Hi Newmom!
My process went very fast. I spoke to Monica (one of the coordinators) and we settled on a date that was convenient to me, which in my case was 3 weeks away. She had me submit the online health questionnaire which she then submitted it to Dr. Aceves for approval. Monica called 2 days later, telling me that I was approved. She emailed me all kinds of info such as pre-op diet, post-op diet, travel, costs and I in turn mailed in my $500 deposit.
My baby was 9 months old at the time and he did just fine at home. I started introducing the bottle more often in order to prepare him for while I was gone. I was able to nurse him as soon as I returned. I was told I had a 10lb. lifting restriction for the first week, and a 25lb. restriction for the following 11 weeks.
I went by myself and was just fine. I met some wonderful people there (Hi Kim! Hi Penny!) and didn't feel lonely for a moment. I felt tired and slept a lot and other times we would congregate in the hallways for our laps around the floor. For me it was better this way since I didn't have to worry about my mom or my husband being bored out of their minds.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!