New, in preapproval/surgical process

 Hello, My name is Katy.  I am in the process of getting approved for RNY. I currently am going through the various labs and testings.  This week I have a chest xray an ABG and blood work.  NExt week I have a nutrition course, psych eval and surgeon appt.  I just need some people I can relate to.   I am dealing with a pessimistic/scared to death fiance and I do not know how to handle him.  I am having him go to the surgeon appt with me.  Any more ideas??

 Is he a reader? My mom was very pessimistic, but she started to feel better after she read Before and After. My husband has read Success Habits for Weight Loss Surgery Patients, and that's given him a lot of peace.

Maybe he could write down a list of concerns he has specifically about the surgery, and you could address them thoroughly until he feels he can cross the of the list. 

How long is your pre-surgery process? Mine was six months minimum, so maybe there's time for him to relax about it. One of the requirements I had was counseling, and I worked out with my counselor how to respond to my husband's and my mother's concerns. It was very helpful. Hopefully there will be time for that. 

One thing you can hold next to your heart is that this is not a fast process. There will be a few spots of "flurry" when you're busy taking care of business to push the surgery process through. But you'll be dealing with your internal struggles and concerns before surgery as well... and those might be even harder to reconcile than your fiance's. We go through this pre-surgery, surgery and post-surgery "stuff" in order to have a longer, more successful life. Take your time to breathe a lot and learn as much as you can... especially about you specifically and what your internal drivers are that caused you to become obese. When your fiance sees you dealing with your own internal struggles, he might flip into supportive role because that's what he sees you need. 

Good luck, Katy!

 Cheryl, I didn't realize in the chatroom that you just had your surgery on the 20th.  How are you feeling??  Unfortunatly my fiance is not a reader.  But I told him to come on here and skim some of the before and afters.  I am getting more of an idea of length of process next week, but the program director told me with my insurance has been known to go as quickly as 3 months depending on the surgeon and test results.  I have my first meeting with the surgeon next week, so I will ask her then how long I should expect this process to take.  What happened after your first surgeon meeting??

 I met with my surgeon first, way back in March. Then followed monthly primary doctor, dietitian, counseling, and physical therapy appts for six months. Because of scheduling stuff,  I didn't finish my requirements until seven months were up, but I was approved within two weeks. I didn't see my surgeon again until I got insurance approval and a surgery date. 

The before & afters are freaking awesome. I've spent hours going through those - still do actually. 

I'm feeling ridiculously good. I was expecting to feel awful for "hell week," but my discomfort is minimal. I'm off the pain meds already. My biggest complaint (which isn't really a complaint) is gas and bloating, but it's tolerable. It is just requiring me to wear jammie pants all the time because I'm so bloated I can't bend over in normal pants. 

The bariatric surgeons in my city are very picky about who they pick, and they require the six-month prep time regardless of the insurance company requirements. If we don't like their requirements, we can go to the other bariatric practice in town, but the results are historically poor. They want each patient to have a good result and to keep the weight off. They say any surgeon can cause someone to lose their excess body weight, but it takes a team of caring professionals to prepare you to keep it off and maintain. Those caring professionals gave me the tools to do this for the long term, but it's up to me to use them. My surgeon specifically said that every time one of his patients fail to keep the weight off, he knows it's because he chose the wrong patient. 

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out with your fiance. How he handles this will show a lot about what kind of husband he'll be. Hopefully he'll be able to be supportive and loving despite his doubts. 

well he has issues with negativity in normal life.  I do too, the only difference is I am being treated for it.  I have bipolar, anxiety and depression.  I have been cleared by my doc, but now I have to be cleared by their doc.  He is just a "debby downer" all the time.  But other then that he is my rock, my other half.  We finish each other sentences on a regular basis, literally. We have been together for 11 years.  The only reason we are not married is that we cannot afford the type of wedding we want right now.  But we are in no rush.  

As far as the surgery goes, I just got my info packet with all of my lab slips and stuff ( I had my intake interview on the phone).  I scheduled my blood gas for Thurs, and I am going early and getting everything else, since the rest doesn't require an appt.  It included the nutrition phases, all the way to once we are healed, so I let him read that.  He was relieved to see that I will be able to eat some what "normal" food again.  It will just take a while.  He was afraid I would be using a blender forever, lol.  So the packet alleviated him a bit too.  I call it my RNY bible.  Everything I need to know about anything is in it.  

Hey I am at the same point as you.

I go for blood gases tommarow and then the Chest x ray and what not next week too.

I started on Oct 3 2011 at 339 pounds. I have a goal of 32 pounds to lose b4 they will do the by pass.

I have already had my psyc eval.

On the 18th I was down to 328. 


My next weightin is 10/31 

 Rock that is great, I we definately need to become friends!  I need some people to relate to along this road.  DId you meet your surgeon yet??  What surgery are you getting or do you want to get??

Yes I have seen him. I am doing the by pass. Down to 325 today.


I am really not very impressed with this prossess to be honest.  I really feel as if I am having a bunch of time wasted and being made to feel like a complete idiot.


My group seems to see a lot of people that are in denile or are just really dumb so they seem to just group everyone into the same group and treat us all the same.

I wont risk telling them this till after the Surgey as I dont want any issue but after its all said and done they will be getting an earfull.

I will be more then happy to keep you posted about my trip but I dont really know how well your going to be able to relate to me.

I hope yours turn out better then mine and G/L.

So um yea. Well Monday I went for Upper GI, ultra sounds, and Chest Xray. And I swear I might just bug if one more person assumes I dont have my gaul blatter or that I need an inhailer. Went for my weigh in and I have lost my 5% so. Yesterday I get a call and my surgery date is 12/9/11. I still have 16 pounds to go b4 surgery but the first 16 came off in 28 days so.



Well anyway g/l with your adventure I am glad mine is almost done.

 I already got my chest xray, they let me go for the ultrasound for now because I don't have my gallbladder.  W2G on losing the weight so fast.  Sry they are underminding you.  That makes it so much harder I would guess.  Tomorrow I have the first nutrition class, psych consult and intitial surgeon eval, after that they get paperwork together for insurance preauth.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  Congrats on your surgery date.  I will be thinking of you.  Keep your chin up...