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

I had two friends who I am working with that had the surgery and they only had good things to say , and I watched them transform their bodies , they both lost over 120lbs in less than a year , and they are very happy

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

My insurance approval went fine ,no problems

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

Ask alot of question , no question is stupid , get info off the net to ask him , any things people tell you about the surgery get the truth from the dr

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided to have the surgery back in July of 02 , but I postponed it , until after I got married , which was sept 02 , they scheduled me for october 29th 02 , from July to october I did go back and forth in my head on whether I should do this. my deciding factor was a very emotional day , I was on my honeymoon in Williamsburg , VA , we went to Busch Gardens , and I went go get into the scrambler and the door would not close , I had to get off the ride. My husband , just put his arms around me and said its ok , I said no its not , it was humiliating for me. My husband has been my rock since the beginning of this for me

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted the procedure that would be the best for me , for my age , and health.

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?

Yes , I did think I was going to die , Yes I did hear horror stories , but all the horror stories came from people who never had the surgery. The good stories came from people who had the surgery , I will take the advice of the people who already had the surgery

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 was very divided , My mom was scared to death for me , my one sister said go for , my other sister , just said how could you put your body thru that , my dad , was on my side , but was scared for me. My husband , did not in anyway shape or form want me to have it , he would not stand in my way , and he is very supportive , I think he is excited about what the results can bring

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

My company already saw two other coworkers thru this , so his reaction was kind of funny , he said samsung should get a group rate , he was very supportive. I am taking 3 weeks off

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

My hospital stay was not that great , I felt like the day nurses were very rude and unattentive. I checked in on october 29th , that was the surgery day , I came home on october 31st , so three days. Bring magazines , slippers , a hairbrush and a toothbrush

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

I did not have any 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 a basket case , I kept changing my mind , I went back and forth , do I have it , do I not have it. I worked with two woman that had the surgery , and they both lost over 100 lbs in less than a year , so they were my inspiration to have the surgery

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

My first week , The first 3 days I was more nauseaus than in pain , as the days passed it got better. Just remember each day gets better , until one day you will be your old self. be patient with yourself , its major surgery , let everything take its course

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

I was only about 35 minutes from the hospital

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 no longer could eat eggs , and I loved eggs , I also cannot tolerate water , it has to be very cold for me to get it down. I love orange juice , and I never like orange juice. I never brought anything up , I got nauseas from a few things but I did keep everything down

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

I was very active , the more active the better , I tried to walk at least 15 minutes for the first two weeks , and increased after that

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

Pathmark multivitamins with calcium and iron for woman

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 was very nauseaus during my first 3 weeks , certain foods got to me , but I never vomited. as of now its only been three weeks no hair loss

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

The nauseausness , the pain was there but it was bearable

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

I do not have any support groups by me

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

I have 5 scars where they put the staples , they are very small , nothing to talk about

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

No plateaus yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No not yet