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

I had heard about the surgery on talk shows first but the thought of surgery was pretty scary.

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

I was one of the very lucky people that got approved after the first letter to the insurance company. I recomend following your insurance policies to the tee. If you need a recomendation letter from your family doc be sure to do that. Also be extra friendly to insurance and surgen staff, if you are not friendly with them do you really think they will be in any big hurry to return your calls?

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

My 1st visit went well Dr. Martin is very nice and easy to talk to. I recamend writing down the questions you have so you don't forget to ask anything important.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I finally decided to do this because my weight was the only thing standing between me and a happy life. I have a nice home, good job, wonderful son, and a man that loves me very much. The only thing that made me unhappy was me.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The open RNY procedure is what my surgen mainly does. Not only that but this procedure seemed to have the best benifits with the least side effects compared to some of the other wls options.

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?

Ofcourse I did have some fear of complications and even dying but I just had to put my faith in god that he would watch over me and make sure that everything would be fine. For me I truely believe this surgery is my saving grace and will hopefully be one of the best decisions of my life.

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?

Ofcourse everyone has heard their own horrer stories about this surgery and I had both supportive and negative reactions about my decision to have this surgery.

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

I am extemely lucky, my boss was totally supportive of my decsion to have surgery.

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

My hospital stay went really well. I stayed for 3 nights. The things I would not have been able to go with out were my own pillow and chapstick.

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

The only complication that i had was an infection.

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 like a kid waiting for Christmas while I was waiting for my surgery. I did not have alot of anxiety, but I did eat alot more than usual, getting all of those "last meals" in.

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

The first couple of days were the hardest. I was thinking what did I do to myself? But by the 1st week I felt much more confident about having the surgery. I was so happy to see those 1st 10 pounds go.

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

I only had to travel about 25 minutes to get to the hospital, so it was not a big deal getting home after surgery, which was very nice.

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.

I have no trouble pretty much eating what ever I want although I do'ent like to eat bread much because it fills me up to quick.

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

It did increase alittle but I still get pretty tired

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

I take a childrens chewable

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?

The main effect I get is nausia but I usually just eat some tums and I'm fine.

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

Losing energy I hate getting tired so easlily.

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

I don't have any support groups but I do have 2 good friends that have had the surgery so we all take to each other about it.

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

My scar is about six inches long and it is fading quite wel at this point, 5 months post-op.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have only had 1 major plateau at about 3 months and it lasted about3 weeks.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes I receive lots of compliments and more attention from men.