So I am going to my consultation March 27th. I am a school nurse so I am off all of June and July. Should I use my extended short term or just wait so I can heal without work stress? I want to do it so bad asap but I want to know how long the healing process is mentally and physically.

This is your first consultation at all with your bariatric team? or with your surgeon? If this is the beginning of your path then you may need to wait a while regardless, which might not be a bad thing. Having a nice break like that will probably be very beneficial for you.

If this is the beginning of your path, well places vary greatly with their timelines. Between pre-req appointments, weight loss requirements, tests (EKG, sleep tests, etc), and insurance requirements it's probably going to take a little while prior to your surgery date.

Where I'm going requires a 4 week post operative surgical skills group session. They fill up fast & if you miss any of the sessions you need to make them up prior to surgery. There's also a 2 week liquid diet prior to surgery. During this time people get a start on their weight loss, meet with the bariatric team & run any required tests. You don't meet with the surgeon until it's almost go time. It may take a while to get up on the table, but it's definately not just spent twiddling your thumbs