The Ball Is Rolling Excited and Stressed! Need Psych Advice!

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

I had my consultation and everything went well. The surgeon was very reassuring and answered all of my questions to the best of his knowledge. He made things easier by starting the conversation off with a light hearted joke which lets me know that he has a sense of humor. I don't think that I could have asked for a better person to work with. This is exciting because I really didn't realize just how fast everything would be going. I had a little hiccup with my insurance after they updated my plan but nothing really changed with the exception of my deductible going up by 50 dollars. The stressful part was calling around and preparing for pre-operative testing. I didn't realize that a lot of these places for a cardiologist, pulmonologist, and psychologist were booking a month out. I was told that I had a limited amount of time to get all of these test done to submit for approval and that I needed to schedule to see a pyschologist first because they usually submit doc for approval after receiving psych clearance and taking a mandatory class. I found a place that will squeeze me in for my psych clearance sooner than next month however I am really nervous. I know that every office is different but generally What should I expect? I was told to be prepared to stay for 2 hours.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

Based on my experience and that of others, the psych clearance is pretty easy.

They usually give you a pen and paper assessment that is pretty standard so that is what takes most of the time.

They just want to make sure you are capable of making an informed decision and know what you are getting into. If they identify areas that you may need help or support they may recommend some follow-up.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

Based on my experience and that of others, the psych clearance is pretty easy.

They usually give you a pen and paper assessment that is pretty standard so that is what takes most of the time.

They just want to make sure you are capable of making an informed decision and know what you are getting into. If they identify areas that you may need help or support they may recommend some follow-up.

Thank you @InnerSurferGirl! I was sitting here making to much out of this part of it. I am pretty confident that everything will be just fine. I've been wanting this surgery for so long I just want everything to go smoothly without any hiccups along the way and this was one of the areas where I just wasn't sure what to expect going in. This puts me at ease. I appreciate your response.

Edited January 16, 2016 by DivaSoBlessed

[2goldengirl 2,076]

The stressful part was calling around and preparing for pre-operative testing. I didn't realize that a lot of these places for a cardiologist, pulmonologist, and psychologist were booking a month out. I was told that I had a limited amount of time to get all of these test done to submit for approval...

This is especially true in December and January, also around things like school breaks. December is when people want to squeeze things in before they get new deductibles Jan. 1, and people who have changed carriers effective Jan. 1 are trying to squeeze things in as well. I had to wait nearly a month to see the GI to get my EGD, fortunately she was fantastic and I left her office with a date for my EGD less than 10 days later. As a bonus, I know who will do my colonoscopy next year.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

@@2goldengirl I didn't even give thought to the fact that people are booking appointments near the end of the year to beat the new deductibles for Jan. 1 or that patients are taking off out of the gate to get their clearance for surgery at the beginning of the year. I don't know why I didn't even think to consider this beforehand but I totally understand. That is awesome that you are able to use your doc for your colonoscopy!

I hate having a higher deductible to meet now but I can't let that stop me from accomplishing my goals. I hope that everyone who wants to have surgery gets it. After scheduling all of my appointments something told me to call the staff back at the surgeon's office and speak to them about the timeline to have these tests completed and I am glad that I did. I found out that right after I take my mandatory NUT class they will be looking for clearance from the psychologist first to submit for approval even before I get clearance from the cardiologist and pulmonologist. Thinking about it things will start moving pretty quickly after that. I am just trying to prepare for it in terms of food. I'm scared half to death because having PCOS I am sensitive to everything so I need to figure out what I will be eating post op. I also take two meds for hypertension along with metformin and they tend to drop my blood sugar pretty low so I am wondering how this will work in conjunction with doing a pre-op diet. This whole process is both exciting and a little stressful all the same.

[Miss Mac 6,261]

My psych evaluation was verbal conversation that lasted about 1/2 hour. She asked questions pertaining to my knowledge of the procedure and its consequences on the rest of my life.

She was looking for information as to how committed I was to following my team's instruction. She asked about eating disorders and family history of obesity. Overall, it was pretty painless.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

@@Miss Mac It sounds like I don't have anything to worry about. They will probably kick me out of their office if they talk to me because I can go on for hours if not days lol! It sounds harmless and this is what I was looking for how each person who has already gone through the process did in their evaluations. I understand that I have to do a questionnaire as well. I don't mind doing a questionnaire but they can be very long and tedious. I'm looking forward to this appointment. Thank you for your feedback and congratulations to all of you that have made it to the losers bench.

