If I am self pay, do I need to go to a seminar?

One center I checked out... that is where they do the inital consulation, and it costs $100. One center said that if I felt that I was informed enough I did not need to go to one, but it is free if I want it. Other sites I have checked out, seem to steer you to the seminars first.

I am a reader and a one on one kind of person, and I really hate seminars! :cursing: Do I have to go to one before surgery?

My doctor required attendance at a seminar....it took a little over an hour.

Really, no big deal. The just give and gather basic information to get a starting point. I certainly wouldn't PAY for one.....all of the ones I've seen are free.

My doctor required so many hours of education before he would do surgery so i had to do a seminare and three days of classes so that i was as informed as i could be and knew what i was getting into.

My surgeon required attendance to his seminar. It was rather informative, and there was a woman who spoke of her personal experience and it brought many people in the room to tears, myself included. I don't know of anyone who has had WLS so it was good to see.

Attending seminars are usually free, and for me it was so helpful. The Bariatric office I am going thru has 2 surgeons, and I could see the differences in personality and it helped me choose the one who best suited my needs.

I also was required to attend a seminar. Actually I have attended 3. I was interested in the doctors that did the surgery and all 3 gave seminars that they spoke at. It gave me a idea of what the doctors were like. All the seminars were free and there some good questuins asked and answere.

I was self pay, and never attended a seminar. I saw a commercial on TV, made an appointment for a free consultation, and BAM! Three weeks later I had surgery. Easy and worth every nickle.

I am not self pay but I still didn't go to a seminar. My Dr. doesn't give them and so I didn't have to go. The other surgery center around required it. so it seems to depend on the Dr.

:cursing:

I think a seminar is important. It is a great place to get information and have questions answered. I am going to mine this saturday. BUT I would look for a free one. Mine is free so I think having to pay for one is crazy.

My doc requires 2 seminars. I went to one and will attend the 2nd later this month. They can be very informative and if given by your doc then you actually meet him face to face and can ask as many questions as you like. For me it was nice to see that other people were going through the same thing I was just embarking on. We also got to meet some of his current patients and hear their stories. It was very uplifting.

I'm not self pay and I was not required to attend a seminar.

How do you get the ticker thingy that tracks your weight and bmi at the bottom of your messages. I want to put mine up there next Friday after I get back from my initial consultation.

My surgeon did not require a seminar. He sort of gave me his own seminar at the consultation appointment. He talked and explained and answered questions for about 30 minutes or so.

It was required for me too - although I cant say I learned anything I didnt know from my own research.

When i went to my DH's one though, i did learn a few interesting facts - I learned that the reason many dont get past 60% weight lost is that people who have been formerly obese simply cannot eat the way normal people can, they will NEVER be able to eat the same calories and maintain weight - it seems personally I can, but then I've never been morbidly obese.

Also those of my my clinic's patients who indulge in a glass of wine a couple of times a week (regular moderate drinkers in other words) lose weight BETTER than those who dont drink at all. Interesting huh?

But all that info is in the printed stuff he gives prospective patients.

In hindsight though, seminars in a way are damaging - for instance I've never had the kind of restriction they talk about, i've never beena ble to eat half a cup of food and be satisifed for four hours, etc. I've still lost weight but if I placed too much faith in the "shoulds" of banding then I'd have had a lot of self doubt. Luckily I just do my own thing.

I'm not sure if my seminar was required or not -- but I wanted to go. I did so much research about gastric bypass surgery and lap band surgery on the internet before making up my mind, but I wanted to talk to some real people -- a doctor, and to other people who had had the surgery. I got a lot out of the seminar and also met 5 of my doctor's patients who had all lost weight with the lap band. Each of them told us a little bit of their story, showed us their before & after pictures, let us feel their port site, and answered any questions we had.

My thought at the time was that by attending a seminar, we are already somewhat educated before we go to see the doctor, and he doesn't have to keep a room full of patients waiting while he answers all the questions that would have been answered at the seminar.

Making the decision to get the surgery is a huge step and we have a responsibility to learn as much as we can about it -- I think it's worth the investment of an hour of our time. I wouldn't go if I had to pay for the seminar though.... I've never heard of anyone charging for it, so I'd find one that is free!

to make a ticker go to a website like thetickerfactory.com and make one then in the control panel make a signature with it in there.

Bobbi