As I sit here, patiently awaiting my approval for Lapband, I started thinking about all of the questions and concerns I had in the beginning. One of those was what to expect at the Seminar. I was so worried they would ask our weight out loud and be judgmental. I know, I know, this is what they do, deal with "heavy" people, but being a "heavy" person, makes me worry about things like this all the time. So I am going to share what my Seminar was like.

I attended Dr. Spiegel's seminar in the Houston Office. I was a freakin nervous wreck. My husband, who wasn't yet convinced about surgery, attended with me. We got there and it was setup similar to a Dr.s office. I checked in with the front desk, paid my $12.00 copay (I also had a consultation). They took a copy of my insurance card, handed me a packet of paperwork, smiled and said go through these doors, down the hall and to the right. You will see a room with a projector and a lot of chairs. So we went. The room was kind or like a college classroom. The walls were covered with life-size before and after pictures of clients and employees. The pictures were amazing. There was a Power Point Presentation going on the projector with more before and after pictures and testimony of the clients.

When I walked in, there were a few people all ready there - and they looked just like me. I was, under the impression that everyone there would be HUGE. I was wrong, there were a few people bigger than me, and a few people smaller than me, but mostly, just like me. Most people had someone there with them. Friend, spouse, mom or dad, you could tell when it was a relation, their sizes mimicked each other.

We all sat there in complete silence, filling out our paperwork. One by one, a nurse would walk to the door and call a name, a few minutes later, that person would return to the room. Still in silence. When my name was called, I took the walk of shame to the door. The nurse smiled, touched my arm and said we just want to get your weight and ask you a few questions. I guess she could see the fear on my face. They had a HUGE scale, it made me feel better, I started realizing that this place was setup for people like me. The nurse took my weight, (never saying it outloud) and then cleared the display (so no one else could see my weight) wow, I wished they did that in my regular Dr.s office. She asked me a few questions, such as, do you have heart problems, breathing problems, typical questions. It took maybe 3 minutes. She told me to finish filling out the paperwork, and Dr. Spiegel would be in shortly to start the Seminar.

When Dr. Spiegel came in, he immediately made you feel at ease. He began by doing a Power Point Presentation, and talking you through the entire process. He went through everything from who does it, why it is needed, how to do it, his statistics, and even explained why dieting hasn't worked for us in the room. I wanted to cry, it was as if he was chronicling my life. He then answered questions - and we had a lot. Once everyone was done, he brought in his staff, who had all been banded by him so that we could ask them questions about their personal experiences. I thought I knew everything when I went in, but I felt even more knowledgeable when I left.

The nurse came back and called us one by one again, this time the people didn't return to the room. My turn came, I went into a typical waiting room. There was a nurse that asked if I had any other questions and explained that Dr. Spiegel would be in shortly to evaluate me.

He came into the room, shook my hand and my husband's. He was so kind and gentle. I instantly liked him. He too asked if I had any questions. He looked at my chart, asked me how much weight I wanted to loose and what I expected. I said about 100 lbs, but I just want to look normal. Maybe a size 12. He smiled and said within a year, but I have higher expectations for you. I think you will probably loose 120+. He also said that I carried my weight well, which means I will see a huge difference in a short amount of time. He looked at my questionnaire and asked me some questions about my medical history.

He asked me to lay back on the table, he felt of my tummy and said you will have scars here, here and here. Your port will be here. Sat me back up and asked me and my husband if we had any other questions. Of course, we didn't. He smiled and said, next time I see you, hopefully will be the day of your surgery. Shook our hands and left.

The nurse escorted us out and said that a Client Specialist will be calling in about 3 days. We left. It was an awesome ride home. I was on cloud 9. I really don't think I would have changed anything about the process. I have read on this board, and others, that Dr. Spiegel's office is a "Cattle Call". I think that comes from the fact that he does group seminars. To tell you the truth, I was much more comfortable being in a group. I don't want to be the center of attention and there were so many questions that others asked that I hadn't even thought of.

My experience with the seminar was great and my husband walked away totally supportive and excited about the surgery. Don't be nervous about the Seminar, it was a great experience.