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

The internet. I saw a news article posted at yahoo. At first I found it to be a little scary, but after researching it some more I saw a chance at a new life.

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

I was approved in ten days

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

He was very informative and friendly. He put me at ease right away.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Having to stare at my reflection and hating the face that stared back.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

the least invasive

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?

There is nothing you can tell someone to alleviate those kind of fears because the truth of the matter is there are no guarentees

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?

they were against it. They still thought it was some kind of chop shop procedure, but now they are happy for me. If you decide this is for you the people who love you will be by your side

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

I was out of work for 10 days and I was self-employed so it really didn't affect that at all.

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

A body pillow is a must!! You can use it to get comfortable, and also remember that the pain will go away if you just pump on that morphine!(smile)

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

No. I was not prepared for how bad the pain would be.

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 depressed for the first two weeks after surgery, then as I started to really heal and lose weight I came out of it. One thing that we all should remember is that there is a big difference between researching a life changing decision and living a life changing decision.

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

It is a very draining experience, you are going to feel really down and you are going to second guess your decision constantly, but once the weight starts to come off and you start to feel better, it will be worth it

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

4 miles to and from

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 could eat just about anything just as long as it was chewed well and in small amounts.

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

higher and higher with every day!!

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

I have a Slim Fast every morning(it contains a lot of the vitamins and minerals you need) and I get the rest from my food intake.

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!!!! It didn't get bad until month 3 but now has seemed to stop at the end of month 6.

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

The pain after!! I was not prepared!

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

It's about seven inches long, it was much bigger than I expected, but hey if that's the incision it takes to insure me a complete and safe VBG I'm all for it, besides by the time you need WLS you probably don't have a flawless belly anyway!!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have a plateau every 4 weeks, it's very starnge, right around the time of my period( I know all about water bloat!) I'll not lose weight for a couple of weeks after. That has stopped now though.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Oh yes, Men flirt, women smile, I just make sure that I stay the same and keep the friends I had before closest to me now.