Question:
I have passed the evaluation but the psycologist has not cleared me?

The psycologist who did my evaluation has insisted on 5 sessions. I told her i was told I need to get a sleep apnea test and she insisted I wait to take the evaluation. Once I got the evaluation I entered cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety disorder. After I told her I was doing that she made we wait and insisted I speak to my doctor about medication for anxiety disorder. I got the meds and started them but have experienced problems with alergies. I finished my cognitive therapy and he says I will not benefit from further therapy that I am fine. She finally allowed me to take the evaluation but now that I have passed it she recommended I wait even longer because the changes are so new. She told me she would recommend the surgery but the surgeons office said she did not clear me. I comfronted her about it and she insisted that she told me she was going to recommend I wait. She will not give me any time frame of how long is long enough. She also keeps insisting that I could experience old psycological trauma. I keep telling her that I am prepared to seek help if that occurs but she now wants me to see her mentor, so she can explain it to me. I tell her I understand what she is saying but she insists I meet with the two of them. She also has recomended to the surgeons that I attend her support group that she facilitates. I have not yet seen a surgeon and can't until she clears me. Has anyone ever experienced something like this. If you have please tell me what you did. I am at the end of my rope here. It seems like she is going out of the scope of her job and the surgeons are giving her way too much power.    — sherip (posted on April 17, 2011)

April 17, 2011
I know when I went thru my gastric bypass in Dec 2009 there was a lot of steps that had to be completed before surgery could be book the largest being with the psych team. My only suggestion would be to request you be evaluated by another psychologist and see if the end result is the same. Explain your frustration to your primary care physcian and see if they can find another psych that you can see without them being aware of the previous evaluation. This is a very important part of the process because if you are not psychology ready for this adventure it will not work. Weight loss surgery is not easy, your mind has to go thru a lot of changes. Good Luck
   — fortywhat2

April 17, 2011
Wow, what a mess. If I were you I would go see someone else. Sounds to me they just want more money. If your second evaluation comes back with the same advice then I would suggest you heed that advice BUT for me, I would get a second opinion and I would go to the surgeon that you want to see and have that person recommend who you should go to.
   — _Karen

April 18, 2011
the best thing you can do is be yourself, sounds as if the doc has a hard on for you, your situation is probaly at the level of her skill, so rather then looking foolish shes going to wear you down and make you quit, stick with it.
   — dixienormous

April 18, 2011
Yup... everything is on hold until Psych clears ya. We had to sign a form that said we understood the preparations would take between 4 and 6 months. I found out the reason is that they used to put people through on "Fast Track" (especially if they were paying cash) sometimes without the proper psych clearance and without *lots* of instruction on what to expect and what changes were *required*. Unfortunately, there were some disastrous results (as in death because of patients being unable, or not knowing how to be compliant). There are still some that run people through too quickly, in my opinion. It takes what it takes, and it's going to happen eventually. Personally, I just knew it was my job to jump through all the hoops they presented for me, no matter what they were. It all worked out. I would be open minded and willing to meet with your psychologist and her "mentor", as well as attending the support group. You might be surprised when they will see you are willing to be compliant - which you have to be anyway if the surgery is to be successful long-term. Best of luck to you, don't let it stress you out... it's just part of the process and every Bariatric team has different requirements. They care enough to be concerned, which is better than being run through if you are not ready. You want it to be a good experience... not the opposite... I bet. ;-)
   — Ruthie D.

April 19, 2011
Call your surgeon for advice and ask if they have a prefered psych doc for approvals. Some psych docs try to save people from surgery for any number of reasons, rathewr than facilitate you they become a real roadblock:( A new psych doc might review what you have already done and clear you for surgery:) Thats why its always best to get the psych referal from your surgeon! They wouldnt refer you to a roadblock..... Best wishes I will be 10 years out this summer WLS was the BEST decision of my entire life:)
   — bob-haller

April 23, 2011
Have you called your surgeon and did they have some advice?
   — bob-haller