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

A FRIEND VERY INTERESTED

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 EASY FOR ME I SUBMITTED ON A MONDAY AND WAS APPROVED BY FRI MORNING

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

SEPT 2005

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I COULDNT WALK AROUND THE GROCERY STORE WITHOUT BEING OUT OF BREATHE WAS GETTING NEW HEALTH ISSUES AND WAS AFRAID I WOULD DIE AND COULDNT WATCH MY SON GROW UP

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

THROUGH MANY MONTHS OF RESEARCH AND KNOWING MY LIFESTYLE AND WHICH WOULD COMPLIMENT IT MOST

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?

COMPLETELY SUPPORTIVE

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

IT WAS WONDERFUL I WAS IN THERE FOR 6 DAYS BUT IT WAS BECAUSE I BLED DURING SURGERY AND THAT CAUSED MY SURGERY TO LAST LONGER THAN NORMAL

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

NO

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

JUST WORKED ON GETTING IN WATER AND PROTEIN

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

WALK WALK WALK IT HELPS SOOOOO MUCH

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

30 MIN

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.

SUGAR FREE PUDDING POPSICLES YOGURT WATER

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

AFTER 2 WEEKS SOOO MUCH ENERGY

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

ADEK'S PROTEIN DRINKS AND SUPPLEMENTS

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

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

THE WAITING FOR APPROVAL

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

MONTHLY SUPPORT GROUPS

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

SMALL IN WIDTH VERY NICE NOT BAD AT ALL

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

NO