psych eval - ThinnerTimes

drtldt4e · 07-29-2007, 07:04 AM

I have my eval tomorrow and was wondering what kinds of questions that they ask. Counting the days until the seminar. I'm ready to get this thing started. Also, I just found out on this site that everyone gets a breathing tube. Is that really true??

I_love_Hello Kitty · 07-29-2007, 09:02 AM

On mine there was a written test I had to do before I met with the pshychiatrist....it had tons of questions. Just be honest. They want to know you undestrand the surgery...that you understand how your life will change...etc. They need to determine you are stable for surgery, and that you are doing this with the proper expectations.
Good Luck!

Dyann · 07-29-2007, 09:08 AM

Mine was just a sit and talk session. He was asking things making sure I had insight into why I was heavy, triggers for eating, expectations etc. I think they want to just make sure you take responsibility for the food aspect, understand that there are real risks, and aren't going to go off the deep end.

Everyone's experience is different.

Regarding the breating tube....General anesthesia always requires a breathing tube to be inserted. You won't know it was ever there except for maybe a scratchy throat the next day.

Debz · 07-29-2007, 11:08 AM

After trying to talk me into yet another try at diet and exercise, my eval was just him asking me questions to show that I had the capability to understand the procedure and possible risks...and that I was mentally capable of giving consent. He also stressed the importance of seeking counselling post-op should I encounter issues dealing with my loss of food as a coping mechanism. It was really a cake walk after I got past telling him that there was no way that another round of diet and exercise was in the cards for me.

Just be clear with yourself about why you're wanting the surgery and know the procedure and i's complications. I actually drew a diagram of the sugery for him...and showed I really knew what I was talking about. Have some statistics up your sleeve. The one set of numbers that seems most telling to me is this: 19 out of 20 MO people that lose weight without surgery gain it back within 2 years, usually with some additional pounds. Diets don't work!

And, one more thing....probably not the time to mention the dead bodies in the basement.

Good luck!

CarlieGirl · 07-29-2007, 11:20 AM

Good luck with it tomorrow. I didn't have a breathing tube but I don't know about everyone else

drtldt4e · 07-29-2007, 12:18 PM

Thanks for all the encouragement. I will let you know how it goes.

JenBear7 · 07-29-2007, 03:36 PM

My first visit was 3 hours long, consisted of him grilling me, then throwing the "Test" at me.. which was 562 questions (and insurance isnt covering..).. then another hour to go over the results... just to get his stamp of approval..

Its not that bad... just another place to put a check mark crossing off the to-dos before your surgery!

Escondido Elf · 07-29-2007, 03:45 PM

I think everyone gets a breathing tube during surgery (because of the anesthesia) but its removed before you wake up.

My psych eval was kind of lame. The shrink asked me about why I think I eat too much, etc. etc. Finally, he signed the papers and I was outta there!

Good luck!

'thann · 07-29-2007, 05:13 PM

I was nervous about my psych eval partly because other than being obese, I am in good health and have a terrific outlook on life. I worried that he'd think I was perfectly capable of losing weight through conventional diets. LOL!

I needn't have worried. He was very supportive of the surgery, and wanted to discuss all the things I had done to lose weight before. He asked me in several different ways to explain physical problems I've experienced because of my obesity. I finally realized that he wanted me to state that I am physically debilitated, at least in part, because of my weight. It's true -- I have constant knee, hip, back, and shoulder pain, all precipitated by my obesity, but I wasn't saying so. I tend not to complain about stuff like that, but in this case it's foolish. (My vitals -- BP, cholesterol, blood sugar, EKG -- are all normal.) For insurance purposes I needed to state to him that my weight has caused physical ailments.

His final question to me: "If this surgery cured all of your pain but did NOT cause weight loss, would you still have it?"

I knew the answer he wanted, so I said, "HELL, YES!"

He replied, "Good answer."

He ended by telling me that I was a good candidate because I am motivated, and that I wanted surgery for all the right reasons.

And that was my eval. No list of questions, no "test."

I imagine every psychologist handles this differently. Thankfully mine is 100% supportive of GBS.

'thann