And that's where therapy comes in. My long-time therapist has a lot of dietary issues, so he just happens to be a good fit for this part of my life, too.

A lot of your hunger might be head hunger. It does feel similar to regular hunger, but  if you're full (or satisfied-ish) it's probably head hunger. You really have to pay attention while you're eating. You may not recognize when you've actually had enough to eat. Eating carbs will make you hungrier. I found that when I went on a gluten free diet, it was hard for a couple of days, but I was able to recognize the head hunger. I was still able to have potatoes and didn't react as strongly to that.

Now I'm on the pre-pre-op diet - no starches, not even potatoes. I will probably never be able to have bread again. You can pretty much eat a little of everything at some point after surgery, but for me that would be like giving an alcoholic a beer. I think I might be able to eat pasta, but the big thing after surgery is that you have to eat protein first because that's what your body needs most in order to keep working. Your pouch will be so small that you may not have room for much else, at least for a while.

I don't know if they talked about the size of your pouch at the information session. They said that at first it's the size of your thumb, but that Dr. Kim makes it so that when all the healing's done and you're eating the amount you'll be eating the rest of your life, you'll only be able to eat 1/2 to 3/4 cup of food at a time. You can, of course, stretch that by overeating.

There is a short (for me - it's like 167 questions) computer survey. If you've ever taken the MMPI, it's like that. It's a bunch of questions like ... I don't remember, stuff like I eat when I'm sad, with a list of choices like always, never, rarely, sometimes, etc.

There were two paper questionnaires, kind of similar.

After you finish those, you see the doctor. She reviews the computer printout and the questionnaires, and talks with you about it, and other stuff. I don't know if you've ever seen a psychologist or psychiatrist, but it's a lot like the initial visit for those.

Don't worry about giving the "right" answers. Just be truthful. If she decides you need to do some more work, it will be worth it in the end. Your mind is your biggest enemy afterward. The surgery only works on your stomach. The cravings and emotional eating are in your head, mostly. Some cravings are legitimate, but your body doesn't actually *need* chocolate and cake, or fast food.

It depends on how long it takes to get your clearances.

I'm almost done with my cardiac clearance. I had to have an EKG (standard for everyone), a stress test, and an echocardiogram. Since I'm diabetic and don't know my family history (was adopted) the cardiologist wants me t have an angiogram. That's next week.

I have my consult with the pulmonologist next week. I use a CPAP, so they want me to bring that in, and they want to see my sleep study. It was done in 2007, and I really hope they don't want me to do another one.

You have to do a test for h. pylori. It's a simple breath test that can be done at Quest. If you're positive, you have to take antibiotics for two weeks.

You have to have a psych eval. I passed mine right away, and since I see a therapist anyway, I didn't have to do anything extra. I have a friend who didn't have a therapist and she had to start seeing one before they would clear her for that.

You have to see the dietitian. Thankfully, I knew everything she had to teach me (thanks OH), and my insurance didn't require a supervised diet so I got that clearance right away, too.

The program (not my insurance) requires me to lose 15-20 pounds after my weigh in at my first consult. My friend had to lose 10-15 pounds but she's much shorter than me. I have to lose this weight before they'll even schedule me for surgery. They have me on a no-starch diet. It really sucks, but it's what you're going to have to follow after surgery for a while.

Once you have all the clearances, lose the weight, and your insurance is approved, they'll schedule you for surgery. You have to go on a 2-week liquid diet before surgery. I don't know if that's full liquids or clear liquids. I'm hoping it's full.

There is an all-day pre-op session the week before surgery. I was told that they do that on Wednesdays and operate on Mondays and Tuesdays.

It helps to go to every support group. They are the second Wednesday of the month. My first one was in March, so last night was my third one. It's quite a drive for me (40 miles one way) but its worth it. I wonder if you're the man I talked to after the session this week.

Hi I am new. I went to Dr Kim's seminar last night. Today I rec'd an email and I completed a registration online. I am on Medicare.Last night the insurance lady said they would contact me in 6 to 10 days.

I know it is a multi step process. I forgot to ask how long the process takes. In other words how long does it take from seminar to surgery.

Thank you for your help.