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

WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSP MY DR TOLD ME ABOUT IT

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

MY DOC HELPED ALOT

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

I LEARNED ALOT YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR DR ANYTHING YOU EED OR WANT TO KNOW OR ANY WOORIES

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

MY HEALTH AND FAMILY

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

MY DOC

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 WOULD OF DIED SOON IF I DIDN'T TO SOMETHING ABOUT MY WEIGHT

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 IS GREAT 1 OR ALL 3 OF MY DAUGS. WERE AT THE HOSP WITH MEAND GO TO DOC AND SUPPORT MEETINGS WITH ME

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

HAD TO LAEVE WORK HEALTH REASONS

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

3 DAYS MANY OF THE PEOPLE WERE HELPFUL IN LETTING ME KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT

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 WAS AND AM HAPPY WATCHING THE POUNDS COME OFF WHEN EVER PAIN OR ANY FOOD PROLBEMS I HAD I WOULD THINK ABOUT THE WEIGHT LOSS

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

IT WAS ALITTLE HARD TRYING TO EAT SLOWLY BUT YOU LEARN

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

20 MIN

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.

ITS ALL THE SAME DIET LIQ SOFT ETC FOR THE 4 FIRST WEEKS AFTER THAT I CHANGES SOMETIMES I CAN EAT THINGS OTHER TIMES I CAN'T I ASK THAT QUESTION AT MY LAST SUPPORT GROUP MEETING "WHY CAN I NOT EAT SOME FOODS ONE WEEK AND NOT THE NEXT" MOST PEOPLE TOLD ME TO TAKE SMALLER BITES AND EAT SLOWER. BUT ONE MAN WHO HAD THE SURGERY AYEAR AND HALF AGO SAID THAT IT STILL HAPPENS TO HIM THAT NOT TO GIVE UP AND WAIT AWHILE AND TRY THE FOODS AGAIN BUT I KNOW ONE OF MY BIGGEST PRO

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

IT STARTED GETTING BETTER RIGHT AWAY

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

MULTI,IRON,CALCIUM&POTASSIUM

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?

NAUSIA ALITTLE NOW WITH DIFFERENT FOOD VOMITING ALWAYS IF EAT TO FAST OR DON'T CHEW ENOUGH DUMPING IF I EAT SUGAR NEED LESS SLEEP NEVER TRIED FROM DAY ONE

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

CLAMPS AND DRAIN

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

AT WICHESTER MEDICAL CENTER I STARTED GOING IN APRIL 2001 ABOUT4 MONTHS BEFORE SURGERY AND HAVE LEARNED MANY HELPFUL THINGS THERE

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

VERY BIG AND UGLY NO IT BIGGER THAN WHAT I EXPECTED

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

MY WEIGHT LOSS IS SLOWING DOWN

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO