Hello I am a newbie to the Obesity Message Board.

Hi my name is Sandra (sandy) i am new to this website and wanted to jump right in and get to know some people from Georgia. I have tons of questions and would love to find some friends here. I live in Clarkesville Georgia and I am seriously considering WLS. My first question is do I have to be referred by my PCP? Any responses would be appreciated. sandy

hi sandy, my ins. is bcbs and i had to have apcp refferal to see a surgeon. I am from columbus but i have visited clarksville many yrs ago when my brother lived there, it was very pretty part of ga. good luck kiwani

Hi Sandy, I had my surgery done by Dr.Robert Richard in Gainesville.He and Dr.Dan Procter have one of the finest Practices in the country.Obesity Solutions is the name of their practice.There is a Public Information meeting on Saturday 1-10-04 at 9:00am.The meeting is free and very informative and is attended by the surgeons and the Phyc.Dr.Wayne Hulon.If you're really interested this is the best place for you to start.The meeting will be held at the Gainesville Civic Center.Come on out and get informed.I wish you the best, Kim

Hi Sandy, Yes, you will need a referral from your PCP. Depending on your insurance and surgeon, you will also need a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), a psych evaluation, a dietician evaluation, an EKG, gallbladder ultrasound, X-rays, and sleep study. Go ahead and ask your PCP for referrals to these specialists, also. Stay one step ahead of the game.

I have BCBS of GA and I need a referral from my PCP to see my bariatric surgeon. My surgeon is at Emory so I had to go to a meeting before being able to set a appt for my doctor. But it was all worth it. NAT

Hi Sandy, We have a great group here in the Atlanta area. You can check us out @ [email protected]. We meet the 3rt Sat of each month and there are also several offshoots of Wings. Good luck to you Cathy Gogan