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

An article in my local newspaper. The thought was scary, after all this is surgery and I had only had my tonsils removed at 15, and no other surgeries. The procedure seemed straight forward enough, but did I really want to go through surgery? After significant research and discovery through Dr. R's office, I became aware of the possibilities - good and bad and decided the outcome was worth the risk.

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

A close personal friend had the surgery five months after me and we suported each other. This was very helpful to know what was "narmal" as we both recovered. I think this was very important. If we couldn't figure it out together, I would just call Dr. R.

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

I have five tiny (1/2 inch) scars on my belly. They are virtually unnoticeable unless you know where to look.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

The first 6 months post op were the very worst. I stuck with an exercise program of weight training three days a week, one hour a day, aerobics three days a week, one hour a day and walking five miles every day - EVERY DAY. I kept up this pace for 18 months, and now do limited aerobics, walking and weight training. This is from someone who NEVER exercised. I couldn;t eat much - not hungry, nothing seemed appealing in the first six months so I just exercised. I lost a lot of weight in this time and then gradually lost the rest over the next 18 months.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People treat me so differently now. Those who knew me heavy cannot believe the tansformtion. Those who only know me thin, can;t believe I was ever 285 pounds. It is almost like having instant crediability in my career--not having to prove everything. Very strange, and I have pondered this a lot in this second years post op.