[AliAqua 18]

Oh! Something I can help with!

I had my psych eval today. First there was a 200ish item computer questionnaire, mostly true/false. Example questions were things like "I often overhear people talking poorly about me", "I always stay away from social situations", "I have not seen a car in ten years," "I often want people to acknowledge my talents", "I am often cruel to the people around me to punish them", and all sorts of things like that. That took 15-20 minutes.

After that I talked to the counselor for about an hour. We discussed my husband and kids, relationships, support systems, past anxiety and depression and how I plan to handle future episodes, coping mechanisms, typical diet, how I handled past traumas, work, then we started talking about the surgery. She wanted to make sure I'm prepared and have realistic goals, and that I am aware there is work and pain involved in the process. At the end she said she had fun talking to me and that she'd write up my approval next week.

Overall it was super easy, kinda fun, kinda boring, and a little weird. I was a little anxious about it and moved up my date a week so I wouldn't spend so much time worrying about a psych eval.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

@@AliAqua That is awesome news! Congratulations on successfully getting past this stage of the process. Sounds just like having a conversation with an old friend. I am prepared for the true and false questions as these usually aren't a problem for me but I haven't even given thought to how I will respond in terms of talking about my relationships and support systems. I am an open book but I have never really sat back and discussed my relationships. This is all good information to know. I really appreciate your response along with everyone who responded. I helps to have some insight going into this. I am not so nervous about it now. I think that I may have made this a bigger deal in my own head than it really is and I probably just need to relax about this entire process because what will be will be. I'm sure that everything will be just fine. My BMI is well over 35... 53.3 to be exact and I have more comorbidities than I care to alone to get approval. Add me as a friend, keep us updated on your progress, and welcome!

Edited January 16, 2016 by DivaSoBlessed

[ssflbelle 829]

Each Psych eval is different depending on who you have. I had a lady that does WLS evaluations and counsels anyone who has had any of the WLS. She had me come for 7 visits. She really knew about each of the surgeries and what has to be done and what to expect. We discussed everything imaginable from:

1. why I wanted to lose weight with WLS now that I am 60 and why didn't I do it before Am I doing this for fashion or for my health etc. .

2. possible complications from the surgery.

3. how I felt about following a high Protein low carb program for the rest of my life.

4. what kind of emotional support would I have as I have no family.

5. how was I going to handle stress now that I couldn't eat like I use to I told her exercise which lead to what kind as I can't stand.

6. possible other addictions that might crop up

7. how am I going to feel about all the excess skin I will have that I can't afford to have removed.

After the 7th visit she finally wrote my evaluation.

She also offered additional counseling to me after surgery should I need it.

My surgery isn't until Jan 26th. Once I recover I will probably see her on a regular basis, if I am not finding enough support in the support groups and online here at BP.

You are right about all the delays in getting appointments. I had to wait as long as 6 weeks for some of mine. But then I had a 6 months supervised diet I had to follow. I started my process June 15 2015 and finally 7 months later I am having surgery.

I hope your process is much easier and doesn't take as long as mine did. There were days I was so stressed out that I am very thankful my Psych lady suggested the punching bag I have on the front of my bedroom door. It really helped to see the heads of some of these Doctors on that bag and beat the crap out of them. LOL Good Luck.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

Each Psych eval is different depending on who you have. I had a lady that does WLS evaluations and counsels anyone who has had any of the WLS. She had me come for 7 visits. She really knew about each of the surgeries and what has to be done and what to expect. We discussed everything imaginable from:

1. why I wanted to lose weight with WLS now that I am 60 and why didn't I do it before Am I doing this for fashion or for my health etc. .

2. possible complications from the surgery.

3. how I felt about following a high Protein low carb program for the rest of my life.

4. what kind of emotional support would I have as I have no family.

5. how was I going to handle stress now that I couldn't eat like I use to I told her exercise which lead to what kind as I can't stand.

6. possible other addictions that might crop up

7. how am I going to feel about all the excess skin I will have that I can't afford to have removed.

