DivaSoBlessed

@@Robin Leighbuchanan Its nice to know that I am not alone. I think that there is nothing wrong with giving someone a hug. We all could use one from time to time. I know that I could and its not to be inappropriate but a way of saying thanks and that things will be okay without saying it verbally. Thanks.

@@Mytime2016 Thank you. In the most humble way that I could speak of myself I truly am a warm friendly person and I am now confident that this is the way that she saw it as well.

@@CowgirlJane Your comment just made my day! I'm chuckling uncontrollably while my husband looks at me as if I am losing my mind. This is the best comment of the day. Thanks.

@@Wonderkind My thoughts exactly!!!! I explained to my husband that I didn't see anything wrong with it but the way he put it had me doubting whether I had did something wrong. After sitting and talking to her I felt some kind of trust enough to give her a hug in thanks for her time talking to me. This was a pre-surgery evaluation but it felt like good therapy to talk to someone who had an outside perspective on what I was there for and what brought me to her office. It was uplifting to say the very least.

@@WLSResources/ClothingExch Thank you so much! I indeed was excited about opportunity that I have and I wasn't afraid to let her know it. I answered her questions as honestly as I could and when she asked me questions like what support system do I have? and what kind of complications can occur post surgery? I impressed her with just how much homework I had done in preparation for this entire process. All the same I am very happy to have gotten past this stage of the process.

Thank you! That had me concerned. I wont get official confirmation until they send out the paperwork but I am soooo glad to be done with that part of it. Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

So I had my psych evaluation this afternoon and I think that it went pretty well. As I posted in a previous thread I didn't really know what to expect going in and I was a little nervous about it. I got some really good advice from a few people about what to expect as well as some insight on the kinds of questions being asked. I talked with a young lady for about half an hour then I was taken to a room with a comfy chair and laptop to start on a series of true or false questions. The first part was 338 questions and the second was about 165 fairly straightforward questions to gage tour personality and how you cope with every day life situations. After I vompleted both parts the uoung lady came back into the room and sat down opposite of me to make sure that all of my questions were answered and validated. As we were sitting there she started talking about how she was sleepy, and how the computers there run slowly, that she asked for upgrades and how she had a poor older woman who didn't understand how to use a computer and spent an entire hour not answering the questions when she actually thought that she was. From there she gave me a brief scare saying what did you do as if I messed up the questions but then she corrected herself saying that she was looking at the wrong person's file in the computer. She then said everything looks good on your end. Afterwards we were discussing computers and how she bought her grandmother a kindle for Christmas and had not yet given it to her. This made me feel very comfortable speaking with her so afterwards as I was getting ready to leave I didn't know whether to shake her hand or give her a hug. I'm big on hugs because of my friendly personality so I said to her I'm a hugger and she didn't find any disagreement with it. Afterwards I asked my husband was it wrong. His response was that it is a professional environment and that it was inappropriate, a handshake would have been more appropriate. What do you think? Was I being too friendly? Do you think that this would have any baring on her final analysis of me? Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Awesome @@ssflbelle! I'm rooting for all of us on our journey. I'll update as my appointments happen. Have a wonderful weekend.

@@AliAqua That's exactly what I was thinking! I didn't want to walk into the office focusing on all of my past failures and the bad things that lead me to where I am right now. I acknowledge that they all have lead me to this point but there is just so much more to me than the bad so that is a good thing to know about how your eval went. Yes my husband just said this a minute ago that I will have told him or her my life story before its over lol! I am not going in for that I just want them to understand that I understand that what I am about to go through is irreversible and yes very life changing but that I am ready for all that comes my way. I just know that I can't continue my life on the route that I have been on for most of my life. Its gotten me nowhere in all of this time so it is time to start making some major changes. My goal here is to give what is required but not to be chatty cathy like I usually am when I get too comfortable. I'm not cuckoo-bananas but I'll probably talk them to the point that they go cuckoo-bananas lol!

