hey there curlie... it's actually quite easy to talk to your doc about the surgery. and it starts something like: 'i've been looking in gastric by pass surgery. what do you think about it?; and then there will be a conversation that will probably include questions about all the diets and exercise programs you've been on.
it helps to get an idea from your insurance company about their requirements for coverage BEFORE you have this conversation. call them up. ask them what their policy is. they'll tell you.
as the doc if he/she knows of any surgeons., but you can do some legwork first. go to
www.asbs.org and look for surgeons in your area. this is the american society of bariatric surgeons, the ones who SPECIALIZE in this surgery. lots of surgeons are jumping on the bandwagon, but not all have the experience.
chances are, if the surgeon knows what he/she is doing, you will have to go to an orientation seminar, in which there will be a slide show and probably a Q&A session. there may also be handed out materials, or even the chance to make an appt with the surgeon. most docs also have some post ops hanging around.
make sure to talk to as many as you can. they can tell you the real deal. and you can see if they're happy or not, healthy or not.
well, this is probably enough to keep you busy for awhile. but please come back here... be a regular... honest!!! we won't bite!!!