After the 7th visit she finally wrote my evaluation.

She also offered additional counseling to me after surgery should I need it.

My surgery isn't until Jan 26th. Once I recover I will probably see her on a regular basis, if I am not finding enough support in the support groups and online here at BP.

You are right about all the delays in getting appointments. I had to wait as long as 6 weeks for some of mine. But then I had a 6 months supervised diet I had to follow. I started my process June 15 2015 and finally 7 months later I am having surgery.

I hope your process is much easier and doesn't take as long as mine did. There were days I was so stressed out that I am very thankful my Psych lady suggested the punching bag I have on the front of my bedroom door. It really helped to see the heads of some of these Doctors on that bag and beat the crap out of them. LOL Good Luck.

@@ssflbelle thank you for sharing and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. This helps me prepare for questions that I hadnt even considered. While I might not be asked the very same questions just reading some of your questions I can tell you that I probably would have been caught off guard not knowing how to respond not because I don't know the answers but because I simply just haven't thought about these particular questions and the impact they have in terms of coping and making responsible. Clearly I am prepared for change otherwise I would not have taken the steps to start this process. But these kinds of questions make me seriously have to deal with the reality of the impact this surgery will have on my life. Not that I wasn't serious before. Ive only had this discussion with my husband and a few of my online friends so these kinds of questions never came up in any of my discussions. It was basically me talking and people agreeing with what I said without questioning it. I am grateful for each of you who responded. This gives me something to think about before my visit. Please keep us posted on your progress and add me as a friend.

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[AliAqua 18]

@@DivaSoBlessed I know what you mean about blowing it out of proportion! I was worried we'd spend the whole time focusing on the bad parts of my life and all the ways I feel like I fail myself and those around me, all the ways I suck, etc. But it wasn't like that. I think the major thrust of the psych eval is to make sure you're not totally cuckoo-bananas, if you are cuckoo-bananas then you're working on it, that you're doing WLS of your own accord, that you're realistic about yourself and life and surgery, and that you've got people in your corner you can go to when you hit obstacles. I was nervous so I talked a mile a minute, and was kinda surprised by how much info I offered up. Yay for confidentiality!

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

@@AliAqua That's exactly what I was thinking! I didn't want to walk into the office focusing on all of my past failures and the bad things that lead me to where I am right now. I acknowledge that they all have lead me to this point but there is just so much more to me than the bad so that is a good thing to know about how your eval went. Yes my husband just said this a minute ago that I will have told him or her my life story before its over lol! I am not going in for that I just want them to understand that I understand that what I am about to go through is irreversible and yes very life changing but that I am ready for all that comes my way. I just know that I can't continue my life on the route that I have been on for most of my life. Its gotten me nowhere in all of this time so it is time to start making some major changes. My goal here is to give what is required but not to be chatty cathy like I usually am when I get too comfortable. I'm not cuckoo-bananas but I'll probably talk them to the point that they go cuckoo-bananas lol!

[ssflbelle 829]

@@ssflbelle thank you for sharing and congratulations on your upcoming surgery. This helps me prepare for questions that I hadnt even considered. While I might not be asked the very same questions just reading some of your questions I can tell you that I probably would have been caught off guard not knowing how to respond not because I don't know the answers but because I simply just haven't thought about these particular questions and the impact they have in terms of coping and making responsible. Clearly I am prepared for change otherwise I would not have taken the steps to start this process. But these kinds of questions make me seriously have to deal with the reality of the impact this surgery will have on my life. Not that I wasn't serious before. Ive only had this discussion with my husband and a few of my online friends so these kinds of questions never came up in any of my discussions. It was basically me talking and people agreeing with what I said without questioning it. I am grateful for each of you who responded. This gives me something to think about before my visit. Please keep us posted on your progress and add me as a friend.

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Your very welcome. I know what you mean about being unprepared about the possibility of answering these questions. I had very long delays in answering when she asked me. However she was not upset as she saw that by the delays these were questions I hadn't thought about either. She would give good suggestions to me also.

I am following your thread and have added you as a friend so we can follow each others progress.

[DivaSoBlessed 97]

Awesome @@ssflbelle! I'm rooting for all of us on our journey. I'll update as my appointments happen. Have a wonderful weekend.