How to bring it up?

[stkysims 0]

I have a dr appointment tomorrow. Just a routine thing. But how do I bring up weight loss surgery with my doctor?

[Babbs 14,681]

I said to my family doctor "I have been struggling with my weight for a long time. I really would like to get healthy, and I feel WLS may be a great opportunity for me to finally do that. Will you help me out if I choose to pursue it?"

She was great. She did say that she wanted me to understnad that it wasn't a quick fix, and I would still have to do the hard work to get the results I wanted. And she was right

[pink dahlia 2,513]

When I went to my regular Dr. for something , I mentioned that I was interested in lapband and explained why. She knew my family history of cancer and knew of my struggle with Weight Watchers etc, so after a question and answer time , she approved of it knowing I had done my research well. She saw me 6 months after I had it done and

was very pleased with my progress, as was I ! Only 12 more pounds until I hit my goal !! Good luck to you !!

[snowkitten 371]

For me I'd actually had two prior Dr's suggest wls, but I didn't have the insurance for it. So when I got insurance and was ready I just let my Dr know. She was more than happy to send a referral. Just tell your Dr that your interested and why.

[ready2droppounds 40]

I made my appointment with my regular Dr and told her I wanted to discuss my weight and I was leaning towards WLS She was very open and agreed with me and sent my referral over yesterday! Just let you doctor know that you have been struggling with your weight. Good luck!

[B-52 7,113]

For me it was my Dr.'s suggestion...I never dreamed it was something for me, last thing on my mind...

But the way it happened, my health was suffering and getting worse...I was seeing my PCP every 3 months, along with my endocrinology and one or 2 others.

They kept telling me I had to loose weight and start exercising...that was the ticket.

I kept telling them I tried and failed at every diet I have ever tried...I just cannot diet, I cannot loose weight. I have no self control or discipline when it comes to eating.

It was my PCP who, as a LAST RESORT, suggested WLS and referred me.

Best thing that could have happened.....this procedure has been my "magic bullet" doing what I was incapable of doing....forever changing the way I eat, and taking away my hunger/cravings.

That was over 4 years ago, been the best thing ever since.

[The Candidate 3,215]

I had been researching for quite awhile before I decided to take the plunge. If I hadn't I would never of even known where to start. So after first verifying that my insurance even covered weight loss surgery, I wrote my talking points out first, the reasons why I qualified and would benefit, just in case I got tongue tied when the time came.

We can make appointments online so I also made a point of putting "referral for weight loss surgery" down as the reason I wanted to see him. I have a great relationship with my doctor so I'm not really sure why I was so nervous beforehand. I think it had something to do with all the research and stories I'd read, hearing of other people's bad experiences. But the day came, I made my request, and he was nothing but supportive from the get go. That started the ball rolling and I've never looked back once.

But if I had run into opposition, I would have fought back tooth and nail, even if it meant changing PCP's. Now getting through the insurance requirements has been a whole other experience all on its own. But I just kept charging through. There was no going back and no giving up, not after I'd made that initial decision. And finally, after a year (some insurance requirements are much longer than others), I'm at the last step before actual surgery, which is the surgical consult. My appointment is on Thursday! Good luck on your journey!

[Djmohr 6,965]

My general doctor had referred me to a nephrologist because my kidney function had been deteriorating for almost 2 years. She mentioned that I "have kidney disease dear".

By the way during the entire time I had Been seeing her she never even mentioned that my kidney function was a problem.

I went to a nephrologist who then pulled up the exact same charts she looks at and walked me through a 2 year history of my failing kidney function. I was already at stage 3 and progressing very quickly to a very bad place.

He is the person who went through my complete medical history and asked me if I had ever thought about weight loss surgery. He could see through 17 years of yo yo dieting in my medical records and knew I needed help.

I went home and started researching immediately, made an appointment with my general doctor and basically told her this was where I was headed. She literally tried to talk me out of it and suggested I speak with one of their nutritionists. I had already begun the process of WLS and had completed the seminar and was scheduled to meet with the psychology, nutritionist and Bariatric surgeon.

