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

My girlfriend had the surgery one year prior and she talked to me about it and she looks great and feels better about herself.

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

It was very quick and easy. Having Aetna was a blessing for me and getting approved. Aetna is the best.

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

I was scared to meet my surgeon of course. He made me feel very comfortable and didnt make me feel like I was obese or I was some kind of freak. I just love my surgeon he made things so easy for me and he made it easy for me to ask anything that I needed to know about the surgery--pre op surgery and post op. Dr Asbun is the greatest.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I had just turned 40 yrs old and decided that my life was not getting any better and the many weight loss plans I had tried did not work. So I decided I was doing this for myself and for my health.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

My girlfriends advice and knowledge of the surgery made my decision easy.

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?

You have to find peace within yourself about that. Every body thinks about that. Its just a decision you have to make; and whether you think its worth the risk.

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?

They did not like my decision; they were not really behind me in my 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 not working at the time; I was taking care of a sick parent.

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

My stay in the hospital was very comfortable. The staff and my Dr. helped me with any and all of my needs while I was there. A robe and pajamas and slippers are the only thing I brought. I did not see any need for anything else. I was there only 2 days which I wish I was there at least one more day.

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

Yes; I had vomiting from the morphine pump. I did have alot of pain associated with the surgery. The staff helped me with these issues and made me feel more comfortable.

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 had a very rough time after going home. I had nausea and vomiting for many weeks after my surgery. I was still having a lot of pain even after a month of surgery. My anxiety I had was just to be able to actually keep any kind of liquid or soft diet down.

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

You cant really tell people what to expect after the first few weeks only because every body does differently in there recovery. My recovery was the most miserable thing. I wasnt able to eat solid foods for almost 3 months after my surgery and because of that I had no energy to do anything or go anywhere.

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

I was very lucky my hospital was only about 15 miles from my house.

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 had nausea and vomiting since day one of my surgery from any kind of foods. Even to this day 4yrs later I still deal with nausea after every meal. I stay from beef,veges,salads,and anything dairy since I have become lactose intolerant since my surgery.

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

Zero to none; low protein levels and unable to keep food down kept my activity level to very minimal.

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

Anything I can tolerate. Actually I eat Childrens Gummi Vitamins. I cant tolerate anything else.

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?

Nausea Vomiting Hair Loss Dumping I had them all. Besides hair loss I still deal with these issues to this day 4 yrs later.

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

The feeling of I know that I am going to have nausea after each meal or whenever I eat something; I get very tired of knowing this before I even eat anything. I get so tired I started not wanting to eat at all. Which I found out was the wrong thing to do.

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

Your support group is very important. Somebody to talk to that has been through the surgery or has knowledge of it is very important.

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

No scar. I had mine laparascopic and only had 5 little tiny incisions so I was very happy that I did not have open cavity with a huge scar. I feel very thankful for that.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I just eat what I can when I can. Dealing with the nausea all the time I usually dont feel like eating. Plateaus have not been a problem for me.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES!!! Which is totally wrong. It upsets me because people treat me differently.