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

My mother had gastric bypass. It worked really well for her, but the complications were not worth it to me. The band made it easier to consider bariatric surgery as a tool for weight loss, and eased my fears with each successful operation.

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

Our insurance required a ton of things to be done before they would approve. First, you had to be one a doctor supervised diet for at least 6 months, going each month to see the doctor. You had to fill out a form every visit, and after your 6 months, you had to go to a support group, a seminar, see a psychiatrist/psychologist, fill out even more paperwork, and then wait for approval. The littlest thing can get you denied. It's frustrating. All I can say is keep up with your paperwork (I kept it all in a file folder, and my doctor made copies of his forms for my personal files as well as his file on me). Make sure you know what your insurance requires of you, and what the individual surgeon requires. But mostly, just don't give up. It's a lot to slog through, but it's worth it when the weight starts coming off.

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

My surgeon was very thorough. I already knew quite a bit from my parents (band and bypass) and my mother in law had the band done a little under a year ago. Go with any fears you may have, or just questions in general. A good surgeon will answer them to the best of his ability, and do his best to make sure you are informed and comfortable with the procedure. Mine was very in depth about everything, got a thorough health history (and every little thing can effect it, so tell them all your health issues), and then ordered a few extra tests (like a sleep study) to be sure and there was nothing underlying that I wasn't aware of that could complicate the surgery.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I want children.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

The band seemed the safest with the quickest healing time. The others have too many complications to make them worth having to me. I also want something that can easily be undone in case I'm ever in an accident or ill, or if I get pregnant before I'm released to (my surgeon said it happens OFTEN).

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?

Talk to your doctor. The only thing I am afraid of is it not working, and that is more up to me than the band or the surgeon.

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 were very supportive and will continue to be so after my surgery.

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

Unemployed

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

It was very informational, even just listening to the questions other attendees asked. It also led me to some questions of my own. I would definitely say go to one, especially if you're not very familiar with the different surgeries.

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

Haven't done it yet