I've decided I'm ready for the gastric sleeve. I have no idea where to go from here. Do I make an appointment with my regular doctor? Do I research surgeons and just schedule a consult? Does it really take 6 months to get a surgery date?

I think those are my questions for now. Thanks!

First thing I would do is call my insurance company or go on line and read the requirements for surgery. Every insurance company has different requirements. I would also research surgeon groups before picking one. And I would recommend looking up the hospital ratings also. Most groups have a weight loss seminar-- you may want to go to 1 or more to see which you think fits you best. At that point you should be ready to make an appointment with a surgeon's group UNLESS your insurance requires a referral. It seems that for most people it's about 3-6 months depending on insurance and physician schedules. Good Luck.

Most bariatric centers will be able to tell you if your insurance will cover any of the cost, and what the requirements are. Talk to people i your area, get recommendations for surgeons. Make a consult appointment, talk to a surgeon. Gather all the information you can. Watch you tube videos, knowledge is power, it helps prepare you! My fave vlogger is vsg kirk. Good luck!!

Thanks for your replies. I looked into my insurance online and it appears that it does cover bariatric surgeries. Then I found a Bariatric Information Seminar coming up on Feb 12 at a local hospital. It said the seminar is mandatory if you're going to have the surgery, so I'm definitely going to that one (it looks like they offer it monthly). The more I read, the more excited I get. I'm tired of being trapped in this body.