How could this happen.... I was scheduled for surgrey 8/25/09 and now it was changd to 9/29/09 because the oppointed therpist thinks i need a few sessions due to what the lapband changes might do and is worried how i might feel about it afterwards, has anyone experienced this problem as well. :tt2: :wink:

Yvonne :crying:

That is terrible! I feel awful for you. Hang in there, it will happen eventually!!!!!

How could this happen.... I was scheduled for surgrey 8/25/09 and now it was changd to 9/29/09 because the oppointed therpist thinks i need a few sessions due to what the lapband changes might do and is worried how i might feel about it afterwards, has anyone experienced this problem as well. :mad: :wink:

Yvonne :tt2:

Bummer.:crying: I'm not set to see the therapist until monday, but I feel your waiting pain. If this person has the power to veto your surgery, it's best to drink the cool aid and hop on the therapy band wagon. Honestly though? It never hurts to have a few therapy sessions, especially if you've never been to therapy before. It's only a month. Yeah, I know we all want to get on with it now that we've started, but in the grand scheme, a month isn't forever. It still sucks though... it's like postponing Christmas to the end of January.

No, but I've read several posts of people who wanted it badly and freak out when they have it...THAT happens. AND I've read of people who have ins that won't pay for the band because they can't get psych clearance at all.

I know it's hard but...be glad. If you don't have any issues, well, good for you. If you do, better to address now than come to in recovery feeling like you have the baby from alien in your gut! :wink: (I'm only exaggerating a little, too, about how some people feel. They didn't expect to feel that way, but they do!)

So it's vile, but wait it out. I had to get my band almost 3 weeks later because I didn't follow my doc's preop diet; so I understand better than you think. But it's a process; it'll happen. Just do your "homework" with the psych person and it can only help!

I am so sorry. When they postpone our surgery don't they get that the waiting is the hardest part.

All I can say is what someone said earlier "drink the cool aid" or they may come up with some other reason to postpone.

Ugh! A postponement is terrible mentally, especially if everything else in the process was going well. I wish you the best, stay positive, this too shall pass.

I know it is difficult but it will be worth the wait. And, maybe you should think of it in a positive way and make the most of the therapy sessions. I found it very cathartic to talk out my apprehensions about the band and my feelings about food. It really made me even that much more sure I wanted the band. But, it has also helped me through the difficult periods of the band and kept me on track.

That's sucky. I can understand why doctors/insurance/etc want you to have a psych evaluation beforehand, but I have to wonder how many of the therapist abuse this to make a few bucks?

My eval was a joke. I met with the guy for an hour, half of which was filling out paperwork. On one hand I appreciate that he didn't hold me up from going forward, but on the other hand a therapist cant possibly do an adequate evaluation of someone in under an hour, so whats the point of doing it in the first place?

Be VERY, VERY grateful that this happened.

It's a clue that you have a GOOD medical team behind you, a team that has your BEST INTERESTS at heart.

The surgery is only ONE component of the entire process. A BIG part of it is what goes on a couple of feet ABOVE your waistline...your "mind".

If your Psych thinks you're not ready....well....maybe you're not ready. Plain and simple. You need to LISTEN to what they say. And it's only another month. It probably took you many years to become overweight; another month won't hurt you. And it could be the best month you'll ever spend.

Make sure you DO THE WORK; whatever the Psych says to do. You have to prepare your MIND for this

The band doesn't do the work; YOU do the work.

So, look at this as the VERY POSITIVE thing that it is.

Because.....it is.

HH

Hi Yvonne,

I was required to do at least 3 therapy sessions to address my food and body issues before the evaluating psychologist at my surgeon's office would sign off on my having surgery. I was devastated at first, but knew it was what I had to do if I wanted to be banded. Honestly, it was probably one of the best things I could have done for myself (second to eventually getting the band!). The actual sessions kind of sucked, but it really made me evaluate myself and realize that my weight problem was so beyond the physical--it was a product of negative self esteem that led me to what became a compulsive eating disorder. Now I know that I can only speak for myself, and that I am not trying to say that all overweight people or all people who want the band have eating disorders, but for me it was a profound revelation, one that I might never have made without the therapy. It helped me get rid of the desperation and depression that initially led me to consider surgery, and replaced it with confidence, pride, and positivity about my decision.

I proved to my surgeon and, more importantly, to MYSELF, that my eyes were wide open going into this life-changing decision. And the band has truly changed my life for the better.

Hope that helps!

Just read back my post and think I should add that, by no means am I saying I was "cured" of all my problems after only 3 therapy sessions. I continue every day to work on the mental and spiritual aspects of this journey as much as the physical.

I am sorry to hear that you have a set back, but it is only a month. That may seem like forever, but imagine how horrible you would feel if they postponed it for another 6 months!

I havent had the same problem....yet. My Psychiatrist did my psych eval on July 2nd and was specifically told it was for LAPBAND CLEARANCE. It is now August 7th and she failed to clear or not clear me for the surgery. I have made numerous phone calls to the office, but each time I get the same answer. "It will get done when it gets done." These people dont realize that I paid $250 in cash just for this to be done and they failed to follow through on their part. It really aggravates me. I mean, how long does it take to look over a chart (of a patient who has only been seen twice at that office....so there arent many notes), and either okay the clearance or not?

Hang in there! These added appointments may prove to be more beneficial than you think. :wink2: