Pre-Op Psycologist Appointment

Hey ya'll. I'm a forum lurker. I went through a period of more activity here several years ago when my surgery plans fell through, and then lost the login info and recreated a new ID this year when I got it going again.

 

My month 5(of 6 required) nutritionist visit is 10 days away, so by my surgeon/insurance company schedules, it is time for the psychologist appointment.

 

Mine is Thursday.

 

It's a 3 hour appointment.

 

I'm sure she's a nice lady, and I'm also sure she'll have a lot of interesting things to say. But the fact that it's 3 hours... has me kind of sh!#ing bricks(or would, if my IBS would freaking play along).

 

Anyone have any insight about what that level of consultation might entail? Because I don't actually have an eating disorder(like food addiction or binge eating). In the past, I've been guilty of heeding the call of comfort foods, munching, and exceptionally poor dietary choices--along with a number of health-related obesity-enabling issues--but I am pretty sure I don't have enough food-drama to fill 3 hours.

 

Here's the other thing. I know I'm weird. Generally speaking, I celebrate my weirdness. I'm a graphic artist and fiction writer--I don't have an office job, so I do whatever the heck I want with my hair(even what some might consider age-inappropriate color decisions) and clothes. I have a tendency to laugh and joke in the face of less pleasant emotions, and generally... I'm not a serious individual(not to be mistaken for inability to be deep), but no matter how level-headed I am about *most* things and how little I care if someone doesn't like my ... weirdness ... I'm worried about the psychologist's opinion!

 

Anyone have insight into what all it might be about?

How long was your visit, if your pre-op hurdles required one?

Do they get into discussing personality, your childhood traumas, or anything else?

 

Am I worrying for nothing? (That is something I am really good at.  If worrying were an Olympic sport, I'd be a contender! :)

My psychiatric appointment was only 30 minutes, so I don't have any idea why you would need a 3 hour one.  Anyway, all he wanted to know about were past eating problems, what meds I was taking, and if I had ever had mental health issues in the past.  I was able to ask questions of him about secondary addiction, regain and other things that worried me about this weight loss road.  

In other words, don't worry about how long it is, and have lots of questions for him/her so you can go into the surgery mentally prepared as well as physically prepared.  

I have a few questions now, mostly about developing other coping mechanisms and adjusting to life in a smaller body when I've never had a smaller body, only a progressively bigger one!

 

(Well, I am down 70 pounds from my highest weight, so that is a smaller-than-it-was body, just not really to the point of different treatment since I'm still morbidly obese.)

 

Do you have any suggestions, things you wished you'd considered from a mental-wellness point of view before you started?

Same here.

My visit was a couple hours.  We talked extensively about past weight loss and regains and asked if I had insight into what made me eat too much.  I am a stress eater by the way.  

I would say that if you are to the point that surgery seems like a valid option, you have more issues with food than you care to admit.  We all do, otherwise we wouldn't have really high BMIs.  Be open minded, it will help.

Oh, I definitely have issues! But I don't think I have anything that is clinically classifiable as an eating disorder. Working with my nutritionist has already helped me curb a lot of that though, I'm pre-surgery but still rarely get over 1500 calories per day. I'm already eating 6 mini meals per day, and have been since August. I have had only a few slip-ups, and my nutritionist says that I'm too hard on myself when there is a blip on the radar--which is something else I'm working on. So I am working through my issues, but I really don't think I have a disorder.

 

I'm less worried about how I can cope(because really, if I can hook a traditional publisher--which is really hard--and sell 7 books, I can do anything. I can handle anything.), I just don't like being anyone's focus of attention. I don't like talking about myself. I do have a messy life in some ways, and I am an emotional person, and being in the spotlight, live in the flesh? Even for one person(a stranger!)--is kind of terrifying. I can hide behind words on a screen on a page and be unabashedly open and forthright, but in person? Not so much.

 

I appreciate your response. Thank you.

I'm not one to talk about a lot of things either particularly to strangers.  This board helps a lot.  I'm glad you found it.  Good luck!

If you are going to a psychologist and your appointment is three hours, it is likely because you will have testing to complete. The psychologist generally uses the MMPI. Of course you will also have an interview with the psychologist. I called my surgeons office and she told me the evaluation could be completed by a psychologist or a psychiatrist. I picked the psychiatrist because I only had a copay. If I would have gone to the psychologist, I would have needed to pay for the testing and interview which is like 250.00.

I will say I had a very bizarre experience with my evaluation, the psychiatrist was morbidly obese herself and pretty much tried to talk me out of the surgery even though I have diabetes, HBP and sleep apena. I had an acquaintance who had her evaluation with her and she told me she thought the psychiatrist tried to talk her out of the surgery as well.  She told me twice how the surgery was very "dangerous and risky" and if it wasn't, she would have the surgery herself. Oh yeah don't let me forget to tell you she told me about her friend who never drank prior to surgery and ended up and alcoholic. She then told me about a second friend who went through hell because of a leak. 

Regardless I was approved for surgery which was the purpose of the visit but I did leave the evaluation scratching my head and thinking to myself WHAT THE H***!

Generally I would say they are nothing to worry about. Good Luck. 

I don't actually understand the difference between a psychologist and a psychiatrist... They just scheduled me, told me the Dr's name, and I said OKIE DOKIE.

 

Testing doesn't sound scary at all. I would welcome testing, even if I need to use a #2 pencil. :) But there's only so much talking I can do and then drive from Columbus back down to Southern Ohio...  I already find that drive horrible(do the farmer's markets really need to put those signs up saying HOMEMADE APPLEBUTTER, TRY OUR 6 KINDS OF FUDGE...? I don't think they do!), but doing so when emotionally wrung out? Well I guess I'll get to put any tips she has on avoiding comforting eating... right into practice.

 

That is very strange about the psychiatrist you saw at CHH. Maybe she was trying to test your resolve to make sure that you're really committed? Not everyone gets that from outside sources(me me, I feel like I'm convincing my family of it on a weekly basis--or was at first.). But good for you, and I'm so excited for you. As far as risky and dangerous, I recently read a study report that likened the danger of VSG to routine gallbladder and appendectomy! Which actually did calm my mind about the surgery part...

 

I should spend the week being SUPER ACTIVE AND BUSY... then maybe I won't have too much time to worry. Though the idea of testing helps. I like questions on paper I can mark answers to... or on computer, or whatever. Just don't make me use my words!

I'm not sure where you are referring to when you say I saw a psychiatrist at CHH. I know there's a lot of programs where the surgeons office sets up the appointments or there may even be a psychiatrist or psychologist in the same building along with the nutritionist and other pertinent people but that was not the case for me. I was required to find my own and this is the only person I could find that would do an evaluation for bariatric surgery and she wasn't even close to where I live.