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

My sister has been checking it out for the past year! She finally got approval in September. Since she is going to do it and she is my twin, I want to keep up with her! We are going to take care of this together!

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

Had no problem with approval as I have a heart problem and this is the best thing for me!

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

Dr. Orloff explained everything in great detail. He also requested that my husband come to the next visit and he again explained every thing again. He gave me time to ask questions.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was very tired of being heavy. I want to be able to live a long life and raise my two youngest sons (7 & 9) and with my heart condition, my life would not be as long with carrying all the excess pounds. That was the final decision!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

This is the surgeon that is associated with UCSD and he made the choice of which surgery was the best for 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 worried about dying because of my heart problem. On the other hand I also realized that if I did not do something, I would die an early death anyway.....

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 was very supportive. My husband was very scared right after the surgery and when I got sick and had to go back in but he is doing better with my decision. My 24 year old daughter came down to help me (for 5 weeks) and she now calls every day to give me support.

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

They have been very supportive. I want to go back to work part-time next week. We'll see what the doc says and how I feel.

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

I have a support group on the internet! This has been very important! Also, my twin had the same surgery 3 weeks after I did and we support each other.

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

Very large scar! A little bigger than I thought it would be but I can live with it!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

None yet!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

No! Other than asking how I am doing!