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

I went through this with a girl friend a year before i decided to do it, she seemed so happy with the results and had no problems with it.

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

nippen life was great, approval in 2 weeks

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

DR Crossin was the best, very informative and made you feel very satisfied with what was going to happen

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

i have been over weight forever and i want to be healthy to watch and be around my kids and husband for a very long time,

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

i was only about 110 pounds over weight and my problem was only eating once a day but pigging out at that meal

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 has surgery several times so the fear of dieing was not there if i would have died it would have been just my time

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?

family and friends were very supportative and the same afterwards

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

i didnt tell my employer. i think it is a personal thing

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

I was in the hosp for four days , i was suppose to be there for five , but i got up and walked and walked and did great so i got out a day early, my stay was great the staff was great. bring something to keep you from getting bored, books,puzzles, hand held games, and the basic hygiene stuff, shampoo,tooth brush etc

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

I had no problems 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 great a little sore but i felt like i had just started to get my life back together,

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

i went out side with my dogs everytime the had to go out and i just walked with them, i only took pain meds once a day, the pain was not to bad, it was the getting up and down that was the worse.

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

20 miles

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

activity level increased every day, i feel great

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

4 flintstone vit 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?

small amount of hair loss, but not to bad

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

to me the worse thing was the tube in my nose, it has been a fear of mine every time i have had to have surgery, because i am a gagger

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

we have a support group in anderson, and there are three of us that are friend we all support each other.

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

It is a very good scar, i am a LPN and mine looks great and healed perfect. yes the scar is what i expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I became very bad with the scales i have at home, they were very depressing, so now i only weight about every 2 weeks,

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

not yet