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

KNEW SOME PEOPLE THAT HAD IT AND DID RESEARCH. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THEIR WEIGHT LOSS.

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

NO PROBLEM! JUST BE PATIENT IT MAY TAKE WEEKS. TALK TO YOUR DR AND FOLLOW ALL THE PROCEDURES.

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

I CHOSE THE SURGEON BECAUSE OF THE HOSPITAL. ONCE I MET HIM AND THE STAFF I WAS HOOKED. HE REALLY CARES ABOUT HIS PATIENTS.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY MIND WAS MADE UP 10 YEARS AGO. LIFE JUST HAPPENED WHICH KEPT ME FROM FOLLOWING THROUGH PRE-OP PROCEDURES. HEALTH AND PAIN FORCED ME TO FINALLY GO FOR IT. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

INSURANCE. I WOULD PREFER THE SLEEVE BUT INSURANCE DIDN'T COVER IT.

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 DIDN'T HAVE ANY FEARS BECAUSE I ATTENDED A 6 MONTH GROUP EDUCATION CLASS AND SUPPORT GROUP. I PREPARED MY FAMILY IF ANYTHING DID GO WRONG BUT I WAS CONFIDENT WITH SURGEON AND HOSPITAL. POSITIVE THINKING IS A PLUS!

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 DAUGHTER WAS SUPPORTIVE FROM DAY ONE AND STILL ATTENDS SUPPORT GROUP WITH ME. SHE EVEN WALKS WITH ME. SHE IS LEARNING PORTION CONTROL. MY HUSBAND SURPRISED ME. AT FIRST HE WAS AGAINST IT DUE TO FEARS. HE ATTENDED A FAMILY SUPPORT CLASS AND THAT HELPED HIM WITH QUESTIONS AND FEARS. HE WAS THERE 100% FOR ME. HE WATCHES OVER ME AND MAKES SURE I STAY ON TRACK. HE IS HAPPY THAT MY HEALTH AND SELF ESTEEM HAS IMPROVED. SHE CALLS ME "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING HOT MAMA"!!

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

VERY SUPPORTIVE. SOME CO-WORKERS HAD WLS AND THEY ARE VERY SUPPORTIVE. I WAITED AND SCHEDULED MY SURGERY FOR SUMMER BREAK WHICH GAVE ME FOUR FULL WEEKS OFF.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

INSURANCE REQUIRED ME TO ATTEND A 6 MONTH EDUCATION CLASS. I FIRST THOUGHT "WHAT A WASTE OF TIME" AND :I WANT MY SURGERY NOW". BUT NOW I AM SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE HAD THAT INFO AND ALL THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BEFORE I HAD THE SURGERY!

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

GREAT! DOCTOR WAS GOING TO SEND ME HOME NEXT DAY BUT I ASKED TO STAY ONE MORE DAY DUE TO SORENESS. GLAD I DID :) STAFF WAS EXCEPTIONAL, THEY WERE SO HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE. I TOOK A LOT OF THINGS WITH ME BUT ONLY NEEDED MY FAVORITE PILLOW AND HEADPHONES.

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 WAS SO HAPPY THAT THE WAIT FOR SURGERY WAS ALMOST OVER! I FELT RELIEF, NO ANXIETY.

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

I DID VERY WELL. THE FIRST FEW DAYS I RECLINED ALOT FOR COMFORT AND WALKED OFTEN, EACH DAY GOING A LITTLE FURTHER (ONE DRIVEWAY AT A TIME) MY FAMILY WENT OUT TO DINNER OFTEN UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THE LIQUID/PUREE STAGES.

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

ABOUT 25 MILES. GLAD IT WASN'T ANY FURTHER BECAUSE THE DRIVE HOME WAS PAINFUL. I TOOK MY PILLOW AND PUT IT BETWEEN THE SEATBELT AND MY STOMACH FOR THE DRIVE HOME.

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.

CLEAR LIQUID PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS GIVE ME DIARRHEA, TRIED SEVERAL. ONCE I WAS ON SOFT FOODS I FELT SO MUCH BETTER. NOW I CAN EAT ALMOST WHATEVER I WANT. I MAKE SURE I EAT THE PROTEIN FIRST, THAN VEGGIES AND FRUIT. SMALL PORTIONS, I MEASURE EVERYTHING AND KEEP A JOURNAL. TAKE MY VITAMINS AND DRINK PROTEIN WATERS. IF I DO GET A SWEET TOOTH I HAVE A PROTEIN BAR OR EXTRA PROTEIN SHAKE.

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

SLOW AND GRADUAL. NOW I AM POWERWALKING 1 MILE :) JUST WENT ON MY FIRST TRAIL HIKE!!! AT SIX MONTHS JOINED THE GYM. LOOKING FORWARD TO WARMER WEATHER TO SWIM.

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

CENTRUM SILVER CHEWABLES 2 X DAY, 1200 CALCUIM CITRATE WITH 1000 D 2 X DAY, B12 3 X WEEK, 2 BIOTIN X DAY, OMEGA

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 DIARRHEA FROM CLEAR PROTEINS WAS THE WORST. HAD 1 BOAT OF SEVER GAS 3 DAYS FOLLOWING SURGERY. FIRST WEEK FOLLOWING SURGERY WAS TOUGH BUT I GOT THRU IT. AT 3 1/2 MONTHS POST I STARTED TO LOSE HAIR BUT BECAUSE I WAS TAKING BIOTIN THE HAIR LOSS ONLY LASTED 2 WEEKS AND AT 6 MONTHS IT STARTED TO GROW BACK. MY NAILS AND SKIN WERE BETTER TOO! I NEVER DUMPED BECAUSE I WAS VERY CAREFUL. HOWEVER I DID VOMIT TWICE BECAUSE I ATE TOO FAST. WILL NEVER DO THAT AGIAN!!! I USE AN EGG TIMER TO HELP.

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

FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS FELT LIKE A TRUCK HIT ME. BUT NOT ALOT OF PAIN, ONLY SORENESS.

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

FAMILY, FRIENDS, THIS WEBSITE AND FACEY SUPPORT GROUP SUPPORT OF ANY KIND IS SO VERY IMPORTANT!!!

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

I HAVE ONE 1" SLIGHT RED MARK, THE OTHER 4 ARE ALMOST GONE. EXCEPTIONAL SURGEON!!!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PLATEAUS. I STOPPED USING THE SCALE DAILY AND ONLY CHECK 1-2 X WEEK. WHEN I AM STALLED I TAKE MY MEASUREMENTS. THAT'S WHEN I REALLY SEE HOW WELL I AM DOING. AND I DRINK MORE WATER AND ADD ABOUT 20GRAMS PROTEIN. THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE REALLY ISN'T THAT IMPORTANT! GOOD HEALTH, ENERGY AND LIVING LIFE IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

PEOPLE ARE HAPPY AND ENCOURAGING. I FIND IT IS ME WHO HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER AND PEOPLE TREAT ME MORE POSTITVELY. I HAVE LEARNED THAT NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR HOW WELL I AM DOING SO I DON'T TALK ABOUT IT UNLESS SOMEONE ASKS ME. I LOVE THE COMPLIMENTS AND SURPRISED REACTIONS I GET FROM PEOPLE!! NOW THAT AM 155 POUNDS LESS I AM SURPRISED AT PEOPLES REACTION. AND WHEN I SEE A BEFORE PICTURE OF ME, EVEN I DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT PERSON!!! IT FEELS VERY NICE.