Questions to ask the dietician @ 1st Appt.????

Hi everyone,  I'm working on getting a gastric bypass. I have an appointment set to visit the doc and then I'm to see the dietician after that. What are some key questions that I should ask the dietician? I'm sure there are some of you that have gone.... Geeze, I wish I would have asked the dietician that, or, something like that lol. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Thank You, Frankie Larkey

Frankie, I would first recommend calling your insurance company to see what their requirements are for visits with a dietitian.  For example, some carriers want a patient to see a physician for 6 months while going on a "diet" (this is insane but not uncommon), while others want a 3-6 month history of working with a dietitian to show that you have attempted weight loss.  I too find this nutty as ALL my patients have tried most if not all the fad diets for years.  It is just one more hoop that insurance carriers want patients to jump through before they decide IF they will pay for WLS.  After that is clarified, ask the RD what her goals are for you (make sure they are clear and reasonable).  Make sure everything is clearly spelled out for you and that you agree with the goals.  Ask the RD how much experience he/she has with weight management and pre and post-op WLS patients.  If her experience is limited, beware.  If you have other questions, PM me.

I don't have insurance to have to deal with sweetie, Thank God for that!! I was just wondering though.... Are there things that people have thought about afterwards and said to themselves... I wish I had asked about this or that... Thanks for your letter. Frankie

Here are a few questions I commonly get from my clients & I commonly see on the OH board: 1. How many calories, protein, carbs, fat should I eat? 2. What if I hit a plateau, what should I cut back on or increase? 3. How often should I exercise, and for how long? 4. (Since it seems like you are paying cash) - If I have an additional question after I leave your office, can I contact you? If so, how? Can I call or email you? And, if I have just a quick question, will there be an additional fee? 5. How often should I follow up with you? 6. What future lab values do you think my surgeon should be checking for nutritional deficiencies?

Thank you so much Sara. Yes, I am self pay, and I am glad you brought those things to my attention. I'm not going to worry about the plateau yet. One step at a time, but I will write it down. The rest of it though, I am curious about. I'll copy and paste your questions. Thank You. Frankie

Good luck -- and you are sooo lucky to be able to go through this without the headache of insurance companies!!! Makes it sooo much easier. :)