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

family member,,and i was skeptical

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

i was having to call the insurance daily it took several months to get approval.

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

i was impressed he was honest and upfront about all the risk, before he even talked about the benefits.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

my knees kept locking up.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i consulted with the dr. and decided that way.

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?

none

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 there all the way.

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

the were all for it

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

good they were there all the time to meet my needs.

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

high heart rate and blood pressure. they kept me in icu for 4 days.

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

rough until the staples come out.

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

ok i was sore but able to get around. your energy level is dependent on your activity level more activity=more energy

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

75 miles. not at all.

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.

from about 1 1/2 months out i can not eat pasta, or over processed breads like dinner rolls(homade breads are ok)both make me sick.

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

started low but incressed daily.

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

one a day childrens

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 was the worst i lost aobut 1/2 of the thickness in which the hair coverd my head. But it is groing back now.

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

getting insurance approvel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

faces of weigth loss. www.facesofwls.com

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

a zipper

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

just one it lasted 3 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes