Since I am only in the beginning stages of this process, I am wondering if someone can please tell me what to expect. I am almost done all my testing and my preop appointment is on August 25. What should I expect to happen at the preop?

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Hi, at my preop visit the dr went over the procedure and any questions I had. I had to do some blood work including a nicotine test so if you smoke quit now!

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At my pre op app we discussed the process. He asked if I had any questions, and then he answered them the best he could. He told me I had to lose 15 lbs for my next appointment in 6 wks and then at that appointment if I had he would schedule the surgery if we got the insurance approval. I also seen the in house nutritionist that visit who gave me my guidelines for my diet for my 6 weeks

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As far as the approval, my understanding is that I already got it. I did nutritionist and psych. Then they submit for approval. Once approved, he does the rest of the tests. As for smoking, I quit the day I found out that I was approved. The only thing that I was told is that surgery is normally 30 days after preop.

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Edited July 30, 201610 yr by Gordita81

If you haven't already done so, I would expect some mindfulness classes, or behavior modification classes to help teach methods to deal with stress eating, mindless eating, etc. Most of us didn't become obese just from over eating when hungry. At some point, your hunger will come back so you should practice eating slowly, and mindfully now.

Prepare yourself for the shock of surgery. It's not uncommon to feel like "OMG, what the heck did I do?" A lot of this will be from all the excess estrogen leaving your fat stores during that first month of rapid weight loss. You may have mood swi rom this. It's normal.

Keep telling yourself NOW that if you feel overwhelmed drinking from one ounce cups, trying to get your protein and water in daily, it is temporary. It passes. I can't stress the mental preparation enough. Some people need to go on a liquid diet to shrink their liver preoperative, I did not.

The best advice I can give is prepare to feel overwhelmed by the overnight changes and remember they are temporary. Keep doing the right things, and you will be okay. I am I am 20 months out, have lost 100 lbs, am 2 lbs under my surgeon's goal weight for me, 8 lbs higher than my goal weight. Best wishes and remember, it's a lifetime journey.

@@Gordita81

Every clinic is different... My prop appointment was with a surgical nurse who told me what to do and expect. How to wash every living part of me before surgery. Then she sent me for tests. Blood. Urine. Chest X-ray. If I had not already completed the stress test, EDG, and EKG then I would have had to do them too.

@@cc1967, Thank you. I have started practicing mindful eating. I have an app on my phone called Baritastic. This app has timers for chewing, as well as timers to keep me from eating and drinking too close together. It also has reminders for taking the supplements. The information you gave helped me to bring this all to reality.

@@Shrinkinqtpi, Thank you. I do realize that every clinic is different. All the required testing must be completed prior to my preop or they will reschedule. I am trying to avoid having it rescheduled. I have done my EKG and Upper GI. Working on the sleep study and blood work. Everything is set up to be completed prior to my preop appointment.

I think I'm just scared that something is going to happen and either make this not happen or delay it at the least.

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I felt the same way, being scared it wasn't going to happen or delayed or something. I just wanted to have the surgery so bad I was convinced it wouldn't happen. Mine did end up getting delayed a month but that was my own fault because I had trouble quitting nicotine. My advice is to just learn as much as you can before the surgery and have faith it WILL happen. Try not to get too impatient with the process, there's a reason insurance wants you to be absolutely sure you're ready for the lifestyle change. Even with 4 months of preparing I was shocked after surgery the emotions that come a long with it. It's a huge life change (for the better but still stressful in the beginning) that's good you've started using bariatric now, I wish I had before. That's been rough having to relearn how to eat/drink. I think you will do great just enjoy the process!

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I'm definitely in the scared/worried catagory. We are waiting on insurance approval and I can't help but worry they will find some reason to deny it. Even though I know I checked and triple checked everything they needed and what I had to do. Including making sure I had at least 2 comorbidities listed even tho my bmi automatically qualifies me. Just very nerve racking process

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I feel the same as the rest of you, EGD done blood work, nutrition done, physh done. now just trying to get things ready for pre op diet, post op diet, and now is the waiting game, waiting on insurance approval, once that is here, I can breath just a little. The fear is what if it doesn't work for me. I can diet, and loose weight, but once my body figures out what is going on it, stops loosing.... I've already lost 28 lbs. I just hope this works, my knees cannot take it much longer. Right now I am still waiting in insurance approval. Good,luck to you all

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Edited July 31, 201610 yr by Kittymom

@@Gordita81 I'm anxious too - all I have left are pre-op testing Hoping they all go well.

I guess my surgeon is a little backwards, I already have approval before all the testing. Glad to know that I am not the only one scared. I will let everyone know what happens at my appointment on the 25th.

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I guess my surgeon is a little backwards, I already have approval before all the testing. Glad to know that I am not the only one scared. I will let everyone know what happens at my appointment on the 25th.

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I'm already approved too. I guess they don't bother putting you thru the pre-op testing until they know insurance is covering surgery.

@@KristenLe I think you are right. The preop tests were completed my the hospital in my case. What is good about that is that it will minimize the paperwork in the day of surgery.

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Last week was a rough week, but I ended the week with great news Insurance approved surgery.

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I had all my testing before my pre op and at my pre op.....all questions were answered and I had my surgery one week later!!! I met with my nutritionist the same day I had my pre op because I was a little over an hour away. I was self pay so I only saw my doctor the first initial visit and wanted the surgery, then all the testing was up to me and I did it all quickly, then my pre op and surgery one week after! All this for me was June 27 (first visit) to August 1st surgery!! All went quickly! My nurse told me some people wait and they still need tests 4 to 5 months after their first visit! So if you are ready, get everything you can do yourself done and call them after and tell them you are ready! Good luck!