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

I got frustrated after Phen Fen and decided it was time to do something drastic, so I took a year to research this procedure.

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 for 3 days.

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

None from the surgery

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 first went into depression. I hated the world for how they look upon obese people and I blamed the world for causing me to butcher myself. That lasted until my first visit after surgery

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

First week after surgery the body and mind is not in tune with each other when it comes to what you think you can eat and what you can actually eat.

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

I traveled 45 mins from home

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 drank soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I also had mash potatoes...couldn't tolerate puree foods. I also had no tolerance for sugar

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

I started working out 6 weeks after surgery and still to this day.

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

I have not been on Vitamins or any other supplement in the last 18 mos. I planned to 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?

I still vomit at times

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

support Group continue to be helpful

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

It has healed very well

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My weight has fluctuate between 3 and 5 lbs in the last 2 years

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Boy!! Do they? You would think I was re-born