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

More and more people around me had it, some were not good patients/did not follow the rules and they had problems and I did NOT want that for me! At first I said no way

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

I met the insurance criteria (Kaiser) so this was not a problem; the problem was getting a referral out of my primary care physician, and I really had to prove to him that I had tried everything else and had done all my research, and that I knew that the Lap-band was only a tool and I still would have to do all of the hard work

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

First visit was great, be yourself and ask questions - write them down so you have some!- and let your personality come out so you know if it's a good fit

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Going through my 14-week pre-surgery calss and meeting SO many post-op people, every one of whom said they would do it again in a heartbeat!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I did not want the malabsorptive aspect of RNY, and did not have diabetes so did not need it for that reason. I was only comfortable with Lap-band, and I think it was the perfect decision for me.

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 feared only that I would die on the table. When my case manager assured me that no one ever had, I was no longer afraid - just VERY excited!

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?

I have told everyone, I am verynopen about it and 98% of what I hear is positive. My family (older children only) have been very supportive, especially whe I had lost 60+ lbs and became very active. They are happier that I am healthy and happy!

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

We have not discussed it directly, they know it's none of their business so they won't ask. I also had a hernia repair at the same time, so I could always say that. I was only off for 1 week, so I just said I had had surgery.

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

I did not stay at the hospital; I had surgery at 8 am and I was out by noon :-)

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

I developed cellulitis around by port incision and had to go back to the hospital for IV antibiotics. I am prone to them

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 felt great, I had zero remorse and zero anxiety

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

Gas pains the first day, I did not really have pain after than except around my port. It is GREAT to not be hungry! The first weeks after were great, so were all the rst of them :-)

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

About an hour. I return for aftercare.

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 had Lap-band so I had clear liquids, then full liquids, then purees, then soft foods, finally a regular diet. No protein shakes allowed in my program. I have not been unable to tolerate anything, but if I do not chew carefully I do get stuck! Nothing has ever made me sick, and I can chug water just fine.

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

I was walking 4 miles by the 4th day after surgery. My house has never been so clean as it was the week after surgery! I had energy to spare.

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

I take 1 flintstones multi-vitamin with minerals and 2 calcium caltrate chewables every day. I have no malabsorptive feature so that is all I have to take.

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 had no side effects

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

The barium swallow immediately after surgery

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

I have 2 support groups, a weekly one and a monthly one. My weekly group also walks together or works out together on weekends. My support group is THE #1 REASON for my success.

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

I have 3, 1/2" scars, one 1/4" scar, and a single 1-1/2" scar for my port. They are nothing, and look better than I expected. I show them off on my new small tummy :-)

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have plateaus on a regular basis, and have coome to acce0t them as part of what happens when you lose a great deal of weight. When the scale stops moving, the clothes sizes are still going down so I focus on inches until the plateau ends

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. After I has lost about 50-60 lbs, people who had never paid me any attention before started talking to me. I got more respect from people at work. I was not expecting this, as I had never noticed anything amiss before. It happens with both genders. Weird!