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

I heard about it from TV commercials several years back as it was becoming more popular. For a while I thought it was the easy way out but as I did more research I discovered it definitely was not.

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

Don't get discouraged if/when you get denied! I was denied my first time and and to go through an appeal process before I got approved. It may take several attempts but keep trying.

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

Very informative. He made me feel very comfortable and was able to provide me more answers than I had questions for. I was very confident in his skills.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Realizing I had gone above the 400 pound mark really got me concerned. Once I got the approval from my insurance I was ready.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Didn't have a choice. My surgery was going to be Open RNY and that was that. I was too big and didn't have the right body dimensions to have Laparoscopic RNY.

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?

My main fear was being allergic to the anesthetic or getting blood clots. The hospital was prepared for anything and made me feel very comfortable so my fears went away pretty quickly.

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?

All my family and friends were very supportive. They've seen diets fail with me and just getting bigger year after year. They've all offered to help anyway they can during recovery.

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

My boss knew I was considering this for a while so he was happy I was finally able to get the surgery. I will be out a total of three weeks by the time I go back to work.

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

Hospital stay was my first and it went great. I had the surgery on a Wednesday and was released on Saturday. Make sure you bring your slippers and magazines, Ipod, or laptop to keep yourself occupied!

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

No complications 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 was really excited...never really got nervous. Just finished a whole bunch of stuff around the house so I was ready to recover at home and didn't have to worry about anything.

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

Even from the day I was released I felt just great. Plan on renting a bunch of movies or reading many books. If you don't keep yourself occupied it gets really boring!

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

The hospital was about a two hour drive from my house, but well worth it.

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've had no problem with food. I can tolerate anything.

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

I've always had a bunch of energy and now I have even more. I walked just over a mile everyday the first two weeks after surgery.

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

Every day I take a Centrum Chewable and Biotin in the morning and afternoon along with a B Complex and Sublingual B12 tablet once a day.

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?

Haven't had any hair loss. I haven't even experienced dumping yet. It's been quite some time since I vomited but it is nothing like vomiting before surgery.

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

The first few hours after surgery. Wow did it really hurt!

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

The only support I have is here on obesityhelp.com and some of the support groups on myspace.com.

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

Definitely longer than I thought it would be. It seems "stretched" too so it's quite wide also. It's fine though, and well worth it. Besides, I could get a scar revision if I really wanted to.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I started to plateau between months four and five. It's probably my fault because I was so busy with work and school I slacked on taking my vitamins and getting enough protein in.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely! Before I would be ignored, get stared at, or get looks of disgust. I still have just over 100 pounds to lose but I feel like I'm accepted more by people. It has been years since I got hit on and now it happens quite often!