my psychiatrist said that someone with bipolar will automatically be denied unless they see the psychiatrist for a year (getting clearance) before procedure.

My sister (who is doing this with me has Bipolar) I wonder if anyone else on here has had issues getting approvals because of that?

[emoji991] Instagram: milaalmodovar

[emoji317] SC: almodovarmila

I am bipolar. I had to get a letter from my psychiatrist stating that he supported my decision for surgery and pass a psych eval. I did not have to do a year of psychiatrist visits or therapist visits.

Question does she currently see a practitioner i have been seeing the same psych doc for 4 years im on a steady regiment of medication and have good family support at home. All of these are vitally important for anyone who has a mood disorder going thru a permanent life change like weight loss surgery.

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Question does she currently see a practitioner i have been seeing the same psych doc for 4 years im on a steady regiment of medication and have good family support at home. All of these are vitally important for anyone who has a mood disorder going thru a permanent life change like weight loss surgery.

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Yes she does. She’s been seeing the same psychiatrist since she was 20 (she’s 42 now)
I agree with having the support behind you (it helps a lot) even without having bipolar.. I’m sure it’s a bigger struggle (she’s all over the place with her mood at times) for the most part she’s on the down side.


[emoji991] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[emoji317] SC: almodovarmila

Yes she does. She’s been seeing the same psychiatrist since she was 20 (she’s 42 now)
I agree with having the support behind you (it helps a lot) even without having bipolar.. I’m sure it’s a bigger struggle (she’s all over the place with her mood at times) for the most part she’s on the down side.


[emoji991] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[emoji317] SC: almodovarmila

Than she should be completely fine.

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Than she should be completely fine.

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I agree, she’s stressing herself out about it


[emoji991] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[emoji317] SC: almodovarmila

I'm bipolar manic depressive and the psychiatrist (who wasn't affiliated with my normal psychiatrist ) approved me he just said I needed to continue to see my regular psychiatrist, which I do. So she shouldn't have a problem.

One of my surgeon's nurses asked me if I was bi-polar? Funny, my PCP, psychiatrist and psychologist never mentioned it. Surely one of,the would have bro7ght me into the loop?

How did things turn out for your sister? I have bipolar 2, and I’m just starting my pre-op journey.

Side note: when I told the NP I’m bipolar, she asked 1 or 2 and if I had “the one with multiple personalities” ?

I’m hoping to see their psychologist ASAP to settle my nerves.

Not too smart is she? B.P. don't have multiple personalities, that's another section of psychiatry. You're part time manic - panic up & part depression down. But very nice people as a rule.
Me I'm on the autism spectrum, might not notice,it, Females learn to fly under the radar much easier than their counterparts, but it's there. And finally after years of being told " you are not quite right"I am comfotable in my own skin. Yeah I'm verbal, some would say,too verbal, but there are traces even as an "Aspie". And I popped up in a Neuro-typical family, they couldn't quite understand all my " nuances" that's their term. I think I am pretty straight-forward a person. How I explain it to some people in this computer and electronic age.
I have a slightly different motherboard, although the wiring might differ, it works and works well for me. Maybe I too am not typical but once you take time to know me and my insights, I am pretty doggone cool in my own right.

my psychiatrist said that someone with bipolar will automatically be denied unless they see the psychiatrist for a year (getting clearance) before procedure.
My sister (who is doing this with me has Bipolar) I wonder if anyone else on here has had issues getting approvals because of that?
[] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[] SC: almodovarmila

I am bi polar and when I went to the psych eval all she wanted was a letter from my doctor stating I'm stable and compliant with medication and follow up visits. I just see my PCP for my meds, so he wrote a short note stating just that and my psych eval was approved.

my psychiatrist said that someone with bipolar will automatically be denied unless they see the psychiatrist for a year (getting clearance) before procedure.
My sister (who is doing this with me has Bipolar) I wonder if anyone else on here has had issues getting approvals because of that?
[] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[] SC: almodovarmila

I've never heard that. I've been cleared for surgery and I have bipolar. I've been seeing a psychiatrist for years but the length of time was NEVER an issue. What was the main focus was.... Was I STABLE. AS long as my condition was stable and I passed the standard psych eval that everyone must go thru.... I was cleared to proceed. Your bariatric clinics will put you through all the standard testing and make the determinations. In fact they never even contacted my psychiatrist. They asked for a letter of medical necessity from my primary care Dr then they put me through a psych eval with their own psychologist. I bet if you call the clinic and ask them directly if you will be automatically denied if you haven't been seeing your psychiatrist for at least a year for your bipolar you'll be denied....I bet dollars to donuts they'll tell u that's not true. Go ahead.... Call them. That's the best place to get the info u want.... Straight from the horses mouth.

