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Hi - I am in NH also - having surgery on 8/31 at CMC. I went to my first seminar back in December. Went through a series of tests and doctor appointments. Found I had sleep apnea -- which added 2 months to my "wait" time. I think the 8 month wait was actually a good thing. It gave me an opportunity to eat differently, start exercising and read as much as I could. I was asked to lose 8% of my weight (28 pounds for me) prior to being able to see the medical director. Once I got the okay from the medical director, I was given an appointment to meet with the surgeon. From there, my surgery date was set - about 3 weeks from appointment with surgeon. I needed to attend a 6 week class on creating new eating habits, 2 pre-support meetings and be pre-approved by a psychologist. There were a lot of hoops - but I think all of them were important and worth the time. The only one that didn't seem worthwhile was the pre-support group meetings. It was a zoo. Basically 4 people who had experienced WLS sat in front of the group of about 60-70 people and discussed their experience. The one piece that I added to CMC's pre-op program was meeting with a therapist. This has proved invaluable for me. It has given me a place to discuss my emotions/thoughts prior to the surgery. We have discussed so many things that I think were important to consider prior to the surgery. I would strongly suggest finding a good therapist during your wait. Good luck!!!!