Dear Rick,
Depending on how long ago you started the process, they may also want to wait a while to give you time to think it over more, read more, and firm up your decision. As you know, you are free to back out of the process at any time, right up to the admistration of the pre-op happy drugs. Since the chain involves making plans for several (or even many) patients, and getting their hopes up to some extent, the hospital will want to be pretty certain that you seem unlikely to change your mind. Just how much time that involves I do not know. It would be good, I think, to keep checking in with them regularly to ask how things are progressing. That way they will know for sure that you are still interested.
Please keep us informed abouty how things go.
best wishes,
Fr. Pat