I’ve been working with Dr. Cha at the Cleveland Clinic since December 14, 2022. My BMI alone qualified me for medical necessity, so my insurance had no additional requirements. Even so, between the necessary psychologist and dietitian appointments, it took until October 2023 to get final approval and schedule my surgery. I’ll be having my Roux-en-Y in about a week, which will be roughly 11 months and 2 weeks from my initial referral to the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute. One of the highlights of my experience has been my dietitian, who encouraged me to reach out with any questions. She responds quickly—often within just a few hours—and has been an invaluable resource. I also recommend using the MyChart app, which has been extremely helpful for communication and managing appointments. Overall, the process has been relatively painless, even if it felt like a long wait. I’m currently on day 13 of my 21-day liquid-only pre-op diet and counting down the days until surgery.