Hi everyone Id like to start off by saying how great I think these forums are. I was so skeptical when my mom introduced the idea of having 85% of my stomach removed, but this website helped me realize that if this many people can undergo the procedure, then so can I! My name is Sam and I just turned 18 on July 12th. Because of my age we had to wait for me to be at least 18 before I could have a psych evaluation or a nutritionist visit. My preop appointment is July 22nd. The reason I am posting is because I am upset with the outcome of my psych appointment. My doctor was very quick to diagnose me with anxiety... But did nothing about it? No prescriptions, no scheduling further visits.. She then proceeded to tell me that because of my anxiety and how I "cope through eating" that I could not have my surgery on the planned July 30th date. The reason I am in such a rush is because not only do I need to get healthy, but I am starting my freshman year of college on August 25th where I will be living away. She said that I could get it during Xmas break but I am very upset by this. I don't feel like she really tried to connect with me as we only talked for 30 minutes. SO ANYWAYS, my question is that if I were to get a second opinion, would my doctor honor it? Or would he only listen to what the first doctor had to say? Please if anyone has any ideas or comments on my circumstances I would LOVE your input

Xox Sam

Nothing wrong with a second opinion. My insurance does not object to paying for it. I am diagnosed with anxiety and depression and medicated for three years. My Bariatric doctor and psych not only approved my surgery, they changed my med and increased the dose. If every one who had anxiety or depression could not have the surgery, there would be a lot of us doing without it.

First, welcome to our site. The psych appointment is not for therapy or treatment. It is a one-time meeting to determine if you understand the pros and cons of the surgery and give an written report (opinion) on your readiness. It is also to make sure you know that this is not a "magic bullet"--- that you understand that, although you will probably lose some weight, you have to make a considerable effort to get down to a healthy body mass index (BMI) and continually to keep yourself at a healthy weight.

I think you are on the right track checking out this site... you will certainly learn a lot about yourself, pros and cons of different types of weight loss surgery, Protein drinks, pre-op and post-op diets and how to maintain your weight. It does require knowledge and pre-planning to do well. You are in a good position since you are young enough that your skin is still elastic enough to adjust to weight loss.

To directly answer your question, I think your doctor would honor a 2nd opinion.

The comment about possibly being able to get surgery in December rather than next month may have more to do with the insurance requirements. Many require your going to a meeting with an assigned nutritionist ("NUT") once a month for either 3 or 6 months. There are other requirements such as an EGD and possibly other medical tests.

My first thought: Aren't 18 year-olds about to start college all anxious?