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

I saw a commerial on t.v. and mentioned it to my family doctor. He advised me to have it done laparscopically.

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

Don't give up. Persistence works. Find someone who can help you - like a lawyer.

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

We had a group meeting first. This really helped put everyone at ease and realize others felt the way we did. Then each person talked to the surgeon one on one to get you own questions anwered.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My family doctor is also a friend of mine and I trusted him completely. He recommended Dr. Rutledge to me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My family doctor and talking on the internet to others who had 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 fought my ins. co. for a long time to have this surgery. When they finally approved, I was happy but scared too. I was afraid I might not be happy living without some of the foods I'd enjoyed before. I was afraid of changing how my body was made. I was afraid of complications. Now after surgery, I have no regrets. I have lost 50 lbs. in 10 weeks and feel great. I can eat most foods, but choose not to eat sweets( except for a bite now & then) or fried foods. I no longer drink diet coke and don't miss it. I would do it 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?

At first they weren't sure. I showed them the info I got off the Doctors website and then they were supportive.

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

I did not tell anyone except immediate family.

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

My surgery was at 4:00 in the afternoon and I went home the next day about the same time. Bring your own toiletries. The nurses were very familar with this surgery because my dr. does 6-10 of them a day. Everyone was very nice to me.

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 felt better each day. I really never had any pain, but didn't feel like running any races either. The first 3 weeks were the hardest with not eating much, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

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

Having the surgery laparscopically made recovery much faster. I went back to work after 1 week. I went on vacation to the beach 3 weeks later and felt great.

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

About 600 miles. Dr. gave me instructions to take home with me. My family dr. knew a lot about this surgery. I kept in contact with others I met at 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 ate only yogurt, broth, juices, and saltine crackers for the first 3 weeks after surgery. Then once a day I started having some soup. Then I tried melon, peaches, mashed potatoes. At 6 weeks I had mashed potatoes, chicken, beans, pasta, at my daughters wedding. The only food that I tried that made me feel sick was eggs. They didn't even taste good so I don't miss them. Now at almost 3 months post op I can eat just about anything, just much smaller amounts.

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

After surgery I felt like talking to others who had the surgery to see how ythey were doing and to talk to someone who went through what I did. I talked on line through email to others I met at the hospital. This was nice at first, but now 3 months post op, I don't feel like I need a support group, but I like to tell others about my experience because it was so positve.

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

I have 5 tiny scars that are just red marks now. They are between 1/4" and 1/2" and are fading as time goes on.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

At about 2 months post op I didn't see a weight lose for a while, then the next time I weighed myself 10 lbs. were off.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No not yet, but people do complement me on how good I look.