Question for Dr. Bour Patients

Psych Eval ??  How was it ?  What kind of questions are they going to ask ?  Mine is coming up May the 8th and I just want to be prepared...

 

Thanks in advance for any replies !!!

Well... First i didnt really like Dr. Calhoun. She isnt people oriented to me.
I have my second Eval on Monday. Didnt pass the first one :-( She said I was too stressed.
But everything is based on what you filled out on her take home Evals. She ask you questions about the surgery to see what you know and to see if you have done your research.


have you been to any of the seminars? I have never seen you at any.

the Psych Eval is not so bad  just a bunch of question   they   re- word the question several different ways to make sure you answer the same way.   It's really for you own good.  to make sure you are ready for the surgery.  this surgery is a life change thing and it affects everyone around you too.  So relax it's not so bad.  Dr Calhoun  grows on ya.  I like her myself.  I use to wonder (how can she help people that are over weight  and she is overweight herself) then I realized I wouldn't want someone who has been thin their whole life telling me about being overweight..She is real and has had weight issues herself  so who better to help you than her.  She is a good lady and she will do what is best for you even though you might not think so.  I really don't think you fail a psych eval.     It 's more like you it's a test of you will.  I hope this makes sense,  It helps you to think about what you are doing.  

Actually, you can "fail" the psych test. I have heard of several people that were not approved for surgery because they weren't considered stable enough to have the surgery. That test can tell alot about you even if you think the questions are a bunch of crazy crap.They reword things several times to make sure you are answering truthfully and not just putting what you think they want to hear. I can't remember how many questions were on the one I took, but for some reason 500 keeps coming to mind. I know I spent several hours there, and was worried I wasn't going to "pass". To my surprise, I was fairly normal, just a tad bit OCD, but who isn't to some extent, lol. I'm just telling this so people don't go in thinking they  CAN'T be turned down for surgery, when in reality, they can be.I 'm sure they will reccomend some sort of counsiling to help you, so eventually you can have it done. Hope this helps some. 

Mary

hey mary,  maybe the ones that fail it  aren't really surgery canidates.  I think it would be hard to fail.  unless you really have mental problems or emotional problems, and counseling would be a good thing.  I am a little complusive but other than that I'm not crazy  lol

That's the purpose of the testing, to make sure you can handle everything the surgery will be changing in your life. Yes, some people are not candidates, but without these test the doctor wouldn't know until after the surgery and then it could be too late to do anything. I have seen plenty of people who were considered "normal" have a very difficult time adjusting to their new life. You have got to be prepared, not just for the changes that you will have occuring with your body, but the changes your family will be dealing with, also. Some spouses don't deal well with all the new found attention you might be getting or even dealing with some of the emotional rollercoaster rides that you ,as the patient ,might be experiencing. Everyone handles things so different and what might be great for you might suck for someone else. I am very lucky that my family, especially my husband, has been very supportive of everything from start to finish, and that is important ,as it can sometimes determine how well you do before and after surgery.

Take Care!
Mary

Actually you can fail.

I failed the first time.

The eval is not horrible but I didn't  "pass" the first time either.  Dr. Calhoun told me the day of the eval that she thought I needed to get some help because several years ago I had problems with binge eating (which I had under control at the eval time and have not had issues with since).  When I went back to her for the second visit, she said that she didn't say anything about binge eating to me but said her notes said I was "clinically depressed".   I was not depressed at that visit but I was nervous about the whole visit - maybe she took my nervousness for depression. There was also a notation in my file where my husband had called in once to reschedule an appointment for me.  Someone at the front desk made a comment in my file that my husband became agitated with them because it was going to take 6 weeks for my reschedule appointment.  (My husband says he did not become agitated with them.)  Once Dr. Calhoun read that comment she told me that she didn't think my husband was supportive of me and that he was going to sabotage my weight loss.  She did, however, give me the ok for surgery on that visit.  She claims that she cannot keep you from having surgery but if she does not give you clearance than you can't have the surgery.  Sounds like she can "fail" you to me.  I had surgery in Dec and have lost a total of 116 pounds (including liquid diet).  My husband has been VERY supportive of me and I'm doing FANTASTIC! I, personally, do not like Dr. Calhoun but I LOVE the rest of the staff.  Good news is if you don't like her then once you get her clearance you're done with her OR if you do like her then she's there for you to talk to should you need her after surgery.  Good luck!