Just starting - 1st Dr Appt

[silvasnj4 4]

Anyone out there who is just starting their entire process? I've just seen the 1st doctor / 1st doctor visit that will do my surgery once all the other doctors have reviewed and tested me / my medial history etc. Just looking to see how it went for others out there? I have private insurance and I've contacted them directly to see if I had bariatric benefits, which I did and they referred me to where I need to go so it can be covered.

[knzt 69]

I am only a little bit a head of you, I have seen my surgeon have a date set for September 18 and start pre op diet August 27th.. It's exciting time ahead...

I can't wait 55 days until I start a new, I can't wait.

This site is great, I have obtained so much information reading about everyone experiences.

Well good luck with your new adventures

[jessiquoi 623]

I'm just a little ahead of you too. I have my first follow up with the NUT today, so I'm one month into the process. Got all my tests scheduled, and am expecting to have surgery, if all goes well, sometime in late September/early October. Good luck!

[mchap25 65]

Just starting too. Had my first appointments with doc, nutritionist, social worker, and am waiting on physical therapist. First follow up with nutritionist next week. Surg won't be until December so I can recoup while on break. Definitely a bag of mixed emotions!

[KatieD6982 68]

Well, I'm behind all of ya! I'm Katie, I'm new here. I called for my consult appt this morning and they are booked until September so I had to get on the cancellation list. I am 5'4 and 245 lbs so my BMI is 41-42, I'm hoping they approve me. The program around here takes 6 months of support groups, a binder full of learning modules, and a whole bunch of meetings with different doctors in order to get the surgical ok. So, I have a long road ahead of me. I would love to keep in touch!

[NewMe_2014 16]

I had my seminar appointment almost exactly one month ago and my first surgical appointment just over two weeks ago. I'm self-pay so I don't have to wait 3-6 months on medical monitored diet, but I did start my medical monitored diet right after my first medical appointment.

So far I've had my initial appointment with the surgeon, psychologist and dietitian. An appointment with my primary care who ordered all of my blood and urine tests. An endoscopy, and today I had my second appointment with my dietitian and psychologist. My next steps are a final review appointment with the surgeon that I'm hoping to schedule for next week and then my consent appointment which will be two weeks prior to surgery. I can't believe this will be happening in a month or so!

I'm down 11 pounds on the diet they gave me just two weeks ago. It's exciting and terrifying all at once.

Good luck on your journey!

[getnhealthyintx 281]

Good luck to you all. A lttile over 2 months out I can tell you I would do it again. God bless you all

[silvasnj4 4]

Thanks everyone for your feedback! I really appreciate it and makes me feel like I'm not alone!

To give you all an update, I've not scheduled 5 of my 6 doctor appointments so that I may be cleared for this surgery. The last appointment is the psyc eval, anyone have any advice for me? Like what do they tell you, is there anything I shouldn't say?

I'll respond to each of you individually, I finally had the "Talk" with my husband & lets just say he wasn't very pleased with my decision and does not support me! I don't want to disclose exactly what he said, but he feels as though I should have to "earn" it rather than take the "CHEATERS" way out! Can you believe that!?!

Anyway, my 1st appointment is on the 6th of August for an endocrine clearance, I'll keep you posted!

[silvasnj4 4]

@knzt Thanks for the information, you're not that far away from your surgery, let me know how it goes! Do you have any recommendations on other blogs I should visit? I have my 1st medical clearance doctor appt next week on the 6th, wish me luck!

[silvasnj4 4]

@@jessiquoi - you & I are practically in the same boat! Wow! How did your NUT appt go? I scheduled that as one of the last 2 appointments, I need. My first is Aug 6th and that's w/ endocrine doctor I believe! I'm a little nervous and excited all at the same time! Keep me posted, hopefully, I'll be into surgery around the same time you are!

[silvasnj4 4]

@@mchap25 - sounds like you're experience is a little different than mine, but good luck to you! Be proud of yourself, you're half way there and I completely understand the mixed emotions! I'm still trying to figure out what I should be eating now, I don't have a clue??? Keep me posted on your journey!

[silvasnj4 4]

@@KatieD6982 Wow! Sounds like a lot classes, what state are you in, Pennsylvania? I'm in California, I just had to call up my insurance & ask them if bariatric benefits were covered, which they told me yes they were, but that I had to go to somewhere in my city that has "best doctors" group which I've found. 2 weeks ago, I went to see the operating surgeon and only spoke to him for about 5 minutes, he said that I should do the gastric sleeve which I agreed and he gave me a list of referrals for doctors that I need to see, I call those "go sees" and I have my 1st go see on the 6th of August! Sounds like your area wants you to be well informed, my doctor told me to do my own research which I'm doing now. I'm not sure what I need to be eating right now or anything like that. We have 2 hour seminars twice a month we can attend, but for me, that's optional. I'll check one out for sure, just need to schedule a time. Well, sorry for my long reply, keep me posted on your situation, I wanna know the details!

[silvasnj4 4]

@@NewMe_2014 - You're a self pay! Good for you! I'm going through my insurance which is a PPO. Kudos to you for doing that, so you've already gone through a few preauth dr appointments then, are they informative? I imagine it depends on the doctor themselves if they would like to really educate patients on what they're doing. I'm hoping all goes well for me and I can do my surgery soon. Can you give me an example of what your diet is like? I'm just wondering if I'll have to do a diet or not? I know I have a friend who did the gastric bypass through Kaiser and she had to classes for 6 months, and all kinds of other stuff too, but she's doing really well now and it's been a 1 year and half and she's half her weight now! Anyway, keep me posted what happens, thanks!

[silvasnj4 4]

@@getnhealthyintx - are you two months out after surgery or two months out before your surgery? If after surgery, can you tells us how you are coping w/ the hunger vs not being able to eat certain things anymore? How is your energy level? Your recovery, is it going good or did you have complications?

If before surgery, what was your journey like, did you have to do the "go sees"? I mean the doctor appointments, did you have to do many of those once or multiple times?

[NewMe_2014 16]

The place I'm going is kind of a one stop shop. The weight loss center has the surgeons, NUT, and psych all right there. My surgeon is the one who did my endoscopy in fact. We also get a nurse coordinator who keeps track of all of the tests and makes sure you're scheduled for the right appointments.

My first appointment was 4 hours long and during that appointment I had an EKG and all of my measurements taken, then I met with a physician assistant who assists with the surgery and we talked for about an hour. He gave me all kinds of information and answered questions. I briefly met with the surgeon, then I met with the psychologist. She asked me some questions, I was totally honest in my answers and didn't have any problems. The dietitian came in and we discussed how I should be eating and what eating would be like after surgery etc. She gave me a packet full of meal suggestions and has me logging my food with a plan to keep calories under 1100, Protein about 100 grams and limit net carbs to less than 80 each day.

I had all of my blood tests at my PCP and he submitted the orders for my endoscopy with the surgeon too. I had a follow up after two weeks with NUT and psych. I haven't been having any issues so it was a quick appointment. Now I go in on the 11th for my final surgical review and I'm tentatively scheduled for surgery on the 25th!

As a self-pay I'm on a fast track. Most insurance who cover WLS require you to go through a 3 or 6 month medical monitored weight loss program prior to surgery. I did have to sign a form stating that I would not gain weight between my first appointment and my surgery, but that's all.