I have found the following web links to be very helpful to my preparation for surgery and general knowledge about it.

Plastic Surgery Guide http://www.surgeryremedy.com Get answers to yours most worrying questions concerning surgery: hazards and privileges for your health, postoperative complications and average costs.
Obesity Action Coalition http://www.obesityaction.org/home/index.php OAC is an organization whose mission to elevate and empower those affected by obesity through education, advocacy and support. The OAC fills the patient advocacy gap for the obese and morbidly obese population. I encourage you to join this organization to make your voice heard.
	Teddy-Tech, Inc. http://www.teddy-tech.com/bari1buddy/ Bari Buddy" appears to be just a teddy bear, but is, in fact, a specially designed pillow to help you cough and deep-breathe after Bariatric surgery. The critical part of the recovery process is also one of the most painful aspects of healing.
"Bari Buddy" is designed to have a firm, flat back, so that he can serve as a splinting device for the patient's incision.  He is totally machine washable and dryable, flame retardant, and hypoallergenic.

WLS Lifestyles WLS Lifestyles is a publication dedicated to serving the needs of the pre and post-operative weight loss surgery patients.  Barbara is excited to be an exclusive contributor to this publication.  To subscribe, click the Amazon.com link. A one year subscription is $24.95.

1-Step Weight Loss Secrets
http://www.freeweightlosscenter.com
Offers lots of useful weight loss information, tips, diet plans, tools and resources. The great thing is, all of that for free!

Beyond Change
http://www.beyondchange-obesity.com
Beyond Change is published monthly by J.K.S. Associates to inform, educate, support and encourage the obese individual, many of whom are in weight management programs or those who have had or perhaps planning to have bariatric (obesity) surgery.

It is our goal to provide information that will reach out to those obese individuals looking for help who are finding their own 'road' difficult to navigate. This publication offers advice from professionals, information of the most current treatments of obesity, and in general, provides avenues that would allow individuals the ability to make informed choices.

Association for Morbid Obesity Support
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity
This site is designed to provide a link to all of the people exploring weight loss surgery.  Current membership totals more than 30,000.  It is necessary to register on this site in order to explore it, but membership is free.  Here you will find local peers along with their experiences, surgeons in your area complete with extensive comments from patients, before and after photos, a clothing exchange, extensive journals of those taking the weight loss surgery journey, and a section devoted to those who have died from surgery.

Obesity Surgery Support Group (OSSG)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OSSG
This is an online bulletin board whose purpose is to discuss and offer support for the physical and emotional issues as they relate to weight loss surgery for the morbidly obese.  Topics covered include types of surgeries available, dietary guidelines, post-op reports, emotional, family, work, and recovery issues.  Currently there are over 5,000 members.  It is necessary to join this list to access it, but membership is free.  This group is the “mother” list, but there are additional OSSG groups that you can also join that have smaller memberships.  These include geographically regional groups as well as groups for special subjects such as recipes, living alone, those who are more than one year post-op, and insurance questions. You may “lurk” or post to any of these lists after you have joined.  Emails are received singly or in digest form.  Previous messages can be accessed from the archives.

American Society for Bariatric Surgery
http://www.asbs.org
This is the professional organization for surgeons performing weight loss surgery.  Here you can find surgeons in your area who perform this surgery.  This site has extensive research information, especially on types of surgeries available.

Curves for Women
 http://www.curvesforwomen.com/index.cfm
The first to offer 30 minute fitness and weight loss facilities designed for women! We are now the largest fitness center franchise in the World and the force in providing women affordable, one stop fitness and nutritional guidance!  

The Obesity Law and Advocacy Center
http://www.obesitylaw.com/index.htm
The Obesity Law and Advocacy Center is a full-service private law firm devoted to representing morbidly obese persons in a variety of legal matters.  They are especially effective in representing you against your insurance company when you have been denied coverage for your surgery. 

American Obesity Association
http://www.obesity.org
An informative site that discusses obesity and its effects.  The Association is devoted to advocacy, research and education.

Hurwitz Center for Plastic Surgery
http://www.hurwitzcenter.com/index.html
A Pittsburgh, PA plastic surgeon's website that has excellent before and after photos along with descriptions of the different procedures.

Plastic Surgery Information Service
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/index.cfm
This site is sponsored by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation.  Here you can find extensive authoritative information about plastic surgery including a search by procedure, a list of plastic surgeons, and average costs per procedure.

DietWatch.com
http://www.dietwatch.com
DietWatch invites you to lose weight and get fit as a member of a supportive community.  The daily diary and interactive tools will track your diet and calculate your nutrition.  You can chart your weight and exercise, and calculate the  nutritional value of your diet.  There is a fee to enroll.

Cyberdiet.com
http://www.cyberdiet.com
Cyberdiet.com is a diet and nutrition website.  The site includes nutritional information, interactive tools, and support groups.  The self-assessment section includes a nutritional profile. The diet and nutrition section has a daily food planner and a section on dining out. The exercise section allows you to chart your activities.

Dress For Success
http://www.dressforsuccess.org
If you have suits in sizes that have become too big for you, consider donating them to Dress For Success.  Dress For Success is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1996.  The organization is in 60 cities in 4 countries and has helped over 60,000 low-income women dress professionally for the workforce.  For each woman that they help, they give one suit for an interview.  When she gets a job, she receives a second suit for work.  The organization takes donations of skirt and pant suits with good matching blouses.  They also accept blazers, jackets, and new or nearly new dress shoes.  They are particularly in need of larger sizes.  They do ask that the clothing be in good and clean condition.