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

I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD THE SURGERY 20 YEARS AGO AND SHE HAS GAINED ALL THE WEIGHT AND MORE. THEN MY HUSBANDS FORMER BOSS HAD THE SURGERY A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AGO AND HIS EXPERIENCE WAS SO POSTIVE , I STARTED LOOKING IN TO IT AND MADE THE DICISION TO GO AHEAD.

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

I ATTENDED MY FIRST BARIATRIC MEETING IN FEB. THEY TOLD ME WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO GET INSURANCE APPROVAL, I SAW THE SURGEON IN APRIL THE OTHER DR.S IN MAY AND HAD APPROVAL FOR SURGERY IN LATE JUNE

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

I HAD A VERY POSITIVE MEETING WITH THE SURGEON, HE EXPLAINED THE PROCEDURE VERY WELL TO BOTH ME AND MY HUSBAND. HE WAS VERY HONEST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT COULD GO WRONG.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH MY WEIGHT MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE . MY HEALTH PROBLEMS WERE GETTING WORSE EVERY TIME I WENT TO THE DR. IT WAS TIME TO DO SOMETHING FOR MYSELF.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAD THE PROCEDURE DONE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND HE HAS HAD A VERY POSITIVE OUTCOME

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 VERY ANXIOUS ABOUT ANNESTHESIA. BUT TALKED TO THE DR, ABOUT IT THE NIGHT BEFORE SURG. AND HE WAS VERY REASSURING. ALSO MY SURGICAL GROUP HAS VERY LOW DEATH RATE.

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 HAS BEEN WONDERFUL THRU THE WHOLE THING ALWAYS THERE TO SUPPORT ME

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

I AM NOT EMPLOYED AT THIS TIME

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

oTHER THAN A BAD NIGHT THE DAY AFTER SURGERY MY STAY WAS NOT BAD AT ALL. I STAYED4 DAYS. WALK AS MUCH AS YOU CAN AFTER THE SURGERY.

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

NO

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 ONLY HAD ONE WEEK AFTER I GOT THE SURGERY DATE, I WAS ANXIOUS. I JUST WANTED IT OVER WITH.I KEPT BUSY GETTING THINGS READY AT HOME.

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

THE FIRST TWO WEEKS WERE VERY HARD. I LIVE IN A VERY HOT CLIMATE AND I COULD NOT GET OUT TO WALK, SO I WENT AND BOUGHT A USED TREADMILL AND WHEN I STRARTED WALKING ON A REGULAR BASIS I STARTED TO FEEL MUCH BETTER.

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

I LIVE ABOUT 125 MILES FROM THE HOSPITAL AND SURGEON. I CAME HOME THE DAY I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. I WENT TO MY PRIMARY CARE DR. ABOUT THREE DAYS LATER AND HE OVERSAW MY RECOVERY.

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.

sUGAR IS THE BIGGEST NO-NO. I EAT VERY LOW FAT AND NO BEEF OR PORK. I EAT A LOT OF FISH AND DRINK A HIGH PROTEIN DRINK FOR BREAKFAST. I HAVE HAD VERY LITTLE TROUBLE WITH THE THINGS I EAT ,BUT MORE TROUBLE WITH THE AMOUNT AND THE TIME I TAKE TO EAT.

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

VERY LOW UNTIL I STARTED MOVING AROUND MORE

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

B-12 MULTI VITAMIN AND CALCIUM

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 HAD SOME VOMITING FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS . IT WAS AROUND TWO MONTHS AFTER SUR.I WAS EATING TO MUCH AND TO FAST.I AM EXPRIENCING SOME HAIR LOSS NOW . THINK IT MAYBE NOT ENOUGH PROTIEN.

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

THE PAIN RIGHT AFTER SURG. BUT IT WAS OVER VERY QUICKLY

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

I ATTEND AN AFTERCARE SUPPORT GROUP ONCE A MONTH . IT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO TALK TO OTHERS WHO HAVE GONE THRU THE SAME THING.

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

MY SCAR IS QUITE LARGE AND STILL VERY RED ,BUT IT HAS GOTTEN SMEWHAT BETTER SINCE I FIRST CAME HOME.IT WAS BIGGER THAN I EXPECTED.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

HAVE NOT HAD ANY.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO