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

I was at a diet program in N.C. and someone there had the surgery and was very very successful

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

I was in the hospital for 7 days and it wasnt so bad except that I did get very dependent on the pain meds. I could have left everything home and would have never known it....you not modest at all so

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

About 2 months post-op I got very dehydrated (my own fault) and had kidney stones which honestly were worse than the surgery. I also had a tough time with my periods for about a year after 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?

I felt wonderful. I was sore but not hungry and very careful not to dump . I had a little anxiety problem after the kidney stone episode but otherwise it was not an issue

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

To relax and get plenty of rest and fluids. The only thing that really stuck in my head was how very tired I was the first two weeks or so.

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

Not far at all. About 30 minutes

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.

For 6 weeks after surgery my diet consisted of baby foods of all kinds and egg drop soup and broths. I coulndt handle much. Gradually I began to eat things such as pastina and dry baked potatoes. It was a good 6 months before I had a real meal (or what I would then consider a real meal). Chicken was very hard for me to digest and has gotten better but still not perfect. Ice Cream and fluids with alot of sugar are still not good.....little tiny bits are ok but I will dump with too much sugar so I just dont have them at all. Otherwise I would say it probably took a little more than a year for me to feel mentally satisfied with the amount and variety of food I was taking in. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!!!!

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

I came home from the hospital on Sunday and was out at a baseball game on monday - I am not the type to sit around so I kept pretty active (to the best of my ability). Steps were tough so I stayed for the most part on one floor.

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

Iron supplements - prilosec!!! - for 6 weeks post op I took flinstones chewable now I take a basic daily vitamin

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?

Dumping will still occur if I eat the wrong thing (so I just dont) and Hair loss lasted for about 6 months or so but then gradually came back

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

The extra skin now that all the weight is gone

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

I was with a support group till i lost my first 100 pounds and after that I stopped going. Not that I didnt need it and still dont but I didnt have the time and it was 30 minutes from my home with out traffic. Also the woman who ran the group was VERY pushy

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

Well I was expecting the surgery to be done lap but I ended up being opened for one reason or another. I took especially good care of the scar by using mederma on it on a daily basis and to be honest it looks pretty damn good and Im proud of it almost like a battle scar!!!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not people that I am still friends with or my family but I have run into people taht I went to high school with and they are all very nice where as in school it wasnt so much that way