Hi! I have been struggling with weight loss for about 4 years now after I had my son. I finally got online to see how can I get help. I seen that I could schedule a consultation with a bariatric doctor because I prequalified by the answers of their questions. I have high blood pressure & sleep apnea. I'm so new to this and I just wanted to be put at ease on what's the steps after your first consultation with the surgeon & what should I look forward too. I have a consultation coming up the second week in January! I'm nervous yet anxious at the same time. I'm sure some can relate!

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Good morning! And welcome to BariatricPal! I'm fairly new here myself, but it's a great place to find answers and support.

My first consultation was GREAT and provided me with a wealth of information. The surgeon you meet with should tell you what other appointments you need, if you need to start a diet, etc. Mine was so helpful in planning all of this. Let us know what they say when you go!

Your surgeon will discuss the different surgical options with you and your medical history and if there's a clear indicator of one surgery fitting your situation best they'll let you know. They'll go over the things that have to be done before the operation, some are insurance requirements (if applicable) and some are to ensure the best surgical outcome: referral from primary doctor, bloodwork, EKG, nutritionist/dietition visit, supervised diet, pre-operative diet, EGD (procedure to look at the stomach to see if there's any ulcers, hernias, or other structural problems), etc. They may talk about what kind of diet will be needed after the surgery so that you heal properly afterwards. They'll give you handouts and other information to help you make your decision, and tell you what the next step is if you decide you want the surgery. It's all very painless and they very much want to help you make the best decision for you.