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

my aunt had it, Interested in checking it out as I have know she was overweight all her life

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 trouble getting approval. Just make sure you have all the information needed ahead of time

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

hectic, good. Making sure they are prepared and ask questions

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

had a heart attack that said you have to do it now

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

because it seemed like the most logical choice for me.

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 no fears about complications or dying simply because I had a choice to make and did it.

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?

just went with the one the doctor used

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

n/a I own a ranch and can make my own time

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

not bad. 5 days. pair of tongs for taking care of business because you cannot bend or twist well at all

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?

only had a week so I did not have any time to be anxious

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

lots of pain. Do not do more that needed. Just rest and exercise and learn to drink, drink, drink

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

180. Has not been a problem so far

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.

am in the first trimester. NO foods allowed only liquids

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

first week very limited. second week better third week even better. now I am in the eight week and energy level is way up. Am feeling much better

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

complete vitamin twice daily at this point

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?

have not had any yet in the eight week now and have some nausia and vomiting. most of mine I believe is due to heat

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

the pain right after the surgery and the pain pills not lasting long enough

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

none as I live 180 miles from the nearest support group

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

No different that the other two scars I have on my stomach

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

hitting plateau on weigh loss due to NOT exercising

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not at this point most people are just wishing me well