1st Appointment w/ Dietician

Well, I finally got the first appointment to get the ball rolling today.  It set for Oct 7th.  I have to admit, I've got mixed emotions about this now, excited, scared, nervous, seems all I talk about is when i get it done.  They only thing I'm a little upset with is that it's almost 2 hrs away, which is alright I suppose because this will give me a 2nd chance at being able to live like a normal person.  Which believe me, I consider even a blessing!! 

I guess the only question I have is  -  how long from the first appointment with the dietician (obviously if they accept you) did it take before you got your surgery date?  My husband and I are trying to figure a few things out was it relatively quick or did you have to wait another 6 months?  Someone told me that it's about 18 mths (start to finish).  Would this be fairly accurate?

Thank you to anyone who gave me advice to start with the process.  It's nice to know that I'm not alone in the fight.

OMG I hope mine doesn't take that long! I need to get this done in one year since my parents are paying the out of pocket expenses.

I just had my appointment with the dietician, it lasted about 45 minutes with the few questions I had, we went over how to get protein in, how much protein and that it needs to be consumed before you try added veggies. I never feel full with carbs and pre surgery can eat and eat and eat  so I will be avoiding most starches completely. Getting any necessary ones from my protein drinks or vegetables with higher carb count. 

I don't have to go back to see her. She gave me my main template for meal plans and I can call as needed. My insurance and surgeon do not require anything more than the consultation unless there are deficiencies in a patients learning ability. I have only to wait for the psychological review report to be given to my surgeon for my surgery date - typically they tell me that it can take 30 days to get payment for the appointment. In  my case that appointment goes all towards my deductible and I must pay it - so I can speed that up. I'm starting my 2 week pre op diet early because of this because my surgeons schedule is light this spring and I have a feeling that I will get in very quickly once everything is reviewed. 

So in all, from dietician to surgery, it will be about 30 days for me. Good luck on your journey!

Oct 7th for your dietician appt or your surgery???

Length of time for the whole process depends on your insurance requirement as well as your clinic - some centers only do a few surgeries a week where as some do them daily, so that affects wait of time. I would ask your clinic what the average is for people with your insurance.

I started my process the first week of Feb 2012 and had surgery June 21, 2012. Surgery would have been a bit sooner but my clinic was in the process of hiring a new surgeon so I had to wait for that to be completed as well - otherwise I probably would have had surgery in early May.

Good luck as you start your journey!

Amy

I started my weightloss journey on my own in august of 2012. I started seeing a nutritionist and was doing the diet/exercise routine, but because of family medical reasons, in December 2012, I made the decision to pursue WLS. I am scheduled for surgery 4/2013. I was told by my dr that wait times vary greatly. I live in NY, and my dr told me the shortest wait time she has had a patient experience is 3 months..the average is 6 months..and the longest was 9 months. I think it may depend mostly on insurance.

My whole process took from Nov. To May. That includes seeing all the other Drs that are required before you can get a date. I was told that is about the norm but my surgeon does wls 4 out of 5 days a week. The other day he does other surgeries.

I got mine approved right away - but I had the lapband for years with no results.  I think this was why I didn't have to wait.  I was happy to get mine in December and I've lost quite a bit so far!

I think the process takes a bit longer in Canada than it does in the US. You might want to wait for some responses from people in your area.