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

My son introduced me and my impression was........why have surgery for something I can just set my mind to accomplish.

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

No problem except getting the weight loss history since I moved from one state to another.

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

Research the surgery by someone you know or on the internet so you know what questions to ask. Also take a close friend or family member with you, they can help you remember some of the Dr's responses.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I felt this was my last chance.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Based on the amount of weight I needed to lose.

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 2 biggest concerns was the anesthesa and pain.

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 supportive and happy for me.

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

Supervisor was happy for me.

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

My hospital stay was fine. I was admitted on Thursday and released Saturday.

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 felt fine, just concerned about my protein intake.

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

People can expect to have the same cravings they had prior to the surgery, but not the capability to eat them.

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

45 minutes.

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.

Milk and sugar were huge early on. Chewing the food well and eating very slowly is critical to avoid getting sick.

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

It started out great, but due to problems with my foot I temporarily stopped walking but then I started with aquatic physical therapy, now I will start aquatic aerobics.

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

Brand name Bariatric Fusion, has everything I need and I take 4 tabs 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?

I learned early on to avoid dumping and they only other issue I had was nausea. I avoid that by eating very slowly and gauging when I have had enough.

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

Fear and anxiety.

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

I was given the name of a support group that I emailed but never got a response.

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

Less than what I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

My plateaus so far have last about a week to 10 days and then I see a change.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not yet, I still have a ways to go