Hi, all!  Tomorrow is the first of June and I think of that as the first day of Summer.  I completed my applicaiton for the surgeon and plan to walk it into his office tomorrow.  That is my step 2 in the process; step 1 being the decision to get WLS.  Now, if step 3 works out, I'm on my way.  Step 3 is the review and acceptance by the doctor for the surgery. 

This brings me to my questions:
1)  Has anyone be declined by the surgeon and, if so, what were the reasons?
2)  How long has it taken people from application to surgery?  I've seen a few postings where it took people a year... is that average?

Thanks for being there and answering my questions.

Diana in Woodstock

Hi Diana,
    Every doctor and every insurance is different. Some times there is a mandatory 6 month weight loss diet. sometimes not. I've known some who took a year and one that was only 3 months. I don't know if doctors turn down patients. The psychologist at my doctor's office made me jump through all kinds of hoops before she would give her okay. There is no ironclad rule. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.   Mag   

Thanks, Mag!  You are helping!  I think I'm not looking for something ironclad, rather, a good feel for what to expect, a ball park perspective.  Will you elaborate a little on the "hoops" the psychologist put you through?  I don't mean to get personal or inappropriate, only to have some understanding of what I might be facing.  

 My surgeons office required a 6 month lifestyle class. Which I am really glad I had. I started in Oct. and had my surgery April 1st. Seemed like a long time but it flew by. 

Good luck to you.

Thank you for sharing your info.  It's a big help to know what I may be facing and it reduces the fear factor making it easier to handle the rest that goes with this process.

It only took me about 8 weeks from start to finish.  But it is all going to depend on your insurance and your surgeon.  I have heard of people who were approved for the surgery, went ahead with all of the tests and then the insurance company backed out of their decision at the last minute.  That is rare but I do know of at least 2 people that this has happened to.

I hope your process is short and sweet like mine was.  Good luck.

Colleen

Thanks for the input, Colleen.  That is hopeful information.  I submitted my paperwork/application yesterday and received a call that they would be reviewing my case today; that I should know by Friday if I'm accepted.  If so, then I should find out pretty quickly how long it will take me.  

On another note, congratulations on your progress!  This site and the people on it is a constant source of reinforcement, validation, and hope.

I went to the informational seminar in Feb and had my surgery in Sept. Insurance required 6 months of supervised weight loss and dietician consults. Pretty typical. Then the psych eval, they want to make sure that you are in the right state of mind and can follow the plan set out with your surgical team. Ask any and all questions. I am glad I went through the 6 month dietician before surgery. Opened my eyes to changes that I could start making right away.

I now have my cpap settings at half of the pressure from before surgery and am off my insulin for my diabetes. Yayyyyy wls.

Thanks for the info, Kathy.  It helps.  And, congrats on the reduction of cpap and insulin.  Those are big steps to recovery!  I should find out today if the doc has accepted me.  

I'm just ahead of you.  Made my decision to evaluate it, then made all the appointments with the surgeons office, then all the tests.  You'll be amazed how much you didn't know about yourself.   Although I go to my primary care doctor, the full set of tests highlighted low blood oxygen, deficiency in vitamins, etc. 

The scariest part for me is the insurance process.  I'm a 35-40 BMI, so I don't know if my co-morbidities are "bad enough"