Consult Appointment on 12/1....

[mrscherry2010 14]

I'm so nervous for my appointment on Monday. I'm so afraid the dr is gonna say "no cant do it!" Or reject me. What are some things that happen at your appointment? Are there any do's and dont's? How long from consultation til surgery? (I've already done my 6 months of weigh ins).... See I'm kinda freakin out!

[SuzeMuze 338]

Because it's an initial consultation, there isn't much that actually "happens". In fact, my initial consult didn't even involve my surgeons. I spent most of the time with the office staff, then with the nutritionist. My visit involved going over fees, insurance procedures, medical clearances, a discussion of why I was interested in bariatric surgery, and finally an overview of the lifelong dietary changes that I'd be signing up for.

At an initial consult, I'd try not to worry too much about being "rejected" if you've done your homework first about a couple of things. Meaning...

1. Insurance coverage. Insurance policies vary widely, but from what I've learned, it seems as though most of them have a minimum BMI to cover a bariatric procedure- usually 40 with no comorbidities, or 35 with the presence of one or more comorbid conditions like Type II Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, etc. As well, it seems many insurance policies (in addition to a doctor-supervised weight loss program prior to considering WLS) require a sort of "laundry list" of other weight loss interventions (Weight Watchers, Herbalife, etc...), complete with approximate dates, and amount of weight lost.

2. Expectations for the procedure. Though you may go through a formal psychological exam as part of your preoperative clearances, both the surgical office manager and the nutritionist had a dialogue with me about what brought me to the office in the first place. How you'll fare with WLS surgery depends on a lot of factors, one of which is how realistic your expectations are for results.

**How far from consult to surgery? Honestly, that's a question with no definitive answer. For me it was almost exactly 3 months. But.....it depends on (among other things) your clearance tests, how quickly your insurance company approves your procedure (if you're going that route) and what the availability is for your surgeon/hospital to schedule your procedure.

One of the best things about my consult visit was my "Bible Binder". My surgeon's office had a fantastic binder assembled that outlined the whole WLS surgery process. Every. Single. Step. That consult appointment is an information overload, and to have everything written out for me was wonderful.

I remember how excited I was at that initial appointment- it was all starting to become "real" finally! I wish you the best of luck- keep us posted on your progress

Edited November 25, 2014 by SuzeMuze