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

I HEARD ABOUT IT FROM A FRIEND AND I WAS A LITTLE SCARED AT THE TIME BUT THEN I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING IF I WANTED TO EVER BE HAPPY IN LIFE AND I HAD TO DO IT THEN BECAUSE I HAD ALREADY LIVED HALF OF MY LIFE.

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

WELL MY INSURANCE WOULD NOT PAY FOR IT SO I CHARGED IT ON A CREDIT CARD WITH LOW INTEREST AND I TRY TO PAY DOUBLE TO GET IT PAYED OFF.

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

JUST TELLING ME ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT HE SURGERY AND IT CAN ALWAYS BE REVERSED IF NEED BE . ALSO WENT OVER THE HINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG. YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO EVERY THING THEY TELL YOU IN THE MEETING BECAUSE IT WILL ONLY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE SURGERY

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

BECAUSE NOTHING ESLE I TRIED WOULD WORK AND IF IT WORKED ANY IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR A SHORT TIME NOT A LIFE TIME.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I WENT WITH LAPBAND BECAUSE I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS ABOUT IT AND ALSO THE FACT THAT I COULD GOBACK TO WORK ONE WEEK OR LESS AND NO MAJOR CUTTING OR REROUTING AND THAT IT COULD BE REVERSED IF EVER NEEDED AND IT COULD BE EASILY ADJUSTED IN THE DOCTORS OFFICE. I DIDN'T GO WITH GASTRO BIPASS BECAUSE I HAD A FEW FRIENDS THAT HAD THE SURGERY AND HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY AND HAD ALOT OF PROBLEMS.

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 FEARED DYING JUST BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO BE HAPPY AND HEALTHIER. I FEARED THAT IF THINGS WENT BAD WITH THE SURGERY AND I DIED I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE MYSELF SMALL AND HAPPY . I WOULD SAY TO YOU ALL IF YOU WERE AT THE END AND DON'T HAVE NOTHING ESLE TO TURN TO OTHER THAN THE SURGERY TO MAKE YOU HAPPY AND HEALTHIER THEN YOU SHOULD DO IT BECAUSE I WAS LIVING IN FEAR EVERYDAY BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH AND STRESS I WAS PUTTING ON MYSELF DAILY FOR BEING FAT AND UGLY. SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE A CHANCE AT BEING IN FEAR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE OR BEING IN FEAR OF THE SURGERY AND I CHOOSE THE SURGERY BECAUSE I KNEW IF I MAKE IT CLEAR FROM THE SURGERY THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE MY LIFE HAPPY AT ONCE. JUST DO IT IT IS SO WORTH IT....................AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN...........

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 MOM WAS NO TO CRAZY ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE WAS SCARED THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN TO ME BUT SHE HAS BEEN THERE FOR ME AND NOW SHE SEES HOW HAPPY I AM AND HOW MY BLOOD PRESSURE IS BACK TO NORMAL AND SHE IS GLAD THAT HAD IT DONE.

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

THEY WERE VERY HAPPY FOR ME AND KNEW THAT THIS IS REALLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH THEY HEARD ME TALKING ABOUT BEING OVER WEIGHT AND I WAS ABOUT TO LOOSE MY MIND IF I DIDN'T DO SOMETHING SOON. I HAD SURGERY ON A THURSDAY AND I WENT BACK TO WORK ON TUESDAY.

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

HAD SURGERY AT A OUT PATIENT CENTER BECAUSE I HAD TO PAY FOR IT AND I WAS THERE AT 6:00AM IN A THURSDAY AND WENT HOME THAT DAY ABOUT FOUR HOURS LATER. MY STAY WAS GREAT EVERYONE WAS VERY NICE AND MADE ME FEEL VERY COMFORABLE. I DIDN'T BRING ANYTHING OTHER THAN WEAR EASY TAKE OFF CLOTHES BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CHANGE INTO A GOWN AND THEN CHANGE BACK AFTER SURGERY AND YOU ARE VERY SORE SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WEAR SOMETHING THAT IS VERY EAY TO GET OFF.

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

NONE AT ALL

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 SO EXCITED AND ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT IS I AM GOING TO BE SMALL BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

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

VERY SORE, I GOT SO SICK OF DRINKS BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING SOLID FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I COULD JUST SEE THE POUNDS COMING OFF AND YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR CLOTHES FAST. BEING SORE, LEARNING A NEW EATING HABIT, POSSIBLE UPSET STOMACH BEING IN THE BATHROOM EVERYTIME YOU DRINK YOUR SLIM FAST OR BROTH FROM THAT GOOD SOUP.

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

MAYBE 20MILES, IT WAS NO PROBLEM BECAUSE I STILL HAD MY DRUGS IN ME FROM SURGERY.

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

I WENT TO A ESTATE SALE THE SECOND DAY AFTER MY SURGERY BUT I DIDN'T STAY LONG BECAUSE I WAS WEAK AND STARTED SHAKING A LITTLE FROM STANDING BUT A FEW DAYS LATER I WAS OUT EVERY WHERE.

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

CENTRUM , CALTRATE

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 A LITTLE, NOT HAVING A BOWEL MOVEMENT FOR OVER FIVE DAYS. I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS NOW SIX MONTHS AFTER SURGERY GOING TO THE BATHROOM SOMETIMES IT IS 4DAYS. I CALLE DMY DOCTOR AND HE ADVISED E WHAT TO TAKE.

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

GOING THROUGH ALL THE PAPER WORK AND THE TEST THAT WAS REQ TO BE DONE BEFORE SURGERY AND WAITING FOR THEM TO SCHEDULE MY SURGERY.

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

FIVE SMALL CUTS BUT THEY ARE GOING AWAY. YES MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THEY WOULD LOOK LIKE THIS AND THERE WOULD BE 5.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I WAS STUCK AT 200 FOR EVER AND I WAS SO DEPRESSED AND IT WAS VERY HARD TO COPE WITH BECAUSE ALL I COULD THINK WAS I MUST BEING DOING SOMETHING WRONG BUT I WAS NOT EATING TO MUCH.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES THE MEN THAT WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE ME THE TIME LOOK AT ME IN A VERY DIFFRENT WAY.