Today i have my very first appt with my Surgeon! YIkes.. i am scared he is going to tell me that i have a ton of work to do before getting approved by insurance.. I also am afraid i will forget my questions! hahaha! any suggestions?? Or is there anyone that is at the first step of their journey too?

Edited December 19, 201411 yr by smile121

Write your questions down! I had like a page and a half. They probably will tell you that you do have a lot to go through before then, but it will be worth it and you will probably get a ton of good info and feel better prepared for going though it.

Thank you Sweetie! are you glad you had the surgery?

I am SO glad I had the surgery. It is nice to not think about food/meal planning all the time! I'm only 1 week post op right now, so I'm doing Protein shakes and Water right now. I am really glad I did it.

Today i have my very first appt with my Surgeon! YIkes.. i am scared he is going to tell me that i have a ton of work to do before getting approved by insurance.. I also am afraid i will forget my questions! hahaha! any suggestions?? Or is there anyone that is at the first step of their journey too?

I am going on month 5 post op. I can tell you that the year it took for me to start and get to surgery was a lot of work and it got frustrating at times. I even changed surgeons mid-way. At the end of the day, though, it was well worth the hard work. I went into surgery knowing what to expect and how to keep my mind right. Its a lifelong journey and I wouldn't change the experience for the world. Best of luck to you. Fight the good fight. Your health and happiness are worth it.

Best bet is it takes lots of notes, ask lots of questions (write each one down as you think of them!), and get a folder or binder to keep all the information that will be given to you. I found for me that organization was key to keeping everything together both physically as well as mentally. But believe me when I tell you...as much as it can be a bit stressful, it's truly all worth it in the end!!

Keep a notebook at your bedside. The chances are that you will come up with questions in the middle of the night because you are thinking when you ought to be sleeping. I went to my first appointment with 17 questions.

Today i have my very first appt with my Surgeon! YIkes.. i am scared he is going to tell me that i have a ton of work to do before getting approved by insurance.. I also am afraid i will forget my questions! hahaha! any suggestions?? Or is there anyone that is at the first step of their journey too?

I have my first appointment on Monday. I know I have at least 6 months of hoops to jump through for insurance. I've kept a running list of questions on my phone/iPad. I printed out the pages of my insurance policy that tells what all I need to do to get their approval. Best wishes to you! I am so ready to be on the other side. It's been nice to think how different things will be this time next year.

My first appointment is January 7th. I'm excited. Wish it was already here. I'm sure I'll have to jump through pretty much that same hoops. I just keep going back and forth between bypass or sleeve. What are you getting and why.

My first appointment went well! I have 3 months with a dietician ... And a bunch of other tests and stuff! Feel free to friend me .. Looks like we may be on the same timeline : ) I decided on doing the sleeve.. It seems like the better choice for me.

I'm hoping I only have to do 3 months I hear some are having to do 6. Either way I'm ready.

My best piece of advice would be to never give up. And brush up on your frustration coping skills, because you're going to need it in spades. Maybe someday in the not too distant future the medical community will stop looking for ways to disqualify us, and will instead finally come to the realization that WLS has been proven over and over again to turn around weight related maladies such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and the like. The money they'd save on medication and long term care alone would easily cover the costs. They've yet to start thinking outside the box.

And don't drive yourself crazy by comparing your pre op and post op experiences to others on this site. You are a unique vessel. Your insurance hurdles will be tailored to your particular insurance coverage, and your lose rate post op will be a journey all your own. No two are ever exactly the same.

My insurance approval is a very long process. I started in August 2014 and don't expect to make it through those O.R. arches until sometime in summer 2015. Luckily I've met a lot of great people here, and so I have a lot of support to get me through the waiting while my airplane keeps circling the runway ad naseum.

You've definitely found the right place to help you with the answers you're seeking.

Best of luck!

It took me more than a year to the day--from very first appointment to surgery date, 07/14/14. Stated in June 2013. But like I said, I DID change surgeons half way. But once that SD was set it all went so quickly! You'll get there! Patience and dedication.

Wow a year is a long time. Either way I'm dedicated.

Wow a year is a long time. Either way I'm dedicated.

Keep on trucking! Don't get discouraged. You probably won't take as long as I did. Every ins is different.

I had lots of requirements. I'm actually glad, although I was frustrated at times.

I had to go to dietician 2x, 6 months with my Primary care physicians nurse, Esophagus scope, clearance from sleep clinic - I didn't need a new study because my last was recent enough, a psychiatric clearance, 3 visits to the surgeon, lots of paperwork, blood work. I had to lose 10% of my weight with no gains. No drinking, smoking or drugs - not a problem for me - I think it's more important than the weight loss.

I am thankful because so many people drop out never start. Completing the requirements shows determination & preparedness. It scares me when I hear of low requirement clinics.