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I was wondering if everyone that has self pay had to have a counseling appointment? I was scheduled to have mine today and my surgery is next wednesday but than it got canceled because the office lady forgot to tell the counselor of the appointment. So now its scheduled for after my post op appointment. I am also wondering what they do during this appointment this is the second time they 'forgot' to tell her. I'm not depressed or anything that would come up with in the psych exam I'm pretty healthy at 36 bmi I never really eat just to eat or over indulge. I understand why one would be needed for insurance approval but I was just hoping someone could answer my questions. I just hope this is skip able.

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i was self pay and i didnt do the psych part. and i'm perfectly sane!!LOL! i think that's only a requirement for insurance. $$$$$ in my pocket!!!!

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While a lot of people think this is BS...some surgeons require it to make sure you are fit to have the surgery mentally. I think a lot of people go into this surgery and either lie through the psych eval or don't take this seriously and may not be over some emotional issues that they have that cause them to eat. Your surgeon may be requiring this and that is normal. If you read about some of the band failures...the band did not fail them, they failed their band. Some people have not worked through their emotional issues with food and learn to eat around their band. My appointment was about 2 hours and it wasn't bad at all. The lady was very pleasant and it was just like talking to someone for a few hours.

I was wondering if everyone that has self pay had to have a counseling appointment? I was scheduled to have mine today and my surgery is next wednesday but than it got canceled because the office lady forgot to tell the counselor of the appointment. So now its scheduled for after my post op appointment. I am also wondering what they do during this appointment this is the second time they 'forgot' to tell her. I'm not depressed or anything that would come up with in the psych exam I'm pretty healthy at 36 bmi I never really eat just to eat or over indulge. I understand why one would be needed for insurance approval but I was just hoping someone could answer my questions. I just hope this is skip able.

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I was wondering if everyone that has self pay had to have a counseling appointment? I was scheduled to have mine today and my surgery is next wednesday but than it got canceled because the office lady forgot to tell the counselor of the appointment. So now its scheduled for after my post op appointment. I am also wondering what they do during this appointment this is the second time they 'forgot' to tell her. I'm not depressed or anything that would come up with in the psych exam I'm pretty healthy at 36 bmi I never really eat just to eat or over indulge. I understand why one would be needed for insurance approval but I was just hoping someone could answer my questions. I just hope this is skip able.

I was self pay and never had one. All I needed was medical clearance from my heart DR and blood work

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i was self pay and i didnt do the psych part. and i'm perfectly sane!!LOL! i think that's only a requirement for insurance. $$ in my pocket!!!!

I was self pay and never had one. All I needed was medical clearance from my heart DR and blood work

Yeah I thought it was unnecessary! My self pay is 9900 including everything! So I don't know if its possible to have them cut this psych out! Which it probably isn't because we have to pay the surgery site the full amount than they pay the office. If not I'm probably just not going to show up the day of the appointment, that's the exact same thing she did to me!

While a lot of people think this is BS...some surgeons require it to make sure you are fit to have the surgery mentally. I think a lot of people go into this surgery and either lie through the psych eval or don't take this seriously and may not be over some emotional issues that they have that cause them to eat. Your surgeon may be requiring this and that is normal. If you read about some of the band failures...the band did not fail them, they failed their band. Some people have not worked through their emotional issues with food and learn to eat around their band. My appointment was about 2 hours and it wasn't bad at all. The lady was very pleasant and it was just like talking to someone for a few hours.

2 hours thats too much time to be there! I could never talk to someone that long I did not know. I don't think the office thinks its that important seeing im not going till after my pro op appointment.

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It's not like you just talk about whatever pops up in your head; there are questions that are asked and they discuss your expectations with the surgery. I think you meant your pre-op appt, so I assume they still want you to complete it before surgery? You may want to check and make sure that "missing it" won't cancel your surgery.

2 hours thats too much time to be there! I could never talk to someone that long I did not know. I don't think the office thinks its that important seeing im not going till after my pro op appointment.

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It was required for me and I was not happy about going - just another thing to do!! However, she was super nice and gave me some things to think about.... Nothing life changing or anything that would change my mind about surgery but just how to handle things that come up... I would do it.

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I am self-pay, and I had one. It was explained to me that most of the pre-op stuff, including the psych eval were to make sure that I was ready for the surgery physically, mentally and emotionally. What I gathered is that my doctor wants me to succeed; and people who are not prepared mentally will not succeed, and they will have then wasted their money and time. I'm not saying you're someone like that, but I do think it's important to get evaluated by a professional.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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