I had my initial consultation for weight loss surgery last week and I think it went well! For some reason -- and it seems silly in hindsight -- I expected to have to explain myself and justify why I need this surgery, but that wasn't the case at all. I had filled out a bunch of paperwork and sent it in ahead of time, but they still had a few more forms for me to fill out.

A nurse took my vitals and asked me about a few things on my paperwork, and then I met with the surgeon. I was undecided about which surgery to get, and the surgeon said he thinks gastric bypass would be best for me because I have a BMI on the high end. He wants me to lose at least 20 pounds before the surgery. He told me that my insurance provider recently reduced their requirements, and now they only require a 3-month supervised diet instead of 6 months.

Finally, I met with a surgery coordinator, who went over all of the requirements I will have to complete before the surgery. She said they want a 5-year weight history and I explained that I don't have it because I went 7-8 years without going to a doctor, and she didn't seem too concerned and didn't think it would be an issue for my insurance. She sounded very confident that they will be able to get insurance approval.

The next thing I have to do is an upper GI barium swallow test, which at first sounded like no big deal, but the more I look into it, the more I realize that it is a little scary. I've been reading about other people's weight loss surgeries and watching YouTube videos, and not many people have mentioned this part of it.

Overall, I am feeling good about this. I have a long journey ahead of me, but I've taken the first step and it's starting to feel real now.

I didn't have a barium swallow test, but this isn't the first time I've heard about a surgeon who required one. They all have their own requirements (many are the same across the board, but some aren't - for example, mine required a nuclear stress test, which many don't...)

Good luck on your weight loss journey.

12 hours ago, BigSue said:

The next thing I have to do is an upper GI barium swallow test, which at first sounded like no big deal, but the more I look into it, the more I realize that it is a little scary.  I've been reading about other people's weight loss surgeries and watching YouTube videos, and not many people have mentioned this part of it.

Its an intense but quick little pit stop on the road to health. You'll do great ?

Congratulations ❤