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

I started researching it on the internet and thought I would do it in a heartbeat if only I had insurance.

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

The hospital stay was fine, I received very good care. I was in the hospital 6 days. Number one on my list of things to bring is lip moisurizer. The only other things I used were pads and clean underwear, I got my period three days after surgery.

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

I had a severe case of diareah in the hospital that kept me in the hospital an extra day. I developed a blood clot in my leg 7 days post-op, I gave myself shots of lovenox for 7 days and was on coumodin for 5 months.

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 incredibly excited once I received approval from my inusrance company and set my surgery date. The weeks leading upto my surgery were extremely busy at work and at home so that kept my mind occupied and I didn't dwell on the surgery. My surgeon did prescribe a sleeping pill and valium as needed, I didn't take either one.

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

My surgeons office does have a monthly support group meeting but being an hour and a half away I do not attend these. I think it would be great to be a part of a support group. I have continued to use the online support groups for my support.

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

My scar is approximately 8" long starting 1" below my bra right to my belly button. The top 3" is raised slightly but is narrow, the bottom 5" is flat but about 3/4" wide. The surgeon said this was due to excessive bleeding and having to cauturize the opening during surgery. It is not quiet what I expected and probable worse than most but it doesn't bother me a bit!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I decided early on not to weight myself very often and I haven't, so if I have plateaued I wasn't aware. This is working for me and I just go by how my clothes are fitting and how I'm feeling.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Other than people complimenting me on my weight loss, not really. I have found that as I loose the weight I'm becoming more outgoing and friendly and in turn people are more friendly towards me.