Hey! I'm a Newbie and could use some advice...

I just discovered this website 2 days ago and what a God send. I have scheduled consultations with two different surgeons so that I can decide on who is best for me. The consult with the first surgeon is on Jan. 18, 2005. The second one is on Jan. 27, 2005. I see my PCP on Jan. 7, 2005 to try to get her on board with WLS. Last time I talked with her about losing weight, she told me that she does not believe in diet pills and that all I had to do was cut back and exercise. She is about 5'8" and slender as a rail. How can I get my PCP on the same page as I am. I am going to need her on my side. Suggestions anyone?

Hi there Nancy, I am 4months post op, down 63lbs. I had the same situation with my PCP when I got started in the beginning of 2004. My doc is petite and definitely has not dealt with being overweight, so as long as you are sure of your decision and want to pursue this avenue, put your point across. I was very direct with my doc, telling her that I've been overweight since I was 10yrs old, have gone on ALL diets you can think of, and just was very direct and confident that I wanted a consultation with the bariatrics dept. She was not very sure about it and brough in her attending doctor for more advice to "convince me otherwise", but sure enough, the attending doc agreed with me and both talked it out. At the end of my appointment with my PCP, she gave me a consultation request for the bariatrics doc in my hospital and I was on my way. Calculate your BMI and see what it is, be informed. Being informed goes a long way and makes the docs realize youre serious about it. Good luck with everything

I educated my Primary. As I learned, so did he. I first started looking at surgery as an option in November and he wasn't much help at all. I see my PCP once a month. My last visit was yesterday and he agreed that the DS was the best choice for me to lose the most weight with the fewest side effects. In 3 months, he knew much more about the surgeries. He hasn't had a wls patient, even though he is a gastroenterologist. He picked up coverage of a RNYer in the hospital a few weeks ago. So... my advice would be to find journal articles and look around the different groups and forums for good, concise information to back up your decision and share it with her. Jeanie in MO DS 02/11/05 "Duodenal Switch: My New Beginning"