Advice??

Here goes...I'm starting this process over again as I was denied in 2006 for not having enough "stability" in my life I have not yet updated my profile so ill fill u in on my status-5'7 320lbs BMI of 50. Only comorbidities are back,knee,ankle pain. I'm 24yrs old. I am now going for rny with dr lenz in duluth. I am going for my info session on sept 9th. My insurance(medica)requires 3mos with dietician. Basically I'm getting the run around with making appointments and I need someone to maybe map out for me in what general order I should get things done(not getting much help from the surgical dept here) and maybe give me ideas on how to be persistant with these people and who to be persistant with. I'd like to complete this as soon as possible. 1 more thing...last time I didn't do so great on my psych eval. She asked me alot of deep questions and made me cry. Then she stated I have an addictive personality. I do have a lengthy history with psychs as I've had anxiety/depression for 11yrs but its well managed with meds. Any insight/help would be greatly appreciated. P.s. Do I have a choice on who does my psych eval and dietician appts?

I think your case is delicate from the sounds of what I'm reading. You are very young and as stated above have an addictive personality. I'd encourage you to really consider why you want WLS, how it will help you, what you expect from it, and what are the con's to having it. I say that because you need to know that there are some very serious issues that people face after WLS. It is not just that they lose the weight and all their problems go away. One of the biggest is "transfer addiction". This can be in many forms, but most common ones are alcohol, sex, gambling, shopping, etc. And since you already have a tendency based on what you posted above, you need to really understand that the possibility after WLS is even higher for addictions, whether medicated or not.

Aside from that, you definitely have every right to have WLS and improve your health. That is without saying. If you feel this is right for you, then continue making the necessary calls to get your appointments scheduled.

Without knowing which insurance you have, it is hard for any of us to answer specifics as far as requirements, duration of dietician visits (e.g. BCBS requires 6 months consecutive), and so on.

Best of luck to you on your journey!

Hello.  I think there is a lot to say about mental health issues and having WLS.  I have had a lot of mental health issues  That being said I was able to pass my MMPI and talk with my therapist and tell her why I felt I needed the Duodenal Switch to help with some of these issues.  I have done incredibly well with my mental health and having the DS.  In fact I was on four meds for my psych health prior to my DS and now I am on one.  It has helped my tremendously.  I do believe my success came from working with my team of med provider and therapists however.  Through this process it is important to have them in your life and work through the issues that come up.  I have seen a vast imporvement in my symptoms and everything.  Because I suffer from Bipolar disorder it is easy for me to see the difference.  I have not had an episode of MAJOR depression or MAJOR mania in over a year.  Yes, there have been bumps, but nothing major.  This has been a complete change in my life.  I feel it is do to feeling better about myself and my body feeling better too.  

With the Duodenal Switch there is less chance of having transfer addictions so maybe you should do some research and think about it as a possibility due to your mental health issues as well.  If you have other questions for me that I did not answer here in this post please feel free to PM me.  I suffer from similiar things that you do so I feel that I would be able to help you with any questions that you might have regarding meds management and surgery choices.

Jennifer