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

I FIRST FOUND OUT ABOUT BARIATRIC SURGERY WHEN A FEW OF MY FRIENDS HAD IT DONE. I SAW THEY WAY THEY TURNED OUT AND I WANTED IT DONE. MY FIRST IMPRESSION OF IT WAS WOW! THE RESULTS ARE GREAT! WHERE AND HOW DO I GO ABOUT APPLYING.

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

MY APPROVAL WENT GREAT. WE SUBMITTED ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEN WE WAITED MAYBE 3 WEEKS FOR A LETTER AND FIRST TIME WE MEANING MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH WERE APPROVED

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

MY FIRST VISIT WITH MY SURGEON WAS THE SIMINAR AND I IMMEDIATLEY KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO BE OK AND THAT I HAD CHOSEN THE RIGHT DOCTOR FOR MY SURGERY.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I DECIDED TO HAVE THE SURGERY AFTER I MET MY DOCTOR AND I HEARD IS SIMINAR ABOUT HIS PRACTICE AND I MET SOME OF HIS PATIENTS AND HEARD THERE STORIES.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THE DOCTOR I CHOSE ONLY DOES ONE PROCEEDURE.

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?

I HAVE ONLY A FEW FEARS. ONE BEING NOT WAKING UP. BUT THAT IS A FEAR WITH ANY SURGERY. 2. DUMPING I DON'T LIKE TO THROW UP BUT THEY SAY IT IS DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING I HAVE EXPERIENCED BEFORE. BUT I WILL SAY THIS. THERE ARE RISK WITH ANY THING YOU DO IN LIFE. THIS IS JUST ONE I WILL HAVE TO TAKE. THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN IS THAT I DON'T WAKE UP BUT IF THAT HAPPENS I NO WHERE I AM GOING AND I WILL BE IN A GOOD PLACE.

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 HUSBAND SUPPORTED ME BECAUSE HE HAD IT DONE ALSO. MY MOM AND GRANDPARENTS KINDA HAVE THERE OPIOION ABOUT IT BUT I DON'T REALLY GIVE THEM THE TIME TO VOICE IT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME I AM GROWN AND CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISSIONS AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THE NEGATIVE STUFF THAT MOST HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT.

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

MY EMPLOYER DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY AND I AM ONLY TAKING OFF 2 WEEKS FROM WORK

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

MY STAY WAS GREAT I STAYED 3 DAYS EVERYONE WAS REAL NICE

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

THE ONLY THING THE PAIN MEDS MADE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.

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 GOT MY SURGERY DATE ABOUT A MONTH AGO AND IT HASN'T AFFECTED ME UNTIL NOW THAT I AM 9 DAYS AWAY FROM SURGERY.

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

FIRST WEEK HOME I CRIED BECAUSE I COULDN'T DO ANYTHING. I THINK IT WAS A BATTLE BETWEEN MY BODY AND MIND ABOUT FOOD. I COULDN'T EAT BECAUSE OF MY DRAINS AND I WANTED SOMETHING TO EAT OR AT LEAST I THOUGHT I DID.

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

I LIVE ABOUT 2 AND 1/2 HOURS FROM THE HOSPITAL I AM HAVING MY SURGERY IN ANNISTON ALABAMA.

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.

THE ONLY THING I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH IS SUGAR, FISH (FIRST FEW MONTHS) AND CHICKEN SALAD. NOW THAT I AM 1O MONTHS OUT I CAN TOLARATE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING WITHIN MODERATION.

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

I DIDN'T HAVE VERY MUCH ENERGY AND I STAYED WEAK FOR ABOUT THE FIRST MONTH

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

I TAKE 2 CHILDRENS CHEWABLE VITAIMINS A DAY AND 1 CALCIUM SUPPLIMENT A DAY AND WILL FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE AND THAT IS ALL. NOTHING COMPARED TO THE 9 PILLS A DAY THAT I WAS TAKING BEFORE SURGERY.

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?

THE WORSE SIDE EFFECT I HAD WAS HAIR LOSS. I JUST ABOUT WENT BALD ON THE TOP I CUT MY HAIR SHORT AND FOUND A STYLE TO COVER THE BALDING AND WENT ON NO ONE COULD TELL IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY NO. SOMETIMES NAUSEA AND VOMITING JUST HITS ME QUICK AND I DO IT AND FEEL JUST FINE.

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

THE DRAIN TUBES. THE FIRST 6 DAYS

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

NONE

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

I HAVE 6 SMALL CUTS ON MY TUMMY THAT IS ALL.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE SLOWED DOWN A LOT NOW THAT I AM ABOUT 10 MONTHS OUT AND LOST OVER 100 POUNDS

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES THEY DON'T STAR AT ME AND LAUGH AT ME OR MAKE JOKES ABOUT ME