Typically, before a surgery, you will have a pre-op visit where you will have some tests to determine if your body can endure the surgery. You should have also received paperwork from your surgeon advising you what needs to be done prior to surgery such as fasting, what type of clothing to bring, and how long to be prepared to stay in the hospital.
There are many things that could keep your from getting the surgery, so your best bet is to call your doctor and talk to him about if you could or could not have the surgery.
After gastric bypass surgery you have to be careful of what foods you and and how you eat them. You can also have plastic surgery done to give yourself a body lift if you are left with unwanted hanging skin. http://www.obesityhelp.com/content/lifeafter.html
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Gastric-Bypass-Surgery/support-group is a support group based on the internet that you might find helpful. You can also ask your doctor for a listing of groups in your area.
You can get information about what to do before getting a gastric bypass surgery from a local gastric bypass surgerical center. Ask them about information about this.
Physicians who specialize in gastric bypass surgery has portfolios of before and after pictures of patients who've had that surgery. There are several galleries online of before and after pictures of gastric bypass surgery patients such as this one: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/before+and+after.php
Most doctors will not perform bypass surgery unless you are obese. They will suggest diet and exercise to lose weight. Information about bypass surgery can be found at: www.gastricbypasssanfrancisco.com/before-after-pictures-testimonial
http://www.renewedreflections.com/forums/news-please-read/937-before-and-after-pics.html has before and after pictures from gastric bypass surgery. www.laparoscopy.com/obesity/roux.html has actual pictures of the surgery.
Some of the before and after pictures of gastric bypass surgery are simply amazing! They don't look like the same people! http://www.obeseinfo.com/before_after_gastric_bypass_surgery.htm
Gastric bypass surgery is one option. I would recommend speaking with your Doctor. He may give you other options on how to lose weight before looking into surgery.
Any medical journal that talks about fastric bypass surgery will have before and after shots of someone that has went through the surgery. If that doesn't help talk to a medical professional.
Most surgeons who specialize in gastric bypass surgery have portfolios with photographic results of the surgery. There are also many places online to view results of gastric bypass surgery, including this location: http://www.lapsurgery.com/BARIATRIC%20SURGERY/Before&AfterPics.htm
Before having bypass surgery you should know that it is irreversible. It takes a great deal of discipline to stick with the bypass diet, and it is mostly protein and vegetables. Some people think it is a fix all , but it is NOT. It is still a diet, and the bypass is just a tool to losing the weight.