Question:
I have 6 months wait for consult , should I do anything before the visit ?

I have to wait six months until the consult w/surgeon (if I don't find a new one), should I go see anyone before the visit or wait and see what the surgeon wants , besides I have an exclusion , the surgery must be medically needed . I just want to make sure I can get all that is needed to be approved for wls.    — patti G. (posted on December 22, 2002)

December 22, 2002
Hello. I know before I could have surgery I needed to lose 10% of my weight, 30 lbs before they would operate. Plus I needed to see a nutritionist and get a psych eval. You might want to call you insurance company and see if they require a psych eval, or anything like that which you could get done in those 6 months. I would call your surgeons office too and ask if your surgeon requires any weight loss before he/she will operate. If so, you could start working on that as well. Good Luck to you!
   — Shavonne P.

December 22, 2002
In the monthes you have to wait on, get busy putting a few things together, that you will need at your first visit. List your diet history, indicate which attempts were dr supervised or not, dates, amount lost, what kind of diet,and exercise programs that went along with them. List all the meds you take. List your history of surgeries you've had. List your family's medical history, as much as you can find out. Go to your PCP and get him to write you a letter of referral stating that it is a medical neccessity for you to have this surgery, give that to your surgeon. Do the same thing with your GYN, if you have documented your weight with him. All of this will give you a headstart. ALso, keep a copy of all letters and test results for yourself. You never know when it will come in handy. Especially if you have to file an appeal with your insurance company.Good luck.
   — Leslie E.

December 23, 2002
Patti, in addition to what the others have mentioned in the two previous posts, I would make sure that you have had at least one physician supervised weight loss attempt during the past two years. A lot of insurance plans require this. This would be the perfect time for you to see your PCP and get the weight loss attempt documented if you haven't done so at another point in the past two years. If you have any medical conditions that require going to a specialist, you should make those appointments during this time - such as a cardiologist, endocrinologist, etc. Some surgeons require you to have your yearly gyn. exam as well as mammogram. You should also visit the Staple Mates meeting in SA on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Methodist Hospital 5th floor North. I'm not sure which surgeon you're using (didn't find it on your profile) but, this group is open to all weight loss patients at all points on their journey (pre-consultation, pre-op, post-op.) The group is a wealth of information and support and is facilitated by doctors from the Surgical Consultants of SA group. Six months will fly by before you know it!
   — lezawomack