assesment

freebird · 03-21-2006, 08:13 AM

i've been going on the assumption that i qualify for this surgery. Technically though the process for qualification is appointment with surgeon, appointment with nutritionist and psychologist. Then the three get together and discuss the patient. Already i've had one nutitionist appointment where i found that i'd gained 5lbs since the first appointment witht the surgeon. so she schedualed 2 more appointments to give me a chance to lose that 5lbs. Apparently the Dr, won't do the surgery if you gain weight between the appointment with him and the surgery date. I know i gained weight because i came off of metformine and i don't think that's entirely fair but i've been very careful of what and how im eating and have done a physical excercise on my excercise bike at least 5 min every other day. Not great i should do more and everyday but it's better than what i was averaging before at one or two 5 minutes a week. Now on Thursday i go see the psychiatrist and i'm so nervous. i need this surgery to save my life and improve my health. I don't have any idea of what he asks or what he's lookin g for, any idea. I also go to see the nutrutionist on Friday and then i'll have to scheduale one more appointment with her in a month. I'll let you know about the weight issue when i get back. So this is what i'm doing to prepare: better eating habits, smaller portions, stretching out meals, drinking water, lots and lots of water between meals and excercise. what can i do to prepare for the psychologist appointment?thanks
free bird

CraigT · 03-21-2006, 10:34 AM

Bird.... I have a full chapter in the Weight Loss Surgery Insurance Secrets on what to expect from the psych eval. You may want to check it out.

Hope this helps.

Pillows · 03-21-2006, 05:18 PM

From what I have heard, the psych eval varies from person to person, but mine was really quite easy and I don't think you have much to worry about there. My surgeon told me that there were only two people he knew of that flat out failed their psych eval and that was because one threatened harm to themselves, and the other threatened the evaluator. Just try to be honest with them and yourself. There is a good reason that they make us go through all of these tests and you want to make sure that you are ready for it. Probably the worst thing that could happen with you, as long as you don't make threats, would be that they would want you to post pone it and do some more work with them. I know that I was really nervous about mine, but it was a relief to tell all my friends that I had proof that I could pass a psych eval.

Good luck with everything. I hope that it all works out for you.
Janae

freebird · 03-22-2006, 10:05 AM

Thank you craig, janae. I'll be seeing the psychiatrist tomorrow and thenthe nutritionist on Friday. I'll let you know how it goes. So i'm pretty much safe as long as i don't tell him about my evil twin sister?(hehe just joking).

Pillows · 03-22-2006, 10:38 AM

I liked to joke to people including the pysch, herself that I pass as long as the check clears. hehehe. Come to think of it, that was the first question, was where is my money. hmmmm. Here is hoping the check clears for you too. hehehe
Janae

freebird · 03-22-2006, 02:57 PM

that's hilarious janae because i got a letter in the mail today from the psychiatrists office about how to get there and at the bottom they said ... your co payment will be $___.___. Please ensure that if paying by cash you have the exact change. I guess maybe i'll pay her before i let her go on with the assessment.lol Money makes the world go round....

Pillows · 03-23-2006, 08:49 AM

yeah, I had to pay $200 up front for my evaluation and I am hoping that my insurance company reimburses me when I turn it in. I also have to come up with $200 up front for my nutritionist appointment, but that too should be refundable from my insurance company. If it isn't, then I will be glad that it isn't costing me more. Good luck and try to keep your positive attitude. It will help you if you are well informed, which I think you are, and if you can remember that you have a whole army of friends behind you cheering you on, not to mention your number 1 fan, God himself. Let us know how it all goes.
Janae

freebird · 03-31-2006, 06:59 AM

So for those of you who don't know, here's what happened with the psych thing.
I got there about 15min late because the hotel shuttle was late. It took me another almost 10 mins to find his office, (big hospital, way to big). When i got there the dr. was very angry because i was so late. I tried to explain to him what happened but he really didn't seem to care. Just kept telling me he could have left by now. We sat in his office and after every question that i answered he stared at me and let the silence start to make me squirm it was so long. He questioned me for about 10 min (craig your e-book was right on the money about what they were looking for. And after 10 mins he says that i have to start seeing a therapist here on a regular basis before he will approve me for the surgery. when i asked why he said it was because i have childhood trauma issues that lead to weight gain. (How he fiqured this out in 10 mins i'll never know because he asked me like 3 things about my childhood). Whatever, I'm at the point that he could have said i had to leap through flaming rings of fire before he approved me and i would do it. At first i was ready to cry and then i got angry but many of you here have pointed out that it's probably a good thing because of all of the issues and emotions before and after the surgery. So i have a psych appointment in Ottawa on the 19th of April Hope i like him better than the guy in rochester. Oh and here's something funny. I was supposed to pay 165 for the psych appointment but because his secratary had gone for the day he didn't mention it. I'll probably get a bill though. I also have to pay 65 for every dietician appointment and that comes out of my pocket and i know i won't get it back, but that's ok. Like i said, i will do what it takes, (short of killing somebody, hehe)

