I have an appointment to meet with a surgeon

So I finally have a consult appointment with a surgeon on June 8th so that I can discuss getting referred for a grant since my health insurance does not cover any form of WLS. I will have to pay for the consult out of pocket, but they said they won't do any lab work et****il/if I get accepted for one of the grants. They said they will submit everything to my insurance anyway, even though they know it's an automatic denial because it will get me a certain percentage taken off the cost of my consult appointment.

I'm a little discouraged that they can only refer one patient per year for a grant, but I take comfort in knowing that if I don't get chosen that someone has probably been struggling far longer than me and deserves it more...and that it just wasn't meant to be.

Do do you guys recommend bringing someone along with you to the appointment? I plan on having all my questions written down, but I know it doesn't hurt to have someone there to ask something you may have forgotten or just to have an extra set of ears in case you miss something.

I think whether or not you want someone there with you is really a personal preference.

I did not. I did have a close friend that went through everything I did just a few months prior to me, and a basic understanding of RNY from an ex-sister-in-law that did the RNY some years ago.

But I am the person that sends my Hubs home from the hospital around dinnertime and I DON'T want him sleeping in that chair/bed thing they have for guests...

So if you feel you need the support, or want the support, then you should ask someone to go with you.

Good luck on getting picked for the Grant!

Good luck!!!

Congrats on the appointment!

I agree with Pammieanne about it being personal choice. I have often been the "extra set of ears" for other people going to see the doctor, and it can definitely be good to have someone with you.

However, I tend to prefer to see doctors by myself. I go prepared with my questions written down and enough space to write the answers in between. Then I let the doctor know "hey, I've got a lot of questions" so that after they give me the info they want to give me, they know that there will be questions of my own to go through as well. I take notes on their information, add it to the questions I've got written down if it answers those, and then I take notes for my own questions.

This has served me well through the years.

But... I'm also not a super emotional person about this stuff? And it's not like visiting an oncologist where I might become emotional? If it were to be an emotional visit for me, I'd definitely take someone with me in case my emotions made me less useful.

Congratulations on getting the consult appointment! I totally understand why you are feeling discouraged. Try not to. One spot is all you need!!! Really, you've been working so hard at this for such a long time, you have as good a chance at this as anyone else. Think super positively. We're all rooting for you!!!!

I agree with the previous posters about whether or not to bring someone: it's a very personal choice. Do you prefer to have someone with you, or go it alone? Like Gwen, I usually go alone, but am often the one accompanying others to their appointments. The most important thing is to do it your way.

Dont be shy to take notes, to reference your questions, to ask them to explain something if you don't understand. If they are anything like the people at my centre, you'll no doubt find some of the most caring, compassionate, patient professionals in medical care.

Wishing you all the best in this journey and I hope that grant is yours!!!! Keep us posted.