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

I FIRST FOUND OUT FROM A FRIEND ,AND MY FIRST IMPRESSION WAS THAT BARIATRIC IS VERY DRASTIC

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

I HAD NO PROBLEM GETTING APPROVED BECUASE OF OTHER HEATH PROBLEMS LIKE LOWER BACK AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

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

IT WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL BE PREPARED TAKE NOTES AND HAVE A LIST OF QUESTION TO ASK.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

THE FEAR OF HAVING BACK SURGERY.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

PROBLEMS WITH THE RUBBER BAND PROCEEDURE THAT I HAVE HEARD ABOUT.

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 HAD AFEAR OF DYING ON THE TABLE BUT I JUST PRAYED AND TRUST IN GOD AND KNOW THAT I HAD THREE KIDS AND A HUSBAND THAT NEEDED ME.

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 THRILLED SO THRILLED THAT MY MOTHER HAD THE SURGERY THREE MONTH AFTER I DID ,MY DAUGHTER IS 16YRS OLD AND IS LOVING EVERY BIT OF IT OR SHOULD I SAY WAS LOVING IT WHEN I WAS IN A SIZE 18 TO 16 BUT NOW I HAVE PAST HER I AM NOW IN A SIZE 14 AND LOVING EVERY MINITE

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

I DO NOT WORK OUT SIDE OF THE HOME I AM A FOSTERMOM.

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

I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR FIVE DAYS THINGS TO BRING WERE SLIPPERS A ROBE TOOTHBRUSH AND LOSE CLOTHES TO WEAR HOME.

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

I HAD NO COMPLICATIONS.

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

THE FIRST WEEKS WERE BIG ADJUSTMENT AND I HAD TO LEARN SELF-CONTROL

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

I LIVED IN NEW JERESY AND HAD TO TRAVEL TO PHILA.

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 NOT EAT ANY BREADS HEAVEY MEATS LIKES STEAKS ROAST ANYTHING GREASEY OR SWEET OF ANY KIND FOR AT LEAST SIX MONTHS ,I COULD ONLY EAT EGGS SOUPS SOME FRUITS VERY FEW CRACKER AND DRINK ONLY WATER AND I STILL DRINK ONLY WATER AND I EAT ICE ALL DAY LONG,I HAVE NOT HAD A SODA IN TWO YEARS I DO NOT EAT CAKES AND COOKIES AND CAN'T TOLERATE ANY SWEETS.

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

WEEKS AFTER THE SURGERY I COULD DO VERY LITTEL BECUASE I WOULD GET VERY DIZZY AFTER WALKING A SHORT DISTANCE

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

THE VITAMINS I TAKE ARE MULTVITAMINS WITH CALCIUM ,VITAMIN E I ALSO TAKE IRON PILLS BECUASE MY IRON HAS DROP VERY LOW AFTER THE SURGERY.

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 WAS THE WORSE MY HAIR FELL OUT FOR ALL MOST TWO YEAR .BUT I CONTINUED TO CONDITION AND USE HOT OIL TREATMENTS EVERY WEEK AND ALSO VITAMIN E OIL NOW MY HAIR IS JUST ABOUT BACK TO NORMEL IF NOT BETTER THEN BEFOR THE SURGERY.

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

THE SCARE YOU ARE LEFT .

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

MY SCAR STARTS UNDER MY BREAST AND STOPS BELOW MY NAVEL THIS WAS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES YES YES I AM NOW BEING INCLUDED IN EVERY THING NOW I WAS EVEN ASKED TO BE APART OF THE RENEWAL OF MY BABY SISTERS WEDDING . I GET PHONE CALLS EVERY WEEKEND NOW TO GO HERE AND THERE I AM NEVER HOME NOW.