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

I had a friend that had surgery and she shared alot with me also the chats and alot of research.

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

Approval was great-Tricare gave me no problems

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

I was very nervous but anxious, the surgeon was direct and to the point but i liked him and his staff, they were very informative

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

After all the research and tired of being unhealthy i wanted a change in my life, so i took this step.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I had researched more about the gastric bypass and this was the one i wanted to do,i also knew people that had the Gastric and were very pleased.

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?

You can die walking across the street so that was not really an issue for me at all

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 an dfriends were awesome, they supported me all the way. Especially my husband, he wanted whatever made me happy.

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

My employer knew from the time i started working with them, so there was not a problem and i was out of work 1 month.

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

My stay in the hospital was fine, i was there 5 days and was really glad to go home. Make sure you bring slippers,toothbrush,something to read cause tv gets pretty old fast.

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

none

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 am only 12 days post op and still a little sore but felt much better when they took the staples out.Just took all my anxieties one day at a time and remembered why i did this. I am now 5 weeks post op and 48 lbs thinner and can definately feel the difference. No pain in my ankles or hips its amazing. Still on pureed diet til the 30th but cant wait to get off it YUK!!!!!

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

I had to sleep in my recliner for the first week, watching my family eat food made me crazy but i remembered the cause. Expect to have swings in moods and feel tired alot.

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

I traveled about 1 hour to have my surgery and it did not affect my aftercare 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.

I am 12 days post op and am on a 8 week pureed diet, so anything that can be pureed you can eat, plus clear and full liquids. I tried Scrambled eggs three weeks post op and vomitted, so strictly stuck to what the dr said to do.

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

no activity til my first follow up on march 18th then Dr wants walking briskly 45 minutes a day. I am walking at least 30 to 45 minutes every day and swimming at 5 weeks post op.

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

b-12 Dots every other day Flintstones 2 a day iron drops At 3 weeks i switched to vitamin b12 shots and do not take iron drops.

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?

so far the only thing i have noticed is i am not hungary and heart burn.

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

the first two days when you could not drink anything and your throat and mouth are so dry you want to scream.

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

none yet.

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

smaller then expected.I keep vitamin E oil on it and it is fading.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

none yet to early.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

no