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

I found out about bariatric surgery from my doctor who didn't know very much. At first I thought it was pretty drastic action to lose weight and that is was very frightning.

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 very good. To get the most out of this you would be best to write down a list of questions you wish to ask and ask them. Take someone with you who knows you well then you have someone there for support and who can ask anything that you may forget. I took my mother and my Husband.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

What made me finally decide to have the surgery was when my GP told me that I would end up sat in a wheelchair within 5 years if I did not lose weight quickly. I have 6 kids and did not want to burden their life with me.

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 was very scared that something may go wrong during or after my surgery. I joined a forum called bypassbuddies on the net and they have helped me deal with my fears. All of the people in this forum have had or are having wls surgery. They offer support and information on a personal level. On some days I can get as many as 30 e-mails from them asking how things are going but not a day goes by without one at all.

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 and friends are very supportive towards me having this surgery. They know that it is the best thing for me and have arranged to help with my kids when I come out of hospital. After my surgery my family all helped with the housework and cooking. They took it in turns to stay with me whilst my husband was at work so that i didn't have to do anything untill i was well. They made sure i had plenty of help whenever i needed it.

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

My stay in hospital was very good. The nursing staff were very helpful and made sure i was well looked after. I was in hospital for 8 days. I would suggest that people having this surgery take a couple sets of loose nightwear as you are too sore for anything that may be tight. You also tend to have IV's sticking out all over for a couple of days which can make some clothing hard to get on. Also take a couple of books to read as you will get very bored as you cant move around much in the first few days.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

At first i was afraid that if i moved then the staples holding my wound together would pop open, unfortunately my scar did open up but that was after my staples were removed and was due to an infection inside my wound. I was tired a lot when i first came home but once i was able to move around better i felt more energetic. I had a lot of support from family and friends so i had plenty of people to talk to about my feelings. I did get a little depressed after the operation but this soon passed.

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

I found that i was very stiff and sore for the first couple of weeks and got very angry that i was unable to do anything around the house. My problem was aggravated by the problem of my scar opening due to an infection but this is unusual. Once I was able to move around better I found that the stiffness and the pain eased off more. If you don't try to overdo things you should be fine.

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.

At first i had a pureed diet for about 4 weeks. After this I was allowed finely chopped food and eventually anything i wanted. I have been unable to tolerate bread or bread-like foods but have got round this by eating crackers. Everything i eat is low-fat, even things i make myself are low-fat. If I fancy something sweet I eat a low-fat yoghurt.

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

I have taken multi-vitamins and extra iron tablets since day 1 after the surgery.

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

I dont have any support group but my surgeon sees me every three months and he is very helpful and supportive. He gets more excited about the weight i have lost than i do. If i am having any problems he tries to give me the answers that will deal with the problem. You need to have support as it can be very depressing dealing with the changes to your lifestyle and not having someone to talk them over with.

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

My scar reaches from my upper abdomen to my bellybutton. It is quite wide as it opened after about 4 weeks. I expected to have a large scar so this does not bother me at all.