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday. The first day home I was pretty sore but after that I didn't need pain meds. The hardest part I guess is even though I felt great I had to remember that I couldn't over do because my body was still healing.

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

Approximately 60 miles

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 have tried toast and that is not a good idea. I tried tuna too early and that also caused some discomfort but I handle it fine now. I crave peanut butter like crazy right now and I don't understand that but I haven't given in to that temptation. I think following the dietary guideline is the best advise that can be given.

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

I returned to work after just three days but I sit at a desk. I waited three weeks before going to the gym but I only walked on the treadmill. It was nice because by that time I was definitely seeing some changes in my body and felt pretty good about being in the gym.

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

I am taking 2 chewable multi vitamins every day

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?

I have had no nausea or vomiting (knock on wood). I do notice that I have a harder time falling asleep now but that may be related more to stress in my life (damn kids) and not the surgery. I have had only one incidence of dumping and I learned from that to obey the dietary guidelines

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

I still want to eat. Even though I am not hungry I want to have that extra couple of bites of whatever it is. That has been the hardest thing for me to overcome and it is a work in progress

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

I am part of my surgeon's website support group, and of obesityhealth.com. I enjoy this because I can read or even write to some people who have already been through the surgery, the questions, the problems. They are a great resource

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

I have had other laproscopic surgeries so I knew what to expect.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The third week, when I started experiencing hunger pains, growling I was less able to lose weight and only lost 2 pounds but I was encouraged by the upcoming fill appointment

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet, not alot of people know and the changes in my body are more private in nature (i.e. breasts shrinking, cheek bones and collar bones becoming more prominent, ring size is smaller, etc). Most people wouldn't notice those things.