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

I saw a commercial for Lap Band several years ago, and I didn't think it was something that I would be successful with.

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

I had to do a six month supervised diet with my PCP, as well as a UGI study and a psychological evaluation. I also ended up having an EKG a few days before surgery because I was found to have PVCs, but the cardiologist cleared me for surgery.

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

I stayed overnight in the hospital. I have no complaints about the stay, I was made as comfortable as possible and given pain medication. I would say some important things to bring are comfortable clothes and a pillow for the ride home to hold against the incisions. Any jarring motion to the new incisions are somewhat painful.

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

No complications.

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 scared as to if the surgery would be a success. I spent a lot of time online in different discussion forums and read about others experiences with the same surgery.

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

The first four or five days were very uncomfortable. The gas pumped into the abdominal cavity does become trapped and causes a lot of bloating, and the referred pain in the shoulder was surprising painful. I was very hungry the first 10 days or so. It passes quickly though, and seeing weight loss so great the first several weeks is very motivating. I would recommend getting into an eating routine as soon as possible (three meals and a small snack per day for example), as this was a real help to me and kept me on track.

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

There is a monthly support group run by my surgeon's office, but I don't attend.

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

I had four small incisions and one larger one (about 2 inches across). I don't think about them too much. I was expecting them to look worse.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

About 8 months post-op I did not lose any weight for several weeks. I spoke with a trainer at my gym who recommended a second work out of the day twice per week. I took her advice and began losing again. I was losing about 1.5- 2 lbs per week, and the weight loss had slowed to half pound or one pound per week.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I do get spoken to more, and store clerks actually ask me if I need help, when before I was looked past and ignored.