I came on here to po...

I came on here to post a question about my psych evaluation and saw Gypsie K's post about her psych eval. Now I am more worried than ever. I am having it done in Greenville, NC. I was just wondering what to expect? What exactly are they looking to find out about us? And if anyone has any tips for me. I don't want to lie about anything, I just want to know what to expect and what they expect. Help.

I'm sorry that I've caused you concern. Most people I know were coached in what to say - and I coaching was elusive to me until after the fact, so I chose honesty. unfortunately, this man doesn't believe that I'm being honest with even myself.....so much for honesty. I hope he is in the minority. I am scheduling a visit with a woman as soon as my surgeon's office clarifies that this is ok. I was told before that whomever's report shows up in my file first is the one they will go with. My advice to you: if it takes more than 2 visits - GO TO SOMEONE ELSE.

Don't worry taht you caused concern. That is what we come here for, to give each other a heads up. I am sorry you are having such a hard time. I had trouble with my cardiologist and the surgeon let me choose another. Good luck. Stacy

I don't know what yours will want , but mine was fairly simple. He asked me things like if I was a binge eater? Am I anorexic? (Yeah can't you tell??? ) Have I ever been hospitalized or treated in any way for an eating disorder. Was I committed to the life changes? What were my goals and expectations as far as weight loss? Would I keep my appointments and group sessions? I was honest with my answers and didn't have a problem. I'm thinking Gypsie K is getting her wallet through the ringer! Don't worry, just relax and all will be well. Good Luck with it! If you were closer I would be more than happy to get you in with the doctor who did my eval. Hang in there! Shawana

Mine was done in Winston Salem, NC and it wasn't bad at all. Basically we just talked about the changes that would take place after surgery (eating, exercising, etc.) and then he asked me about my family life and basically just wanted to know that I had researched WLS a great deal and that I had a good support system in place for after surgery. The whole thing lasted about an hour or so. I did have to take a short (20 questions I believe) multiple choice kind of test thing but it wasn't bad -- just asking questions like did I cry a lot during the past two weeks, stuff like that. Just relax and you will do fine! Hugs, Donna

I saw one in G-ville, but I can't remember her name. Her office is on Arlington in the pain management building. She made me come back one time after the first visit. The first visit she really made me mad. Gave me all kinds of food advice that was contrary to what my surgeon and my nurse case manager told me. She said that I should come back in one month and have lost some weight, I can't remember the number. I left thinking that she sure had a lot of nerve. Anyway, I was so psyched out when I went back I was nervous and ready to fight. The second visit, she was like a different person. She didn't even weigh me! I just sat there and lied through my teeth and told her that I'd followed her directions when in truth I'd followed the directions of my doctor who was managing my weight. It doesn't seem to me to be a very fruitful endeavor, but it got me through. All in all, it wasn't as bad as all that. It really does depend on who you get. I wasn't "coached" on what to say, but in the end, you can tell what they want to hear. It is okay really, you'll be fine. Just do your research so you can communicate to your psychologist that you know the consequences of having surgery as well as what lifestyle changes you'll need to implement. If you can do that, I'm sure you'll be fine.

My pcp told me that the purpose of the psych visit is to determine if there is any underlying disorders that could affect your sucess. She said that if you were seeking a liver transplant, they would have to evaluate to see if you were fit to take the liver. This is the same looking to see if your at risk of developing an eating disorder. I had mine over a year ago and had no problems. My insurance paid for everything except my copayment.s I'm a talker but I chose to limit my responses to close ended responses, I let the psych que lead me. I had to do two sets of computer based testing and I was on my way. The questions were like, sometimes I feel like hurting myself true or false, or i hate myself, true or false. Just answer the questions right and you'll move along. This is a tiny piece of the process. Good Luck. JT

Hi Stacy, I wanted to address your question about "What exactly are they looking to find out about us?". Ultimately, the evaluation is a business decision as to whether it will cost the insurance company more to approve the surgery or to treat your related ailments. There are two aspets of this - first, are there any medical indicators that would make surgery dangerous or rule it out? This is the one most people associate with the eval process. Just getting off the table and out of the hospital. The second aspect is how likely you are to be successful in the long run. To do the surgery and fail is worse (from a business standpoint) than not to have done it at all. So the psych evaluation is meant to see if there are any obvious indicators such as eating disorders but also to look for an abundance of smaller indicators, things that by themselves would not necessarily make or break the case but taken as a whole give a picture of you as a person. For example, how knowledgeable are you on WLS? What are your expectations and are they reasonable? So my specific suggestions are... Be open and honest. If the doctor thinks that you are hiding something or holding back, this is a red flag and (s)he will want to focus in on it. Try to relax in the interview. If it flows smoothly and feely, it's easier on you and the doctor. When I did mine I remember we laughed at some of the things that came up. After all, you probably should be more anxious about getting cut than about being interviewed right? One is a little nerve wracking, the other is life threatening. If you can manage this, I would suggest to have the interview like you were talking with a good friend about the surgery. Ask questions! When your appearance changes the world treats you differently but who you are inside stays the same (or at least changes more slowly). The behaviors you have used all your life to deal with stressful situations may not work when the situations are different. For example, consider the spouse who becomes insecure when the WLS patient becomes much more attractive to the opposite sex. There are probably as many possibilities for this kind of issue are there are people, and the doctor may have some good insights on them. Patients who consider these aspects up front are more likely to be aware of them when they happen and ask for help, thus are probably better candidates. Use the interview as an opportunity to learn something that will help you as a post op. Ask the doctor what negative impacts (s)he has seen from the surgery. If any of the responses sound like they might apply or be even distantly related to your situation, follow up and ask more. Let the doctor know that you expect him or her to be part of your team and not just a toll booth you have to get past. So that's one man's take on it for what it's worth. I hope there's something here that you find useful or at least calms your anxiety a little. Hang tough, you WILL get through this. -- T.Rob

Thank all of you so much. I am so glad that you all share your knowledge. I hope some day, I can answer something for you. I feel better now. I wish you all luck! ~Stacy~

T.Rob's input is perfect! I went to my psy*****harlotte. Had three visits. First was an interview about the surgery and he asked for a short biography. During this he indicated that sometimes during surgery (maybe due to the anesthesia?) people end up having unresolved traumas come back to bite them (like a really bad car accident we've never dealt with, etc.). Second appt was to take a personality appraisal paper and pencil test (not the MMPI, but a shorter similar type test). Third was to discuss the results of it and his overall recommendations. I found it very enjoyable (but then I'm kinda wierd! LOL) Good luck!