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On 10/24/2018 at 9:16 PM, hwequestrian said:

How did things turn out for your sister? I have bipolar 2, and I’m just starting my pre-op journey.

Side note: when I told the NP I’m bipolar, she asked 1 or 2 and if I had “the one with multiple personalities” ?

I’m hoping to see their psychologist ASAP to settle my nerves.

What an ignorant question! I would seriously wonder about her.

What I'm thinking and almost would want to say? " No it's the one where I get short- tempered and choke people who ask stupid questions!" She must have gone to an on-line school, one of the cheap ones, if she had ever been in a psych classroom, she would have been shouted down by classmates or had the instructor fail her! Holey Moley.Jones, what an idiot you encountered!
Tell you something that bothered me. Almost every time I go to my PCP' s office maybe because Medicare demands it or because before my surgery I was an unhappy person, for multi0le reasons, main one I got completely through one Bariatric Program to have a surgeon capriciously deny me Surgery. So each time I have to go through the Depression Checklist, starting to feel it's stupid. " Have you considered suicide? If so, once this week, twice this week , every day?" nope I'm more passive, if I die, I die, but I'm doing nothing to speed it up!" That one I am used to, well when I met one of my surgeons N.P., in fact his senior one Valerie, she asked if I was Bi-polar? I had worried about That since May 2018, was I really? Had my PCP seen something, sent it in my records? Did one of the specialists I had consulted seen something? The staff psychologist Dr Kramer had said nothing, neither had my psychiatrist! I had seen him because the last year before my late husband died he had emotionally turned on me, and I had to go to retain my sanity. I call him the Late Lamented on here, he was no longer the man I married, I thought he had gone into dementia, as I turned out he was dying of hereditary kidney disease, ran strongly in his mother's side of family, his doctor had warned him 18-24 months before something needed done to slow the progress or he needed to go onto a transplant list. Because of Hippaa rules, he was legally restrained from telling me , his wife, because Hubby Dear had requested he never tell me. Well I never knew until going through his paperwork post mortem, that and the fact the ER doctor came out to announce he was dead, screamed at me like a Fishwife, didn't know a male doctor could do that? That he had died of high potassium level because of kidney
disease, why hadn't I brought him in for dialysis so that his life was extended long enough to get a kidney transplant! How could I? 1.I knew nothing of this, nobody including L.L. had told me 2. The man was taller and heavier than me, kept me intimidated. I was scared of the man he had become. Started sleeping elsewhere in the house because he treatened several times to choke me in my sleep, said I didn't deserve to live, as fat and ugly I was so 3. the only way I could take him to the hospital, since I was not permitted to drive, car was in his name, would be to have the police handcuff him and transport him, was built like a football pkaye

Nobody knew, but I had visited my lawyer to start proceedings to divorce him, he died on 4th of July, we had agreed to file in a month when I could be on vacation and move away. It was affecting me mentally, my work performance had suffered, close to losing my job, my life had turned to crap, but I was still too proud to tell anyone of it.
So I was starting to formulate my escape plans when he up and died.
And it has not been easy going from dependency to self- Reliance. Made a few mistakes along the way, but I was stronger every day. So when Valerie asked if I were bi-polar it scared me, what if I was and Nobody had told me? Still going back in my mind about being undeserving, maybe they would reject me! So finally last surgical appointment I happened to see her and asked, she laughed kind of ruefully. and said Its just on my Standard "Does this patient seem committed to Surgery" form. Well it scared me to distraction because I didn't know if I could handle it!

Yes she does. She’s been seeing the same psychiatrist since she was 20 (she’s 42 now)
I agree with having the support behind you (it helps a lot) even without having bipolar.. I’m sure it’s a bigger struggle (she’s all over the place with her mood at times) for the most part she’s on the down side.


[emoji991] Instagram: milaalmodovar
[emoji317] SC: almodovarmila

So glad I came across this thread. Hopefully I can help.

Therapist, specialize in treating us, also complete evaluations, also have Bipolar I (and had surgery so...??‍♀️).

According to the actual guidelines that we are supposed to follow regarding who has to be considered as not ready for surgery:
- actively psychotic
- recent (past year) inpatient hospitalization for mental health (suicidal/homicidal)
- drug/alcohol abuse within the past 6 months
- unstable mental health diagnosis (e.g. not actively in treatment, not keeping up with meds and appointments, etc.)

Now, the good news is, NONE of those things mean the person will NEVER be approved - they may just have to have a period of time that they show stability/treatment compliance BEFORE they get approved.

That info is straight from the ASMBS (American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery) guidelines. If the psychiatrist says otherwise, he can take it up with them! ?

I hope that helps.

~SW: 278 CW: 165~
RNY 1/5/2005
"What got you here won't get you there."