My Bariatric Information Session was bizarre!

[limichelle34 60]

I'm glad I found this forum because to be honest I wasn't impressed with the people in my Weight Loss Seminar:

Now do I approve of surgery for somebody just needing to lose ten pounds? No...Seriously that did happen in my weight loss seminar. There was a woman just needing to lose ten pounds wanting bariatric surgery. She complained about her back aches and knee hurting. Yes I know extra weight is no fun. But to be cut open just to lose ten pounds in a blink of an eye is not a good idea.

One guy started yelling when he found out he couldn't smoke marijuana afterwards and not be issued medical marijuana.

One woman's cell phone kept playing annoying music throughout.

These two older woman acted like Twelve year olds when the word "Dumping" syndrome was announced they laughed so hard and said "Poop."

I felt as if I was in the Twilight Zone gone berserk!

Then came the end portion of the questions:

"Will I ever be able to eat a large bag of chips again?"

I think the doctor was at her wits end by the end. She quickly left the room.

Then a fight broke out between two woman screaming at each-other about who needed the surgery most.

The nurse asked if one of them had been drinking!

I left so fast at the end I didn't even want to know the answer.

I can laugh about this now but trust me at the time NOT FUNNY!

Has this happened to anybody else?

Like I said it was a mixture of the circus in the twilight zone during a bad dream.

Lisa

[The Candidate 3,215]

I think I would have payed good money to see that, just for the laughs! ????

[limichelle34 60]

I guess I was lucky to get the entertainment for free. LOL

[OKCPirate 5,323]

I posted this is in another section, but it makes more sense here:

This is my opinion based on my observations of testimonials and stories of WLS patients that I read prior to getting my surgery - most of the hoops that third party payers (people with insurance) are forced to jump through are ways of weeding out those who are not motivated to properly use the tool. Part of the testing is CYA stuff that we do in the US to prevent lawsuits.

While this is an observation, it is obviously not universally true...there are some highly motivated people on this site who jumped through the insurance companies hoops to have their surgery, and they did so quickly to get the show on the road. But if you were motivated enough to put your own money into WLS and go down to Mexico, odds are you are highly compliant and ready to make the change.

So which ever route you take, self-pay or insurance, those who make it through the initial process, eh, already have skin in the game. The people who are not disciplined enough to get through all the steps, are probably not good candidates, and those who have someone else do all their work for them, or were pressured into surgery are often the biggest whiners that "it doesn't work."

It's just a tool, you still have to do the work.

[Babbs 14,680]

I.....I don't even.....

*Facepalm*

[lauraellen80 854]

That's insane! I would have wondered if I was on some hidden-camera prank show!

My info session wasn't nearly as entertaining... just one woman who got kinda huffy when the surgeon said that during surgery they use muscle-relaxing drugs. "Really, do you have to use them?" "Um, yes, that way your muscles don't contract while we're in there operating." "Oh... well, I guess I can't have this surgery, then!"

[limichelle34 60]

@@OKCPirate

That makes perfect sense.

@@Babbs I think the Doctor wanted to do that in the middle of her lecture.

@@lauraellen80 It makes you wonder where these people come from?

[AngelaWilliamsMD 290]

I give props to you...and the poor doctor.

[laura4923 137]

A lady wheeled out of the seminar once she heard that she would have to give up her diet pop/soda. She was in a wheel chair and had oxygen. She wasn't prepared for possible sacrifices!

[_Kate_ 2,224]

@limichelle34 I can't sleep tonight for some reason but this made me laugh so much I have no chance of falling asleep now lol

[mtraverse 326]

This is hilarious! Was it held at Walmart? Hahaha it's too weird! I wish mine would have been as fun!

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@mtraverse - hey - you are giving the people of Walmart a bad name. This sounds much worse, like a thrift store or dollar general.

[tjstark 74]

Wow, I'd definitely check whether I was being Punk'd! If you can't give up soda or a bag of chips for this life-changing gift, probably not right for you. Good luck to 'em.

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

LOL!

My intro lecture group wasn't that bad ... but it was the kind of crowd for which my surgeon had to emphasize that he wouldn't do WLS surgery on patients without their own teeth who didn't wear dentures.

Thereafter, one couple grumbled loudly about how much they hated wearing false teeth and left.

[gpmed 623]

@@limichelle34 Wow! That sounds totally INSANE! My bariatric clinic required a referral from your PCP before you were invited for a seminar. Maybe that helped them weed through the crazies?

For me, it took me two months to get into a seminar after seeing my doctor (which I'd waited a month for). I'd taken matters into my own hands and was halfway through my nutrition counseling, had completed my required psych eval and researched the surgeries extensively. My only disappointment was that the seminar presented really basic information and didn't get into the nitty gritty, which I was really eager to do.