New to the whole thing!

Hi! I finally made the call today to the program at Iowa Health (Dr. Eibes?), and I registered for the next available seminar, which is July 13. I can't believe it's a month before I can even go to a meeting to get things started! The lady said I could call the days before the meetings between now and then to see if they have cancellations. Once that happens, she said you can usually get in for the first consult within about 2 weeks. Also that I can get medical records and schedule a psych eval prior to the seminar, oh, and that I should make sure my insurance pays (it's BC/BS of Minnesota).  I'm kind of all excited, but also kind of a big letdown that it'll take a month to even get info. How fast do things move once you get a real start in the process? Thanks!!

Hi Pinkone!  The time frame is different for everyone, depending on tests, insurance, etc.  My first seminar was at the end of November 2006.   My surgery is scheduled for 07-16-07 (however, I was denied the first time by my insurance BC/BS, but my primary care physician did not send all the paperwork I requested and it took me almost a month to get it from him!).   You will also need to attend an informational class, and a support group meeting which is held the first Saturday of every month.  It is up to Dr. Eibes if you will need a cardiac stress test as well.   Things went very smoothly for me with getting all the tests done and doing what I needed to do until I was denied in March.  Once I finally got the info from my doctor, I faxed it to Dr. Eibes and he wrote a letter to go with the additional info to the insurance company.  They finally approved me at the end of May!   Good luck and keep us posted!!! JoDee 

Hi and thanks!! I'm guessing the information seminar is what I registered for that's July 13. A stress test? Does he schedule that? I was hoping to do a lot of this over the summer, but it looks like the process will definitely drag on, huh? I know it will probably go fast, but from here, it looks like it'll take a long while. lol

I know that for many making up their minds to schedule a seminar is the turning point of their decision about wls.  Once that decision is made, everything else can seem like just a hurdle or delay.  But I would recommend you take a deep breath and determine to get the most out of the process in the meantime.  There is a reason why so much happens pre-op; they want you to have the best support in place to be successful.

So, use the psych eval and/or behavior sessions to address any food issues you might have.  How does food contribute to your sense of identify?  Are you the "mother figure" who provides love and nurishment through great food? the gourmet cook *****wards with just the best? How do you use food now and are you prepared to develop new ways to address those needs?  What role does food play in your family/social life?  Will your vacations change from being about eating special things to doing other things?  How will your family (if you have one) support your new eating habits and any limitations it will place on them (after all, they don't need the junk food either!). Do you understand just what the surgery can and cannot do?  That it is just a start to a lifelong commitment to, tuh duh, dieting!  You have to continually monitor what you eat--and exercise--to both get the weight off and keep it off.  This isn't a quick fix/magic pill answer. But it is a successful medical treatment for a chronic medical disease.  Just like a diabetic has to monitor their food intake (or most thin people for that matter), the wls patient must do the same.  But unlike pre-surgery diets, this time you can be successful because your body isn't working against you in the same way.   I don't want to sound negative, that isn't my point, but that your success will be directly linked to your realistic understanding and compliance with the post-surgery process.   I have had great success--no complications--and think the RNY anyway (because that's the one I had and know about) is a great option for the obese.  But I also believe the more we know about ourselves and the surgery, the greater likelihood for long term success. Oh, one last thing--be sure to check out local support groups.  They may not always be the most exciting at any one time, but in the long run, they can be a great tool for support and success. Congratulations on your start (and didn't mean to lecture!), Sally 398/175/170

Thanks for your thoughtful answer! I know that by the time someone makes the call to go to an appointment or seminar, they've done a lot of thinking and research already, and that's what makes the notion of waiting a month for the information seem like forever! That said, however, you've made very good points. I did ask my husband if he realized how at least "my" eating would change, how that would affect groceries and cooking. Fortunately, for me, anyway, he's the kind of guy who will do anything...if it's grind chicken in the blender, he'll do it! Though a smoothie sounds better....lol. He's our cook most of the time.

I never have had much of a sophisticated palate; I just think that if one cookie is good, 10 are better, you know? Plus, despite my Iowa location now, I'm from the south, having moved here only 3 years ago, and I was raised on fried foods, gravy, rice and beans, etc. Fish and shrimp and chicken may be good for you, but not when they're always fried! Not a single woman in my immediate family was thin. I've never been, ever.  Now, however, I'm 43, and I have twin 4 1/2 year olds. For a few years I've thought of this, but have had a fear that I'd be one of the small statistics and something would go wrong in the surgery and my family would be without me. I've started to see more and more now how much safer the surgery is these days, and that I can't lose this kind of weight on my own or with WW or ediets or whichever. There's so much I want to do with my children and for them, that I can't do being a big ol' blob. And thank goodness, so far, my girls are skinny lil' things! So that's where I am with it. I'm pretty excited about the possibilities.

Good Luck!