xsmith95 · 03-31-2006, 08:42 AM

You know that is probably the best thing you can do right now to prepare yourself. I find that many people eat for comfort, I know I did. It is a huge headgame after surgery and it is very hard to overcome. I still find myself reaching out to food occasionally. I try to keep myself in check though. If I am reaching for food and it is not scheduled in my day, I ask myself, am I really hungry or just is it just because it is there. A therapist helps wonderfully.

Good luck with your appointments. I know you will work though all the difficult things to get the surgery.

Shelley

freebird · 03-31-2006, 09:14 AM

Thanks x
i've been watching what i eat and i find that if i write down what i eat, even little things like 2 stawberrys, that it helps make me think twice before i eat anything. I also find that reading labels is helping me make better food choices wich impressed the dietician.
I also read labels because i know i will have to watch what i eat after the surgery so i might as well start now.

03-21-2006, 08:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
freebird WLS Mentor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: outside of Ottawa Ontario Posts: 1,187 Please Enter Height:	assesment i've been going on the assumption that i qualify for this surgery. Technically though the process for qualification is appointment with surgeon, appointment with nutritionist and psychologist. Then the three get together and discuss the patient. Already i've had one nutitionist appointment where i found that i'd gained 5lbs since the first appointment witht the surgeon. so she schedualed 2 more appointments to give me a chance to lose that 5lbs. Apparently the Dr, won't do the surgery if you gain weight between the appointment with him and the surgery date. I know i gained weight because i came off of metformine and i don't think that's entirely fair but i've been very careful of what and how im eating and have done a physical excercise on my excercise bike at least 5 min every other day. Not great i should do more and everyday but it's better than what i was averaging before at one or two 5 minutes a week. Now on Thursday i go see the psychiatrist and i'm so nervous. i need this surgery to save my life and improve my health. I don't have any idea of what he asks or what he's lookin g for, any idea. I also go to see the nutrutionist on Friday and then i'll have to scheduale one more appointment with her in a month. I'll let you know about the weight issue when i get back. So this is what i'm doing to prepare: better eating habits, smaller portions, stretching out meals, drinking water, lots and lots of water between meals and excercise. what can i do to prepare for the psychologist appointment?thanks free bird

03-21-2006, 10:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
CraigT Administrator Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 415 Please Enter Height:	Bird.... I have a full chapter in the Weight Loss Surgery Insurance Secrets on what to expect from the psych eval. You may want to check it out. Hope this helps. __________________ Craig T 11 years PostOp Open RNY - 2 TT's

03-21-2006, 05:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Pillows Seasoned Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, USA Posts: 2,495 Please Enter Height:	From what I have heard, the psych eval varies from person to person, but mine was really quite easy and I don't think you have much to worry about there. My surgeon told me that there were only two people he knew of that flat out failed their psych eval and that was because one threatened harm to themselves, and the other threatened the evaluator. Just try to be honest with them and yourself. There is a good reason that they make us go through all of these tests and you want to make sure that you are ready for it. Probably the worst thing that could happen with you, as long as you don't make threats, would be that they would want you to post pone it and do some more work with them. I know that I was really nervous about mine, but it was a relief to tell all my friends that I had proof that I could pass a psych eval. Good luck with everything. I hope that it all works out for you. Janae __________________ "Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect...it means that you have learned to see past the imperfections. " Surgery date April 4th 2006

03-22-2006, 10:05 AM	#4 (permalink)
freebird WLS Mentor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: outside of Ottawa Ontario Posts: 1,187 Please Enter Height:	tomorrow Thank you craig, janae. I'll be seeing the psychiatrist tomorrow and thenthe nutritionist on Friday. I'll let you know how it goes. So i'm pretty much safe as long as i don't tell him about my evil twin sister?(hehe just joking).

03-22-2006, 10:38 AM	#5 (permalink)
Pillows Seasoned Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, USA Posts: 2,495 Please Enter Height:	I liked to joke to people including the pysch, herself that I pass as long as the check clears. hehehe. Come to think of it, that was the first question, was where is my money. hmmmm. Here is hoping the check clears for you too. hehehe Janae __________________ "Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect...it means that you have learned to see past the imperfections. " Surgery date April 4th 2006



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	Yes, you can often get insurance cover for your Weight Loss Surgery. Our own Craig "Big-T" Thompson has been there and done that, and he's written an e-book about it.