Her only job in this whole thing was to complete a pre op physical when the time came.

We had been planning on moving out of state or I would have looked for a new general doctor at the time. I was angry that she had not even mentioned my kidney situation until 2 years had gone by and I was at stage 3.

Well I had my surgery in sept. Then about a month ago I was immediately scheduled for a 3 level cervical fusion and needed a preop done again. When she saw me, she literally could not believe that I had lost over 100 lbs and all my comorbitities were gone. She kept saying how great I looked.

Then, she said maybe she should look into WLS for herself!

How stupid of me for staying with this doctor for so long! I have moved out of state now and will be looking for a new general doctor and trust me, I won't be so stupid this time either.

I really believe now that she didn't suggest it or initially support it because she herself is obese and didn't know how that would be received coming from her. (This is just me theory)

Once she saw my results and I told her that my nephrologist has been my hero for even discussing the option with me, she admitted she should have talked to me about it several years ago.

My advice is to go in well educated about WLS, be prepared to talk about your own weight loss history and the medical issues that are resulting from it. Explain you are looking for her/his support.

The reality is, your insurance company will likely require you use a Bariatric center of excellence and should be able to give you the names of some in your area. You might even have that info in your back pocket.

My lesson in all this is, to start taking control of your own health. I was clearly ok with allowing many years to go by with many comorbitities and a doctor who honestly never addressed any of them. I was clearly not in control at all. That is no longer my behavior and never will be again.

Good luck with your journey! You deserve to be a healthier you!

[lmb012182 61]

I just told my Dr. at the time, "I am having WLS and I need you to help me with the approval process." He asked if I wanted to go on a diet plan for a while and I said no thanks. Been there, done that. My mind was made up. So he helped. It never once occurred to me that he might not.

[drmeow 323]

I broached the idea of WLS with my PCP and he disapproved, saying he only recommends it for people who are literally going to die without it. (I have a BMI of "only" 40, but have several comorbidities such as high BP, prediabetes, sleep apnea). He said most people just regain the weight in a few years, and talked to me again about more exercise and thinking of sugar as a poison (his diet advice is sound - none of the stupid low-fat crap, but doing low-carb, which did help me lose 35 lbs once, only to regain it when I lost control)

I put it on the back burner, but then researched more online and decided to at least make an appt with the bariatric center of excellence in my town to get more info. Luckily, my insurance doesn't require my PCP to give a referral so I didn't bother. I'm now approved and just waiting to find a good time to schedule with my work. I saw my PCP last week for my usual quarterly BP check and he never even mentioned it, although he is on the same network as the bariatric practice and it probably showed up in my history that I'd been there.

I'll continue to see him b/c I like him otherwise, and maybe I can educate him better as an example on WLS afterwards. But fortunately did not have to rely on him for referral.

[Babbs 14,681]

@@drmeow

You realize you need to "show him up" now, right?

[drmeow 323]

yep!

[Miss Mac 6,262]

On a visit to my primary doctor, my weight was up again, in spite of my best efforts. I asked him if he thought I might be a good candidate for a lap band. He referred me to the bariatric clinic at Loyola University Medical Center. When I went through the required on-line lesson, I found out about the sleeve. So, when I had my first discussion with the surgeon, we talked about the sleeve and got me started on my journey.

[ShrinkingPeach 1,291]

@@Babbs said it perfectly. It is your health and you should just speak your heart. Have your info ready and let your doctor know what you expect from it. Good luck!!

[McButterpants 2,846]

I was afraid to tell my doctor as I feared she wouldn't be supportive - I don't know why I thought this, but I was scared for some reason. So at the beginning of the appointment, I just kind of blurted out, "I'm going to have weight loss surgery." and I waited for her response. She got the biggest smile on her face and said, "I think that's a fantastic idea!" She has been so supportive over the past 18 months. She happily announced that she is removing some of the medical issues in my medical file - "with a 75 pound weight loss, we can remove the top 3 things we were treating you for" That was a great day!