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

I had heard about surgery through friends and my PCP, at first I was thinking how drastic a decision it was to make.

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

no problem whatsoever!!! I applaud BC/BS EPO they were very accommodating, only took about a week or so for approval..very fast..no complaints as of yet...

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

It was great....he is very intelligent and informative!!! I Very highly recommend him to anyone in the area wanting to have surgery...

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

knowing that I couldn't go on living like I was, because I didn't consider that living just merely existing...I couldn't do anything without getting out of breath and having to sit and rest....just about anything I did was a chore for me and took great effort to do even shower!!!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

It is the only procedure they do where my doctor is practicing (they are going to be doing lap in the future) and I liked the doctor I chose....also I figure that by having open it was more hands on and in my opinion safer, but like I said this is my opinion...

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 had alot of these fears, but like my doctor told me, if I didn't he would think I was a little touched or something since this IS MAJOR surgery...so it is normal to have all kinds of fears about complications or dying from the surgery.

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 and friends were very supportive of me...I was lucky!! They are still supportive of my decision....

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

N/A

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

I had the best experience in my hospital stay..I can't express enough how GREAT the nursing staff that I had was, so caring and kind, always right there to help in anything I needed, couldn't ask for better. I was there for 4 nights and 4 and a half days. The most important things to bring are: chap stick, toothbrush and mouthwash..slippers..your own favorite pillow, brush and comb, and if you do not live there locally bring a calling card so you can call home.

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

not as of yet...

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 very nervous and had all the normal fears of complications and dying, thought about what if I go through this and I am the one the surgery won't work on, I would have went through it for nothing...I even made myself physically sick for 3 or 4 nights and then I said that's enough, you have to pull yourself together and think about what kind of life you will have when you lose the weight and get healthy...plus I had my online friends (Especially Sherry, thank you so much Sherry, you're the best...) and my family and friends here plus the support groups here...thank god for all of this...

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

I was still sore and very weak, tired out very easily, had a hard time to get comfortable to sleep, Everyone should have a nice comfy recliner they are a godsend, it is what I slept in for the first week or so after I got home and while I was in the hospital, however, some people can get comfy in their bed, I wasn't one of them unfortunately. You should also know that the more you walk the better you feel and everyday you get a little stronger and feel a little better and you can look forward to that..

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

I traveled about 50 miles one way and so far it has not affected my aftercare...

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.

So far the only things that have bothered me to eat is fat free mayonaise and protein powder....YUK!!!

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

My activity level was very low, since I tired so easily...I am picking up some now, but still only 2 weeks and 4 days out...it does get better...

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

I take a multi-vitamin, vitamin B-12, calcium with vitamin D, and iron...I have also been told that some people have reported that flax seed is good for slowing down the hair loss process...

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?

Just finding it hard to sleep, can't get comfortable...oh and the protein powder really made me sick, I vomitted for about 3 hours on and off...won't be trying that stuff again...I will get my protein from my foods for sure...so far that's it for side effects..

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

The worse part for me was the first couple of weeks after surgery and getting use to how I should eat, chew,chew,chew...small bites, and eating slowly...I will the hang of it someday..lol.

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

We have a support group on the second Tuesday of every month and right now I feel this is very important and will be very helpful in guiding me along...I will attend my first support group since surgery on the second Tuesday in June...

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

Actually it looks better thank I expected, I knew about how long it would be, but I thought it would be wide and really ugly and it's not, my surgeon did a great job!!! God bless him!!

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

N/A yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

N/A yet