X-Post: Psych Evaluation

I was asked to cross post this so I am. I hope that by doing so that other pre-ops will have some idea of what to expect when they get to this point. And I can not stress enough how vital it is to go into ANY weight loss surgery armed with the knowledge of what your chosen procedure entails before, during, and after the surgery itself. Your mileage may vary according to surgeons and insurance companies as to what they require but one thing that should be essential is a basic knowledge of  your procedure and what will be required of you long term. Anyway, onto the original post...


Okay the test was no big deal. I talked with the psychiatrist for approximately an hour about my support system, extended family, goals for the surgery, the procedure itself and what all I thought it entailed, then I took 2 separate written  tests. The first one was 596 true/false questions about things like how I handle stress, how I handle anger, how I deal with being in a crowd, if I like the arts or sports better, if I think about suicide or have tried it before. The only question on it that kind of threw me off for a second was "My people aren't very supportive of me in ...." I kept thinking of all the times in movies or commercials when they say "My people will call your people" LOL I did have to ask for clarification on that one because if they meant those kind of people, well I don't have those kind of people but if it meant my family and  friends then it was going to be a different answer altogether. The second test was 51 questions about my eating habits. Mostly of the "on a scale of 1 to 5" type things.

The psychiatrist said she had never had anyone come through for the bariatric program with as much knowledge not just about their life after the surgery but also about their chosen procedure itself. I will have to wait for a month and a half to see the surgeon for my second consultation but in the meantime he will be recieving my psych evaluation that has a glowing recommendation on it.

So another HUGE thank you to the vets on this board who have paid it forward and made sure the info is available out there for all us newbies! You guys so rock and THANK YOU for all you do to promote education and understanding about all of the different surgeries available.
So for now, I keep up with my food journal for the next month, continue trying to quit smoking, adding in a little more exercise everyday, and continue on with my therapy to make sure I am dealing well with any issues that may be linked to food for me. Is it just me or is time flying by???

You guys so rock and THANK YOU for all you do to promote education and understanding about all of the different surgeries available.

And thank YOU for appreciating what we try to do!