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

My cousin is a doctor in Alabama and he told me of the surgery. At first I didn't know what to think of this surgery. It was surgery and that scarred me more than being overweight. But when I spoke with people who have had the surgery i started to become more at ease with the idea

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

My stay in the hospital was a good experience. I had nurses who had dealt with overweight patients before. This is because all the patients who have the gastric bypass are put on the same floor. I was in the hospital for 5 days. To be honest with you you do not need to really bring anything. You are in a hospital gown, they give you socks to wear and the hospital will even provide you with movies to watch in case your board. But the only thing you should take is some comfortable clothes to wear home. Although I just wore my bathrobe to go home.

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

I was in ICU for a day because I was having a difficult time breathing.

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 hurting so much that I was on pain medications for 6 weeks which made me sleepy all the time. So I slept alot. I was excited about the prospect of not being hungry and loosing massive amounts of weight.

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

Support groups are very important to the recovery and maintenance of this weight loss. Not only do you basically have someone looking over your shoulder to give you support when you need it but you can be of a great inspiration to someone else who may need it.

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

Scar looked ugly when I first saw it but I look at it as a battle scar and now that I am 450lbs lighter I wear it like a badge of honor

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I treat myself differently. I used to walk around with my head down and not looking at anyone. But since I have lost all this weight I walk around with my head held high and people smile at me and I smile back.