03-22-2006, 02:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
freebird WLS Mentor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: outside of Ottawa Ontario Posts: 1,187 Please Enter Height:	that's hilarious janae because i got a letter in the mail today from the psychiatrists office about how to get there and at the bottom they said ... your co payment will be $___.___. Please ensure that if paying by cash you have the exact change. I guess maybe i'll pay her before i let her go on with the assessment.lol Money makes the world go round....

03-23-2006, 08:49 AM	#7 (permalink)
Pillows Seasoned Veteran Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, USA Posts: 2,495 Please Enter Height:	yeah, I had to pay $200 up front for my evaluation and I am hoping that my insurance company reimburses me when I turn it in. I also have to come up with $200 up front for my nutritionist appointment, but that too should be refundable from my insurance company. If it isn't, then I will be glad that it isn't costing me more. Good luck and try to keep your positive attitude. It will help you if you are well informed, which I think you are, and if you can remember that you have a whole army of friends behind you cheering you on, not to mention your number 1 fan, God himself. Let us know how it all goes. Janae __________________ "Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect...it means that you have learned to see past the imperfections. " Surgery date April 4th 2006

03-31-2006, 06:59 AM	#8 (permalink)
freebird WLS Mentor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: outside of Ottawa Ontario Posts: 1,187 Please Enter Height:	So for those of you who don't know, here's what happened with the psych thing. I got there about 15min late because the hotel shuttle was late. It took me another almost 10 mins to find his office, (big hospital, way to big). When i got there the dr. was very angry because i was so late. I tried to explain to him what happened but he really didn't seem to care. Just kept telling me he could have left by now. We sat in his office and after every question that i answered he stared at me and let the silence start to make me squirm it was so long. He questioned me for about 10 min (craig your e-book was right on the money about what they were looking for. And after 10 mins he says that i have to start seeing a therapist here on a regular basis before he will approve me for the surgery. when i asked why he said it was because i have childhood trauma issues that lead to weight gain. (How he fiqured this out in 10 mins i'll never know because he asked me like 3 things about my childhood). Whatever, I'm at the point that he could have said i had to leap through flaming rings of fire before he approved me and i would do it. At first i was ready to cry and then i got angry but many of you here have pointed out that it's probably a good thing because of all of the issues and emotions before and after the surgery. So i have a psych appointment in Ottawa on the 19th of April Hope i like him better than the guy in rochester. Oh and here's something funny. I was supposed to pay 165 for the psych appointment but because his secratary had gone for the day he didn't mention it. I'll probably get a bill though. I also have to pay 65 for every dietician appointment and that comes out of my pocket and i know i won't get it back, but that's ok. Like i said, i will do what it takes, (short of killing somebody, hehe) __________________ Don't let todays sorrows cloud tomorrows dreams (Surgery date? = still waiting)

03-31-2006, 08:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
xsmith95 WLS Master Guru Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Near St. Louis, MO Posts: 633 Weight Statistics June 17, 2005 Start Date: June 17, 2005 Surgery Date: 5' 2" Height: 313 lb Start Weight: 173 lb Current Weight: 140 lb Goal Weight: 140 lb Weight Loss: 33 lb Lb Left to Lose: 44.7284345048 % % Lost: don't have a set goal date, I take it day by day that way I don't get discouraged Goal Date: Body Mass Index 57.2421956296 BMI Start: 31.6386576483 BMI Current: 25.6035379813 BMI Goal: Weight Loss Method Roux en Y Gastric Bypass	You know that is probably the best thing you can do right now to prepare yourself. I find that many people eat for comfort, I know I did. It is a huge headgame after surgery and it is very hard to overcome. I still find myself reaching out to food occasionally. I try to keep myself in check though. If I am reaching for food and it is not scheduled in my day, I ask myself, am I really hungry or just is it just because it is there. A therapist helps wonderfully. Good luck with your appointments. I know you will work though all the difficult things to get the surgery. Shelley __________________

03-31-2006, 09:14 AM	#10 (permalink)
freebird WLS Mentor Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: outside of Ottawa Ontario Posts: 1,187 Please Enter Height:	Thanks x i've been watching what i eat and i find that if i write down what i eat, even little things like 2 stawberrys, that it helps make me think twice before i eat anything. I also find that reading labels is helping me make better food choices wich impressed the dietician. I also read labels because i know i will have to watch what i eat after the surgery so i might as well start now. __________________ Don't let todays sorrows cloud tomorrows dreams (Surgery date? = still waiting)

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