Seminar: I first heard about WLS (specifically vertical sleeve) in October 2011 from my mom's co-worker who had it done over the summer and having wonderful success with weight loss. In December, I attended a seminar at the same program he attended where I learned about the different types of options and met the medical team of the program. began researching through the internet for more medical info, personal blogs and vlogs on Youtube, and anything I could find about WLS.

Consultation: My consultation with the doctor was a bit abrupt because he was distracted with his little son in the office. (I just hope he’s not distracted when he’s operating!!) He apologized for the craziness that was this appointment and spoke with me and my mom briefly about how the surgery would enable me to take full advantage of the opportunities in life. I was already set on having the procedure, but my mom needed a little more convincing. So she searched for as much medical information on the surgeon as possible. She was very impressed with his credentials and how long he had been working in bariatrics.

Nutritionist: I had a meeting with my nutritionist over the phone for about an hour. We went over my current diet, how to make smarter food choices, the specific diet I will be on after the surgery, and the list of vitamins I will be taking. She was fantastic and speaking to her assured me I was doing the right think within the right program!

Insurance: It took me about 2 weeks to get together all information I needed to send to my insurance to get approval for the surgery. I collected: a letter from my past nutritionist with the dates I attended and daily food logs; Weight Watchers receipts and points logs; past gym memberships; and weight charts since I was in grade school.

Psychologist: My psych evaluation was quick and painless. He had me fill out a questionnaire about different emotions I was feeling at that time. For the most part, I answered very positive because that’s just how I felt in general. I told him that if I had taken this assessment back when I was a senior in high school and had initially thought of WLS, the answers might have been different and a little more negative. At that point in my life, I wanted it for all the superficial reasons because I was very worried I wouldn’t be accepted or make any friends in college. Now, after looking back, I have matured greatly and know that I want to go through the surgery for the chance of a brighter future. I couldn’t be happier with my experience in college and am totally more optimistic about where I’m headed in life. Now, I just want my lifestyle to reflect that. He said I was psychologically sound for the surgery.

As of now, I wait to hear back from my insurance company. Finger crossed!