Barbara J.
Member
I've had a complete (and I do mean) complete blood work-up. Everything fell within normal range, thank goodness (check). Also, had a consult with my psychiatrist to make sure he was on board and to get his advice on my meds (check-check). Today, I had my appointments with the nutritionist and psychologist. The nutritionist was really good. In fact, I had a 2-hour office visit with her.
My psychologist, however, was a total nut case. It's a good thing there are no right or wrong answers, because I'm not sure she could even find her way out of a closet. I'm glad I'm only required to see her once; I don't know if I could stand a second visit. She insisted that my husband and I come to her group session next Tuesday. After leaving her office, I noticed on her session sheet that I'd missed the monthly session for "pre-surgery" patients. She wanted my husband and I to go to a session for people who were 18-months or over POST-surgery. The session/s aren't required for my insurance, so my husband and I aren't going. It's over an hour drive to attend one of her sessions. I can go to sessions at a hospital that's about 20 minutes away from our house. I'll take that route. I don't believe I'd get anything out of her sessions, anyway. She said she'd had 24 years of bariatric experience. Has bariatric surgery been around that long? My impression after talking with her is that she couldn't get work anywhere else. The surgeon who's doing my surgery is rated top of the line, but I believe he wants the money too bad to turn me down for surgery because of her. Therefore, I'm not worried about it. One of her questions was "did I consider myself to have a slight or moderate WV accent to my speech". I told her that some people had commented that I had an accent, but I didn't know to what extent. She said she'd record me as having a moderate accent. How in the world would that affect me psychologically??? That's just a mild example of some of the questions and comments she gave me.
I found out today that my surgeon doesn't require a one or two week liquid diet prior to surgery. They also don't require a sleep apnea test. They do, however, require an endoscopy test, blood gas test and a few other tests I haven't heard mentioned in the forum. They also do a test while you're in surgery to assure that there aren't any leaks or problems. I'll have a drain tube in my body for some days after surgery. A medical "group" (for lack of the proper word) will come to my home every day while it's there.
Do my surgical procedures sound like any of yours?
In any case, my case will now be sent to Medicare for approval. The nutritionist said I'd probably have my surgery by the end of October at the latest. I'm ready now. She also told me that as long as I'm not experiencing any problems, I'll probably be given the okay to travel from Florida to WV as long as it's by vehicle versus flying. We'd have to make several stops for me to get out and walk around some. I can handle that. I really don't want to miss Christmas morning seeing the grandkids coming down the stairs to see what Santa brought them.
My psychologist, however, was a total nut case. It's a good thing there are no right or wrong answers, because I'm not sure she could even find her way out of a closet. I'm glad I'm only required to see her once; I don't know if I could stand a second visit. She insisted that my husband and I come to her group session next Tuesday. After leaving her office, I noticed on her session sheet that I'd missed the monthly session for "pre-surgery" patients. She wanted my husband and I to go to a session for people who were 18-months or over POST-surgery. The session/s aren't required for my insurance, so my husband and I aren't going. It's over an hour drive to attend one of her sessions. I can go to sessions at a hospital that's about 20 minutes away from our house. I'll take that route. I don't believe I'd get anything out of her sessions, anyway. She said she'd had 24 years of bariatric experience. Has bariatric surgery been around that long? My impression after talking with her is that she couldn't get work anywhere else. The surgeon who's doing my surgery is rated top of the line, but I believe he wants the money too bad to turn me down for surgery because of her. Therefore, I'm not worried about it. One of her questions was "did I consider myself to have a slight or moderate WV accent to my speech". I told her that some people had commented that I had an accent, but I didn't know to what extent. She said she'd record me as having a moderate accent. How in the world would that affect me psychologically??? That's just a mild example of some of the questions and comments she gave me.
I found out today that my surgeon doesn't require a one or two week liquid diet prior to surgery. They also don't require a sleep apnea test. They do, however, require an endoscopy test, blood gas test and a few other tests I haven't heard mentioned in the forum. They also do a test while you're in surgery to assure that there aren't any leaks or problems. I'll have a drain tube in my body for some days after surgery. A medical "group" (for lack of the proper word) will come to my home every day while it's there.
Do my surgical procedures sound like any of yours?
In any case, my case will now be sent to Medicare for approval. The nutritionist said I'd probably have my surgery by the end of October at the latest. I'm ready now. She also told me that as long as I'm not experiencing any problems, I'll probably be given the okay to travel from Florida to WV as long as it's by vehicle versus flying. We'd have to make several stops for me to get out and walk around some. I can handle that. I really don't want to miss Christmas morning seeing the grandkids coming down the stairs to see what Santa brought them.