@@ssflbelle thank you for sharing and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. This helps me prepare for questions that I hadnt even considered. While I might not be asked the very same questions just reading some of your questions I can tell you that I probably would have been caught off guard not knowing how to respond not because I don't know the answers but because I simply just haven't thought about these particular questions and the impact they have in terms of coping and making responsible. Clearly I am prepared for change otherwise I would not have taken the steps to start this process. But these kinds of questions make me seriously have to deal with the reality of the impact this surgery will have on my life. Not that I wasn't serious before. Ive only had this discussion with my husband and a few of my online friends so these kinds of questions never came up in any of my discussions. It was basically me talking and people agreeing with what I said without questioning it. I am grateful for each of you who responded. This gives me something to think about before my visit. Please keep us posted on your progress and add me as a friend. Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

@@AliAqua That is awesome news! Congratulations on successfully getting past this stage of the process. Sounds just like having a conversation with an old friend. I am prepared for the true and false questions as these usually aren't a problem for me but I haven't even given thought to how I will respond in terms of talking about my relationships and support systems. I am an open book but I have never really sat back and discussed my relationships. This is all good information to know. I really appreciate your response along with everyone who responded. I helps to have some insight going into this. I am not so nervous about it now. I think that I may have made this a bigger deal in my own head than it really is and I probably just need to relax about this entire process because what will be will be. I'm sure that everything will be just fine. My BMI is well over 35... 53.3 to be exact and I have more comorbidities than I care to alone to get approval. Add me as a friend, keep us updated on your progress, and welcome!

@@Miss Mac It sounds like I don't have anything to worry about. They will probably kick me out of their office if they talk to me because I can go on for hours if not days lol! It sounds harmless and this is what I was looking for how each person who has already gone through the process did in their evaluations. I understand that I have to do a questionnaire as well. I don't mind doing a questionnaire but they can be very long and tedious. I'm looking forward to this appointment. Thank you for your feedback and congratulations to all of you that have made it to the losers bench.

@@2goldengirl I didn't even give thought to the fact that people are booking appointments near the end of the year to beat the new deductibles for Jan. 1 or that patients are taking off out of the gate to get their clearance for surgery at the beginning of the year. I don't know why I didn't even think to consider this beforehand but I totally understand. That is awesome that you are able to use your doc for your colonoscopy! I hate having a higher deductible to meet now but I can't let that stop me from accomplishing my goals. I hope that everyone who wants to have surgery gets it. After scheduling all of my appointments something told me to call the staff back at the surgeon's office and speak to them about the timeline to have these tests completed and I am glad that I did. I found out that right after I take my mandatory NUT class they will be looking for clearance from the psychologist first to submit for approval even before I get clearance from the cardiologist and pulmonologist. Thinking about it things will start moving pretty quickly after that. I am just trying to prepare for it in terms of food. I'm scared half to death because having PCOS I am sensitive to everything so I need to figure out what I will be eating post op. I also take two meds for hypertension along with metformin and they tend to drop my blood sugar pretty low so I am wondering how this will work in conjunction with doing a pre-op diet. This whole process is both exciting and a little stressful all the same.

Thank you @InnerSurferGirl! I was sitting here making to much out of this part of it. I am pretty confident that everything will be just fine. I've been wanting this surgery for so long I just want everything to go smoothly without any hiccups along the way and this was one of the areas where I just wasn't sure what to expect going in. This puts me at ease. I appreciate your response.

I had my consultation and everything went well. The surgeon was very reassuring and answered all of my questions to the best of his knowledge. He made things easier by starting the conversation off with a light hearted joke which lets me know that he has a sense of humor. I don't think that I could have asked for a better person to work with. This is exciting because I really didn't realize just how fast everything would be going. I had a little hiccup with my insurance after they updated my plan but nothing really changed with the exception of my deductible going up by 50 dollars. The stressful part was calling around and preparing for pre-operative testing. I didn't realize that a lot of these places for a cardiologist, pulmonologist, and psychologist were booking a month out. I was told that I had a limited amount of time to get all of these test done to submit for approval and that I needed to schedule to see a pyschologist first because they usually submit doc for approval after receiving psych clearance and taking a mandatory class. I found a place that will squeeze me in for my psych clearance sooner than next month however I am really nervous. I know that every office is different but generally What should I expect? I was told to be prepared to stay for 2 hours.

Welcome and congratulations!

Congratulations Chelle on your weight loss and sending good vibes your way for your visit tomorrow . That is awesome news!

Congratulations and wishing you a speedy recovery! ????

Congratulations @@nikki1980! This is just one of the reasons that I am looking to have the WLS. This gives me hope that I too cant beat PCOS and regain some normalcy to my life. I know just how you feel. The same old lose some weight advice and throwing pills at me was the same routine that I have experienced. I am so happy for you because you are free from the grips of it totally ruling over your entire life. @@Pinkgirl1234 keep fighting. You are not alone. You will get past this!

You can do this @@ZetaStar and you'll be a better you post-op. Imagine not having to take any medications again. I'm rooting for you and wishing you the very best.

@@ZetaStar my husband was taken off of insulin and started back on the pills. I know exactly what you are experiencing because my husband has everything you mentioned and including fatty liver disease, and non-alcoholic pancreatitis the neuropathy is the worst of it all. He wakes up in the middle of the night in lots of pain and sometimes can't get back to sleep for hours. He now works out 5 times a week during his lunch at the company gym and has lost over 100 lbs. If there is a possibility that going with the sleeve won't resolve these issues I would think long and hard before making your choice. I am sure that you will make the best decision for you. I am happy that you found the website. I stumbled upon it too.

Hello and welcome @@ZetaStar! I am at the beginning of my journey as well and it looks like you have some pretty good advice from those who have gone before us and have already had their WLS. It is a tough decision to make but ultimately the decision is up to you. Your surgeon will make the best recommendation that they feel will help you in the long run but you still have a choice. I will also say that so far from what I have been reading on this forum it appears that none of these surgeries come without a lack of Vitamin deficiency, dehydration, and malnutrition. No matter what you choose there is a likelihood of experiencing some or all of these side affects. Keep in mind that there are risks associated with any of these surgeries but chances are greater that your surgery will be a successful one. As far as your reflux here is what the surgeon at my information session explained to us. If you tell him during your consult that you have acid reflux he won't do the sleeve period because it will only make your symptoms worse. My husband has GERD and is a type II diabetic, with hypertension and what I witness him go through I couldn't imagine how much worse it could get. Listen to your doctor and if you are still feeling differently consult with another surgeon to see what their thoughts are. Finally asks as many questions as possible and do some more research before making your decision. I am wishing you the very best. please keep us posted.

I know that this post is kind of old but I just wanted to take a moment to say congratulations to all of the new mommies here. I have read every post on this thread and see that I have very similar story to all of you. My husband and I have been together for 13 years and have been trying to get pregnant for over 10. It has been a bit of a rough journey for me. For the longest going from doctor to doctor trying to figure out why I wasn't having normal periods until my previous PCP recommended that I see a specialist. After doing months of research I suspected that what I have had all along was PCOS since I was a teenager. Before going to this specialist every other doctor would say you have amenorrhea, throw some pills at me and send me on my way. Meanwhile I continued to gain weight that was harder to lose. Each time I attempted to lose I would gain it all back and more. Finally walking in to the office to see the specialist after only a few minutes of my rambling she said you have PCOS. I tried infertility treatment that failed. I started working out even harder and to no avail I still could not get pregnant. I then said okay maybe doing the weight loss surgery would help but then my employer switched insurance companies and I wasn't eligible. Years later I am 39 and upon researching my husband's insurance I found that they do cover WLS so here I am beginning the process to have the surgery. I went to a information seminar the day before Thanksgiving and I should be hearing from the surgeon's office upon verification of my insurance to schedule a consultation some time this week. I am praying that things will work out and that I too can be a mommy as well. Seeing all of your posts here gives me hope. Congratulations again and God bless you all.

Agreed LipstickLady! ???? Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

Congratulations!