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

I was given the business card of the surgeon by one of his patients. I went online and read the website for the surgeon. There was a lot of great information and it stated that a person needed to attend an orientation session before proceeding with weight loss surgery. At first, I was always against weight loss surgery, but at that point in my life I was so frustrated and tired of being overweight. I asked my husband to attend the seminar with me and we went.

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

The surgeon's office helped with most of the work and gave me step by step instructions. My insurance required 6 months supervised diet. Fortunately for me I had already done weight watchers for 6 months and my insurance accepted my weight logs as proof. Overall, my insurance approval went quickly and without problems. I believe I was very fortunate in this respect.

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

The first meeting was quick and basic. I would say this would be a good time to ask any questions you may have, because you are putting a lot of trust in this surgeon. Therefore, you should feel comfortable with this person and they should be able to answer your questions openly and honestly. In fact, I suggest reading books or online to see what types of questions you can ask.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I finally felt like I was at a point in my life that I was ready to use weight loss surgery for what it's meant to be......a TOOL. The surgery is not a cure. Before now I wasn't ready to change my lifestyle. Now I enjoy exercising, but I still have issues with eating. I can eat healthy, but it seems as though I always crave more, more, more. Why is this time different? I know that I can lose weight, but I needed an additional tool to help me to eat less.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew 2 people that had the sleeve surgery and were really happy with their results. Also, I liked that this procedure had no malabsorption issues.

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 did have fear about surgery, but I realized that without the surgery I was going to have many health issues in the future. Many of these health issues would increase my risk of an early death.

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 husband has been supportive of my decision from the beginning. He said he would love me no matter what I decided. I found it extremely difficult to tell my mom. I was afraid she would be negative or try and talk me out of it. Therefore, I waited for a long time to tell her. I told my in-laws and sister right away. They were very supportive. When I finally told my mom she was happy for me, which surprised me. I think it helped that she had friends who had weight loss surgery, so it wasn't something new to her. Overall, I have been lucky to have friends and family who are very supportive of my surgery decision.

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

I was open with my supervisor about the type of surgery I was having and he didn't say anything negative or positive. Since I had the time to take off of work then they were ok with taking 2 weeks. I'm glad I took 2 weeks to recover, because I would get tired very quickly and it was quite an adjustment for the eating habits. Even though I was on a pre-operative diet 2 weeks before hand.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

The information seminar was really helpful. I was fortunate that the surgeon that I was thinking of going to was the one conducting the meeting. I knew from the seminar that there was something that was right for me, and I knew he would be a good surgeon for me. Also, the meeting went over all the different procedures and complications. It was interesting to hear the different questions that attendees had.

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

My stay went very well. Except I was still hungry, and I could only drink clear liquids. I tried the protein shakes (as many different ones as possible). I was only in the hospital 1 night. I went in for surgery on Tuesday at 5 am and I left Wednesday evening at 5:30 pm. Bring shoes that are easy to slip on for walking. Any reading matieral or activity books (crossword puzzles, word searches, or anything else), Also, the most important thing you can bring is a good attitude!

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

So far I haven't had any complications. I'm 7 days out of surgery.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

Will have to answer more in depth later.

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

more information later.

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

I was only 40 minutes from my surgery site.

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.

more information later

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

I walked as much as I could daily, even if it was doing circles in my home.

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

1 multivitamin, calcium with Vitamin D, and B-12

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?

so far I haven't had any side effects, but as I develop them I will update my post.

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

This may sound ridiculous, but the worst part for me was being put under for surgery. They had difficulty finding my vein for the IV. I went into the operating room wide awake. By the time they put the IV in my neck and put the mask on I was starting to feel claustophobic, but I made it through.

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

I have been attending the support group before surgery and I definitely recommend this for surgery patients. It is helpful and informative.

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

more updates later

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

Not applicable yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not applicable yet